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The Truth [Hardcover]

Michael Palin
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
RRP: £18.99
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Book Description

5 July 2012
Keith Mabbut is at a crossroads in his life. When he is offered the opportunity of a lifetime - to write the biography of the elusive Hamish Melville, a highly influential activist and humanitarian - he seizes the chance to write something meaningful.
His search to find out the real story behind the legend takes Mabbut to the lush landscapes and environmental hotspots of India. The more he discovers about Melville, the more he admires him - and the more he connects with an idealist who wanted to make a difference. But is his quarry really who he claims to be? As Keith discovers, the truth can be whatever we make it...
In this wonderful, heartwarming novel, Michael Palin turns his considerable skills to fiction in the story of a ordinary man on an extraordinary adventure.

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 261 pages
  • Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; 1st edition (5 July 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0297860216
  • ISBN-13: 978-0297860211
  • Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.4 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 93,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

The Truth is an ingeniously plotted, beautifully written and hugely enjoyable book that raises tricky questions about the cost of progress, and even trickier ones about our need for heroes, the price of personal compromise, and what Palin calls "the uncontroversial assumption that the truth is immutable" (THE DAILY TELEGRAPH )

winning characterisation, clever plot and deep sense of humanity it's an unmitigated delight (CHOICE )

well-crafted, warm hearted - and wholly recommended (READER'S DIGEST )

entertaining...delightfully funny (SUNDAY EXPRESS )

Part environmental thriller, part biting swipe at the publishing industry...a thoughtful and generous study of failure (DAILY MAIL )

Michael Palin has proved himself a major talent at many things. Storytelling is another. (ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS )

The Truth is the perfect example of his literary brilliance - here's hoping he won't leave it so long until his next novel. (STYLIST )

The Truth is a wonderful, heart-warming novel exploring the issues of media manipulation, private lives and public persona, and the balance of progress against environmental damage. (LOVEREADING UK )

An entertaining story of hero worship, compromise and grubby trade-offs. (TATLER )

reads like a dream (Christopher Bray THE DAILY EXPRESS 20120706)

The Truth is a compelling and zippily paced book. (TIME OUT 20120705)

It's an enthralling and almost Kipling-esque tale for our times (METRO 20120711)

It's a feelgood story leaving the reader on a real high. (Rachel Redford THE OBSERVER 20120715)

Palin's dryly understated exasperation with the absurdities of daily life and his ear for dialogue raise an appreciative smile. (THE SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE 20120715)

It is 16 years since Michael Palin published his first novel, Hemingway's Chair. His second, The Truth, is so effortlessly accomplished that one wonders why he stayed away from fiction for so long. (THE FINANCIAL TIMES 20120721)

The Truth is a very good story, very well told... His detailed descirptions of India and Indians, in prose that seems honest and natural, are so atmospheric and emotive that without car chases and high explosives he has succeeded in writing a thriller that actually thrills, about a subject that actually matters (THE SPECTATOR )

A witty and provocative story that highlights the risks of finally meeting the person you most admire. (SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE )

Michael Palin has proved to be the master of everything he attempts. (DOVER EXPRESS 20130228)

Book Description

From the inimitable Michael Palin comes the warm and witty story of an everyman, a tantalising offer, a journey to India, and the search for the truth.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected delight 14 Aug 2012
Format:Hardcover
The Truth is a clever, thoughtful novel and not at all what I had expected. Somehow I expected a comedy of manners. In fact the novel is a thought provoking study of family, love and the nature of truth combined with a helping of environmental concern. You can imagine Michael as Keith Mabbut - an old fashioned journalist now a writer for hire who aspires to be an award winning novelist - he's the explorer, the pioneer, supporter of the underdog and man of the people. This story is at once quintessentially British and truly international. A very satisfying read and a story that I keep thinking about.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Truth is the Winner 13 Aug 2012
By Mags
Format:Hardcover
'How appropriate that Michael Palin should choose the subject of a writer for his new novel. Michael seems to be in total command of any genre of writing that he chooses, from comedy scripts to TV plays, from diaries to films. Now he has created a story that is as compelling as it is topical. The plot combines an engaging kaleidoscope of ambition, cunning, deceit, light and darkness. Michael handles all the twists and turns with the skill of a master novelist, with The Truth, for once, being the winner.'
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars As expected, a good read 12 Oct 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
You would imagine a novel by Michael Palin to be much like the man we have watched over the years - thoughtful, humourous, self-deprecating and above all kind. And you would be right. The main character in this story, Keith Mabbut, has many of the above qualities and is also just a bit downtrodden in his personal and profesisonal life. But he is fundamentally a very decent person, who supports his children, still worries about his ex-wife and doesn`t like to disappoint people.

