'I had met a lot of special people through newsagents' windows, and spent many enjoyable days with them. I found out about a community I never knew existed, the heart of rural Britain. I learned that everyone had a story to tell, and that people who live very ordinary lives are much more fascinating than explorers or pop stars.' John Osborne's second book is a comic voyage through small-town Britain via the ads in newsagents' windows: lost kittens, personal ads, a second-hand bike for sale, yoga classes ...Moving into an unfurnished house, John at first uses the ads in newsagents' windows to buy practical things like a bed and a settee. But on impulse one day he replies to an advert for a psychic masseur named Lucy, who tells him some startling home-truths as he sits on her settee in his pants. So begins a year of self-discovery and a wild obsession with newsagents' windows, which take John to a shoe-exhibition, to an Alan Ayckbourn play, to a wrestling match. He finds himself the owner of a man's entire video collection, a second-hand bike, a clapped-out Ford Escort - and discovers a community of a bygone age. Looking to improve his German, he meets a pretty German girl named Leni ...Hilarious and thought-provoking, The Newsagent's Window restores our faith - in our fellow human beings, in a world without ebay - and reveals the odd things that can happen if you let newsagents' windows dictate your day.
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`...should appeal to anyone (perhaps most of us) who have been through the business of finding somewhere to live' --Sunday Telegraph 27/3
`A humorous and surprising adventure into the heart of small-town Britain via the ads that people post in newsagent's windows'
--The Times 19/3
`A humorous and surprising adventure into the heart of small-town Britain via the ads that people post in newsagent's windows'
--The Times 19/3
About the Author
John Osborne graduated from the University of East Anglia in 2004. He has taught English in Austria and Germany, and has had poetry published in the Guardian and the Spectator. Radio Head is his first book.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Another wonderful book from John Osborne (author of [[ASIN:ASIN Radio Head]]). In this one, the author lets the adverts put up in newsagents' windows dictate his buying habits and hobbies. It's funnier than it might sound. He buys a car he doesn't want, goes for a 'psychic massage' and even gets hold of an unwanted Beavers uniform, without really knowing why.
Written in gentle, amusing prose that might appeal to fans of Simon Armitage, the book will make you see newsagent shops in a new way, i.e. as a cornerstone of small communities, bringing people together and sparking off unexpected connections between them.
It's a highly enjoyable, oddly comforting read.
Written in gentle, amusing prose that might appeal to fans of Simon Armitage, the book will make you see newsagent shops in a new way, i.e. as a cornerstone of small communities, bringing people together and sparking off unexpected connections between them.
It's a highly enjoyable, oddly comforting read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Faced with an empty house and limited financial resources John Osborne comes across a cheap means of furnishing it - buying items listed in the small ads in newsagents windows. When his initial dealings are successful he finds himself increasingly drawn to these advertisements, going out of his way to check out different newsagents and even driving from town to town to find them. He makes further purchases, some good some bad, but more importantly it is the people he meets and the experiences he has which have a much more valuable effect upon his life.
I was disappointed by John Osborne's first book, Radio Head, but found this much more to my liking. It is a very entertaining book which although couldn't really be described as hilarious nevertheless made me smile and also occasionally gave me cause to think. One or two chapters don't quite work - one in which the author gives a blood donation seems totally out of place and reads more like the text of a public information film - but most succeed in being both amusing and perceptive. This is a very good, undemanding (I finished it in two days) but thoughtful read.
I was disappointed by John Osborne's first book, Radio Head, but found this much more to my liking. It is a very entertaining book which although couldn't really be described as hilarious nevertheless made me smile and also occasionally gave me cause to think. One or two chapters don't quite work - one in which the author gives a blood donation seems totally out of place and reads more like the text of a public information film - but most succeed in being both amusing and perceptive. This is a very good, undemanding (I finished it in two days) but thoughtful read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By re viewer
Format:Paperback
I heard the author interviewed by Jeremy Vine on Radio 2. It's an entertaining story of how the author furnishes his flat by only buying articles from adverts in newsagents' windows. From this unlikely setting, he manages to meet a number of fascinating if not eccentric characters. This is an excellent follow up to his earlier book Radio Head which was the Radio 4 Book of the Week and a wonderful antidote to the stresses of modern living. I recommend both books whole-heartedly as fun presents that you can give to anyone without any fear of embarrassment. Newsagents Window has an enormously satisfying feel-good factor to it and I look forward to his next book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Another great read from John Osborne.. highly recommend this fantastic tale of his journey of discovery.
I had previously read Radiohead, which I also really enjoyed.. Read more
I had previously read Radiohead, which I also really enjoyed.. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Calculonsback
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gentle tale of transition to adult life
Enjoyable gentle read recounting the tale of establishing yourself in adult life. The days of adverts in newsagents windows is all but dead but this is lovely homourously told
Published on 16 Jan 2011 by L. Barrow
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