This novel centres around a female character, Isserley, who is obsessed with picking up lone, male hitchhikers who are muscular and fit. As the story unfolds, the reader comes to realize that Isserley's motives are rather unusual.
Under The Skin
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Isserley always drove straight past a hitch-hiker when she first saw him, to give herself time to size him up. She was looking for big muscles: a hunk on legs. Puny, scrawny specimens were no use to her.So begins Michel Faber's first novel: a lone female scouts the Scottish Highlands in search of well-proportioned men and the reader is given to expect the unfolding of some latter-day psychosexual drama. But commonplace expectation is no guide for this strange and deeply unsettling book; small details at first, then more major clues, suggest that something deeply bizarre is afoot. What are the reason's for Isserley's extensive surgical scarring, her thick glasses (which are just glass), her excruciating backache? Who are the solitary few who work on the farm where her cottage is located? And why are they all nervous about the arrival of someone called Amlis Vess?
The ensuing narrative is one of such cumulative, compelling strangeness that it almost defies description--the one thing that can be said with certainty is that Under The Skin is unlike anything else you have ever read. The result is a narrative of enormous imaginative and emotional coherence from a writer whose control of his medium is nearly flawless and who applies the rules of psychological realism to a fictional world that is terrifying and unearthly to the point that the reader's identification with Isserley becomes one of absolute sympathy.
Michel Faber's debut deserves to inherit and expand upon the acclaim bestowed upon his short-story collection Some Rain Must Fall. Under the Skin is a reviewer's nightmare and a reader's dream: a book so distinctive, so elegantly written and so original that all one can say is simply to experience it. An extraordinary first book. -- Burhan Tufail --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'... strange, adept, original ... Would that more first novels were as adventurous or as funky and daring in their conception.' - Independent on Sunday
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Sentinel
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Given the many previous reviews, it's difficult to avoid repetition here. Still, here goes: this is one of the most haunting, mesmerising, beautifully unsettling books I've ever read (and I've read by the skip-load!). What begins as a strange journey with elements of gothic/serial killer/thriller, develops into a beautifully written and heartbreaking road down which we accompany Isserley, the main character, into a richly imagined world.
Faber only gradually reveals the complex forces which underpin Isserley's role, and the moral and ethical dilemmas she encounters, with which we are also encouraged to wrestle, and not rush to judgement. The book's dark heart opens to explore what it means to survive in this world (do ends justify means?), the price paid for loyalty, solitude and loneliness, love and redemption, all set within an unforgettable isolated backdrop in the Black Isle in Scotland.
If you can't be arsed reading something which I've made sound difficult/pretentious, fear not, for the momentum and the pace of Faber's mesmerising grip on the plot flings you headlong through revelation after revelation, as you hurtle through the twists and turns of this astonishing novel. I wager you'll come out at the other end exhausted, wiser, and unable to shake the dark beauty of this story for a long time. An essential read.
Faber only gradually reveals the complex forces which underpin Isserley's role, and the moral and ethical dilemmas she encounters, with which we are also encouraged to wrestle, and not rush to judgement. The book's dark heart opens to explore what it means to survive in this world (do ends justify means?), the price paid for loyalty, solitude and loneliness, love and redemption, all set within an unforgettable isolated backdrop in the Black Isle in Scotland.
If you can't be arsed reading something which I've made sound difficult/pretentious, fear not, for the momentum and the pace of Faber's mesmerising grip on the plot flings you headlong through revelation after revelation, as you hurtle through the twists and turns of this astonishing novel. I wager you'll come out at the other end exhausted, wiser, and unable to shake the dark beauty of this story for a long time. An essential read.
49 of 53 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Under The Skin is a really excellent novel. This book is truly unputdownable. Not only is it a gripping page turner, it is very, very well written. Also it gives the reader an opportunity to examine the issues involved at a higher level if they so wish. I will not explain anything of the plot, as I would not want to spoil anyone else's pleasure in the suspense and intrigue. Enough to say that you are puzzled and surprised right up to the end. Not a word is wasted. Although there are a few red herrings thrown about this is by no means a criticism. Faber draws us in, and then surprises us with another strange dimension. He could have been tempted into politicising or sentimentality, but he keeps his narrative firmly on the rails. The message in the book speaks for itself, and, when I reluctantly finished it, I was very surprised to find myself thinking about a lot more that hitch hikers in Scotland. This book has been placed on my shelf of 'best ever reads', which is still fairly small despite nearly thirty years of reading adult fiction. Thank you Michel Faber, and I look forward to reading more of your work.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By temperson
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Interesting and bizarre story line that I never expected from reviews. If you like something a bit weird, mixture of thriller, sci-fi, and something completely different, give it a go.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing read
only bought this as it was on offer, so though I would give it a try. I couldn't put it down! strange storyline at times- fantastically written and you really empathise with the... Read more
Published 1 day ago by cherry
1.0 out of 5 stars
not a fan!
After reading a review I was intrigued but it was a disappointment. Brutal in parts but I just wanted to finish it so I could start something else. Won't be recommending.
Published 19 days ago by Beth Steele
5.0 out of 5 stars
Memorable
My husband is currently reading The Crimson etc. and it was only when discussing it that we realised that Michael Faber was the author of this weird and unforgettable little... Read more
Published 21 days ago by G. Z. Newson
5.0 out of 5 stars
in my top 5 books of all time
The first time I read this book it captivated me and left such an impression that I recently re-read it. Read more
Published 28 days ago by yuriko
3.0 out of 5 stars
A strange read
This is a very odd book. I expected it to be a horror and then it turned into science fiction and then it fizzled out. Read more
Published 29 days ago by Kath Page
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thought-provoking
I read in bed, before sleep. It is extremely rare for anything I've read to register the following morning; Under The Skin is an exception. Read more
Published 29 days ago by DWH
1.0 out of 5 stars
Aimless and pointless
{{{{{{ CONTAINS SPOILERS (WHICH YOU MAY AS WELL READ, AS IT'S QUICKER AND LESS OF A WASTE OF TIME THAN READING THE ACTUAL BOOK }}}}}}
Sadly, I have wasted a good few... Read more
Sadly, I have wasted a good few... Read more
Published 1 month ago by StuartGreg
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not for me
I found this book confusing, obviously not a style of writing for me. Even at the finish I still didn't understand it.
Published 1 month ago by M. H. Faul
4.0 out of 5 stars
A real page turner.
What a fantastic book. It will keep you guessing make you squirm and...well i won't give anything away! It's a real unusual read, i am sure you won't be disappointed.
Published 1 month ago by sandra dring
5.0 out of 5 stars
So brilliant.
I love this book. It's clever, interesting and haunting. I believe Faber is one of the greatest writers of his generation, and 'under the skin' is a true testament to his... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Lucy
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