- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Fourth Estate (14 Dec 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007157746
- ISBN-13: 978-0007157747
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 12.8 x 2.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,156,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
'THE GIFT is the best book you'll give yourself all year. Don't waste it on anyone else – they don't deserve it.’
Will Self
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Jonathan Franzen
'Unexpectedly wise and generous: a complete story and a very good one.'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
After the weekend was over, when we were driving home from Barry and Sean's house and the twins were at last beginning to whisper themselves to sleep in the back seat, I said to my wife that we must buy our hosts something. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
After the weekend was over, when we were driving home from Barry and Sean's house and the twins were at last beginning to whisper themselves to sleep in the back seat, I said to my wife that we must buy our hosts something. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Judging by this impressive comic novel, this author is one to watch for the future. "The Gift" is a fable for our materialistic age and is one that most readers are sure to identify with.
Flusfeder's idea, like all the best ones, is simple, but it is very effective in providing comic opportunities in the storyline. The characters are by and large believeable, and the plot has several intersting twists. Some may say that certain members of the cast act out of character, but it has to be remembered that this is a fable, even if that is not explicitly stated on the flyleaf.
The style of "The Gift" is deceptively easygoing and the way dialogue is presented (always a stern test for any author) is effortless and never false or forced.
The best praise I can give is that this is one of those books where the pages seem to turn themselves. An easy read that will have you thinking about it long after you have put it down.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Phillip is a bit of a loser: after a knee injury his promising football career goes to pieces, his job as a creative writer means writing manuals for Korean bread making machines, his house is too expensive, his car too old, his father a left-over communist and his attempts to be a Tao master of love making to his wife Alice fail all the time. And worst of all, Alice and Phillip have this absolutely wonderful, creative gay couple of friends who always come up with The Perfect Gift. Phillip becomes obsessed with giving perfect gifts in return, but somehow he fails most of the time (for example: buying a beautiful organic food picknick hamper including an enormous smoked ham for a vegetarian). In the process of finding the perfect gift he nearly loses all that is dear to him in life.
The book starts of as a really nice read, but after the first part (halfway through the book), the developments become either more of the same or unrealistic and, despite the sometimes hilarious character sketches, the last half of the book could not really hold my attention.
The book starts of as a really nice read, but after the first part (halfway through the book), the developments become either more of the same or unrealistic and, despite the sometimes hilarious character sketches, the last half of the book could not really hold my attention.
2 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Apart from being extremely clever, sympathetic and funny, this book is really useful. Because it is about the problems of what to give people who have everything, you can - brilliant! - give it to people who have everything. Keep a handful in stock for forgotten birthdays, presents for hosts, love tokens, whatever. Oh, and it is extremely clever, sympathetic and funny.
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