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The Unfortunates [Paperback]

Laurie Graham (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Perennial; (Reissue) edition (3 July 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007234066
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007234066
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.4 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 297,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

Laurie Graham
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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Poppy Minkel is the daisy fresh, naively witty star of Laurie Graham's The Unfortunates. Poppy is a mustard heiress with crinkle-cut hair, sticky-out ears and a nutty Jewish family. When Pa goes down with the Titanic, Ma decides Poppy was destined to be the companion of her old age. Instead Thoroughly Modern Poppy, blessed with 'savoir faire and unusual beauty' sashays into 1920s New York in search of generation-defining moments.

In a series of flashbulb-bright adventures Ms. Minkel acquires two husbands, two children, and a variety of breathless accomplishments--designer, aviatrix, gallerista. Poppy Minkel is determined to live up to her mantra: 'I'm modern and fun-loving and rich.' It's not all ditzy fun though, Poppy may glide along the surface of things admirably, but Laurie Graham's deft prose gets to the heart of things. The loss, grief, ignorance, and emotional vulnerbality that surround the events of the Second World War play in devasating counterpoint to Poppy's self-centred aplomb. Her breezy resilence allows her to deal with a drunken, violent first husband, with his haikus and his "glancing blows" and pretty much ignore anything else of consequence. It's only towards the end of the novel when faced with family tragedy that her regret slips in and "placed the heaviest weight around my heart". The Unfortunates is deliciously Nancy Mitford,--glinting with irony, sadness and humour. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Praise for ‘The Unfortunates’:

'It is a marvel. Graham's style is riveting, hilarious one-liners falling in quick succession.' Anthea Lawson, The Times

'My unputdownable book of the year. I laughed and cried.' Shereen Nanjiani, Sunday Herald

'An irrepressible adventurer, Poppy is a comic combination of innocence and pluck, but although this is a brisk, breezy read, it's also a novel with serious bite.' Hephzibah Anderson, Daily Mail

'Laurie Graham is a writer with a remarkably malleable comic voice.' Alex Clark, The Guardian

'Fresh, funny and smart, a novel that reels from the Titanic to jazz age New York.’ Observer

‘This wildly funny novel … is often on the brink of being a wildly tragic one.’ The Sunday Times

‘A compelling read.’ Hello!

‘Poppy Minkel is a wonderfully original, naive character, and Graham injects her with the same eccentric humour all her protagonists share, making it impossible not to love her. A fantastic, engrosssing read.’ Glamour

Praise for ‘The Future Homemakers of America’:

My 'Leave-the-phone-off-the-hook' book of the year. Wonderful.' Val Hennessy, Daily Mail

'Graham has wit and insight to match Nick Hornby, and the entertainment value of Helen Fielding.' Nicolette Jones, Independent

'Superlative. The writing sparkles from first to last.' David Robson, Sunday Telegraph

'Life-affirming. Pure pleasure.' Katie Owen, The Times

'Laugh-out-loud funny; intelligent; moving; has more delicious roll-off-the-tongue one-liners than Seinfeld. One of those books you buy six copies of to send to all your old friends.' Julie Morrice, Scotsman

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
The Unfortunates 16 Jun 2003
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I picked this up as a last minute holiday book never having read any of Laurie Graham's previous novels, what a great choice! I laughed out loud at some of Poppy's antics and insights and finished the book in two days. It is one of the few books I've read that I agree with all the good reviews on the back page - highly recommeded.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Potty about Poppy 14 Aug 2002
Format:Paperback
I read this book for a book circle of which I'm a member. I had never heard of Laurie Graham or this book, so I came to it with an open mind. What I found was a modern heroine - Poppy Minkel - who takes us through the 20th Century in her own fashion. A modern woman born into a Victorian world, she manages to escape the restrictions of her mother Dora and Aunt Fish, thanks mainly to the First World War, and never looks back. Although not necessarily the greatest of mothers herself, Poppy lives a rich and varied life but is always reduced to the status of a child by her family, even when she is middle-aged.

I would recommend this book to anyone and I'm sure it is one of the few books that I won't tire of re-reading.

And as for Melton Mowbray - I've lived there and it can be like that even in the 21st Century!

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Having read 'Perfect Meringues' by Laurie Graham, and not being too impressed (there seems to be no point to the novel), I was dubious about this one. What a pleasant surprise! I adored it. Poppy Minkel is an outrageous character with an incredibly dry wit which had me regularly laughing out loud. I wanted it to go on forever. I'll have to read 'Future Homemakers of America' now - can't wait to get my hands on it!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Unfortunates by Laurie Graham
Laurie Graham is one of the funniest writers around & The Unfortunates is one of the most amusing of all her amusing books; she has a wonderful talent for wry observation - and... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mrs Demure
Couldn't put it down once it got started
Throughout the first chapter I kept thinking this was going to turn out to be a pointless bit of chick-lit and I couldn't see where it was going. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Zola fan
Poppy has no soul
Having been ill in bed I finished this book over a couple of days and really enjoyed it - it's an easy, interesting read; lots of characters, interesting eras and places. Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2010 by HdeC
Marvellously inventive
Loved this novel. There's a wonderful piece of observation, a tiny quirk of someone's character, a detail of a scene, a mannerism or idiosyncrasy in every line, all written with... Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2008 by Mrs. I. Cranfield
What was the point?
This started out as a fluff piece, which was just what I needed at the time. The era was pre WWI, a time I have always been fascinated by, the place NYC, another fascination of... Read more
Published on 26 May 2008 by ash
How the other half lived!
This was an easy read, if a bit fickle. It left me somewhat dazed at how the wealthy waltzed around, even during the two World Wars, throwing their money around and living like... Read more
Published on 7 May 2008 by DubaiReader
Addictive
This is a wonderfully addictive novel and I struggled to put it down. Essentially focussing on Poppy as her life and the twentieth century unfolds, Graham creates a world bursting... Read more
Published on 17 May 2006 by Beca
Disappointing
Had heard good things of this book, but found it unrewarding and disappointing. Poppy starts as a fun air-head, but remains just that, with no emotional journey carved out by the... Read more
Published on 20 May 2004 by S. Bustin
Poppy is such a memorable character!
It was almost like a bereavement finishing this book. The characters were so quirky and yet lovable that I didn't want the book to end. Read more
Published on 26 Mar 2004
Fantastic
I just finished reading this and thought it was wonderful. Laurie Graham is an author I want to read more of. I have also read future homemakers of America which was great as well. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2004
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