The story of Keith`s awakening through an assignment to do a biography of a guerilla environmentalist makes for a very enjoyable read. Liked it a lot.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A good story once it gets going 2 April 2013
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Once the story gets going and the viewpoint character travels to India, it is fascinating and brings these remote areas to life. 'The Truth' gets across an important message about the complexities of environmental campaigns - nothing is quite as straightforward as it seems. You may be put off at first by the plethora of pluperfects in the first few chapters, where Michael Palin keeps telling us the hero's backstory - using "he had been" instead of finding a way of taking us straight into thecharacter's head. Do stick with the book because it will take you on an inspiring journey to places you have never even heard of but are well worth a visit, but I do think Michael's editor should have told him that the action needed to start as soon as possible.
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1.0 out of 5 stars disappointing 15 Jun 2013
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one boring book. There is no real plot, characters or concept here. Not once was i interested to find out what will happen next. Save yourself money and look somewhere else for a good read.
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3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable 9 Jun 2013
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Nicely written, pleasant read. It seemed to me to be the work of an intelligent and thoughtful man having a good go at writing a novel, there was something attractively naïve and amateur about it. I'm not sure had 'Fred Bloggs' written it it would have seen the light of day but having enjoyed it I'm glad it did!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Review of latest 9 May 2013
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Not what I expected but really enjoyed reading this book. Very easy t read. I read it on a holiday to India and joy is obvious that Michael Palin knows a lot about India. A nice easy read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars The Truth By Michael Palin 8 Mar 2013
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was the first book I read of any written by Michael Palin. It flowed beautifully and the style of writing was easy on the mind especially as the writer's voice is known. The subject was a serious one and will draw attention to the problems associated with it. Now and again there is the sense of the ridiculous which just made me laugh out loudly and I looked forward to laughing again, with each few pages. As the story progressed, the book grew in intrigue. There were many place-names throughout the book. This, too, keeps the interest going by association. (For me, when there was a brief reference to "Ingleborough", it was like a comedian calling to the audience - "Anyone here from near Ingleborough?" Ingleborough sat outside my windows a couple of houses ago. A good Michael Palin book to start with, in my opinion.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but perhaps a bit predictable
I enjoyed the story and the main character was likeable. But I found the whole story a little predictable, sorry.
Published 3 months ago by Jenny
4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting read, and a bit different
I found this book quite hard to get into, but once it got to India it really gripped me quite well. I do think Michael Palin's best works are his travel books and his diaries. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Primrose38
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, well considered, a joy to read
This is a departure from the normal books written by Michael. A most entertaining and addictive read. His work is highly recommended
Published 4 months ago by Charles Tawse
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down
I did not think Michael Palin wrote books other than based on his travels. Whilst this book uses his travel knowledge, it is an adventure that I found difficult to put down. Read more
Published 4 months ago by clifford
3.0 out of 5 stars A journalist writing, rather than a novelist
Not a not a bad read, not page-turner, elements of interest, I think the main characters could have been better developed.
Published 5 months ago by Canscot
2.0 out of 5 stars Readable but forgettable!
I was looking forward to reading it as one of my Book Group's choices, but I found it tedious. It was only that I needed to discuss it that kept me going to the end - that and the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by M. Donovan
2.0 out of 5 stars The truth is this is a disappointment
I love Michael Palin as a travel writer and the writing in this novel is not the problem for me, the problem is the story. I was just not interested in it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by KAW
2.0 out of 5 stars stick to the day job Michael
The first two thirds were turgid and the last third plot was so clunky you could hear it moving. Stick to the day job Michael!
Published 7 months ago by Mrs. Diana G. Money
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