- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Vintage Books; Reprint edition (May 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0679749527
- ISBN-13: 978-0679749523
- Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 1.4 x 20.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,327,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
From the bestselling author of Bright Lights, Big City and Brightness Falls comes a chronicle of a generation, as enacted by two men who represent all the passions and extremes of the class of 1969. Patrick Keane and Will Savage meet at prep school at the beginning of the explosive '60s. Over the next 30 years, they remain friends even as they pursue radically divergent destinies--and harbor secrets that defy rebellion and conformity.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It took a while to get deeply involved in this book, but once i was, it was enthralling and engrossing.
McInerney writes from the perspective of Patrick, a suppressed gay, hard working lawyer who struggles with his inner sexuality, juxtaposing this character with that of Will Savage, his best friend and a white junkie who has a deep connection with the black soul music of Mississippi. He at first seems to be careless and carefree, with only his wife and Patrick holding him to the ground. Yet as the novel unfolds, the roles change, and Will becomes the provocation for Patrick's admittance to his true self.
McInerney effortlessly spans decades with his writing, following the boys from their teenage years at boarding school to Patrick's acceptance at University and becoming a lawyer and Will's establishment of a record company. The reader eagerly follows the contrasting stories of both men, constantly amazed by their intertwining lives.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
From the moment I started reading this book, I found it hard to put down. I became involved with the characters of Will and the narrator, Patrick, from whose view point the book is told. I followed their story till the end, and was not disappointed.
Easily spanning several decades from the sixties to the eighties, this book follows the story of two totally different best friends, each with totally different, but intertwined lives. Although at times the characters, and indeed the reader, puzzle over how they ever became and remained friends, it is clear that they need each other. With Will's hectic and volatile life style, he needs the stability and solid friendship that Patrick offers, while at the same time Patrick needs Will to keep reminding him of who he really is. After all, it is Will who, in the end, provokes Patrick into telling him the dark secret that has plagued his life ...
A must-have for anyone who enjoys a good read, this book is both entertaining and deeply moving.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
How good this book is, may be illustrated by imagining a little scene; a busy coffee shop in London. I sat there totally absorbed in my book and only looked up once in a whole hour to see that a woman was looking at me from afar, smiling broadly. I carried on reading, and a few seconds later, she comes over and says 'That is such a great book isn't it?' And with that, she left! I must say, this undoubtedly is McInerney's best book to date. I was utterly compelled right from page one. His writing style, although as sharp as ever, is skilfully juxtaposed alongside narrative which conveys all sorts of human emotion, from humour to pain, pity to pride, hopelessness, despair and happiness. McInerney keeps our attention through three decades of a friendship between two individuals, who, when we first get to know them, seem to be the complete antithesis of each other. There is Patrick, sensible (sometimes stagnant) and perfectly pleasant, yet although is constantly aspiring to rid himself of his humble and self sneered-upon roots, never quite manages to fit in. And then of course Will - the wild child/man, genius, impetuous, fascinating and frankly crazy guy who charms the hell off everyone he meets without even trying to.
As the story unfolds and the years pass by, we are given an in-depth insight into the way this friendship operates, and it is this which underpins everything else that happens in the individual lives of these two men. McInerney's description of the goings-on of the time in Memphis is also fascinating and so well written that you are mentally transformed to the era and enjoy the blues yourself!
I could go on and on, but not wishing to write an essay about the book, all I would do is urge you to go out and buy it NOW. You will not regret it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A remarkable and enduring friendship
Patrick Keane and Will Savage come together by pure chance as they find themselves roommates at a New England boarding school in 1967. Read more
Published on 2 April 2010 by Benjamin
Jay McInerney's Great American Novel?
Last of the Savages isn't JM's usual novel. Most of his books are based in "glamourous" New York, a world of models, phoyographers, artists and authors. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2009 by G. T. Watkins
Excellent narrative skills but possibly too long
I think I have now read all of Jay's books and while "The last of the savage" is different from the others, in terms of style (more classical and "stylish") and... Read more
Published on 28 May 2000
A stunning display of narrative skills
Having finished Last of the Savages, I'm left with a strange feeling of loss. Normally I'd be happy to have read a book this good, but in this case, I miss the characters and... Read more
Published on 3 Feb 1999
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