- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Tor Books (Sep 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0765303884
- ISBN-13: 978-0765303882
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.2 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,761,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Michael Moorcock in Guardian (Review), May 2003
...Carroll has a unique and sophisticated vision...
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
A captivating and constantly surprising tale of life, death, and the realm between. Vincent Ettrich, an engaging philanderer, discovers that he has died and come back to life -- but he has no idea why, or any memory of the experience. Beset by peculiar omens and strange characters, including a talking rat and an inexplicable tattoo on the neck of his most recent lover, he gradually discovers that he was deliberately brought back by his one true love, Isabelle, because she is pregnant with their son--a child who, if correctly raised, will play a crucial role in saving the cosmic mosaic that is the universe. But to be brought up right, he must be educated by his own father. Specifically, he must be taught what Ettrich learned on the other side--if only Ettrich himself can remember it! Tempting and provocative, White Apples is forbidden fruit plucked straight from the orchard of Jonathan Carroll's abundant and legendary imagination.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Upon picking up this novel I was quite intrigued by the premise on which it was based, having never come across such a novel before I was a little bit worried about the way in which the tale would play itself out as it isn't normally the sort of book on my reading pile. But that said what does the novel offer to the reader?
This novel gives the reader a number of things to play with firstly we discover the world though the eyes of its principle character and so we're not completely thrown in at the deep end into a world in which we have no understanding. The author breaks the reader in quite gently showing us a world into which we are all familiar before dropping the first bombshell of many upon the reader.
What really makes this novel is the unpredicatability of the author, not knowing exactly what he can do, ie not having read any of his previous novels, I was left thrilled with the twists and turns that are a trademark of this authors style of writing. This novel left the reader in as confused a state of mind as the novels protagonist and as such when the light switched on for the character it switched on to the reader as we made the discoveries that he did, this for me was a rather nice touch and added so many things that will keep the reader stuck to the novels pages until its end. Although quite a short novel its part of the authors charm that keeps the reader turning the pages and explaining another world that we have no idea exists, the concept of this novel itself will surely endear itself to the fantasy reader as well as more than likely transfer quite well to either a short story or a film should anyone be looking for an original plot or concept. That said, pick it up and give it a go.
Format:Paperback
I got very little sleep while reading this because I just could not put the book down. It was the literary equivalent of putting superglue on the cover.
This is the first book where Carroll uses the omniscient third person narrative. all his previous novels are written in the first person. The change definitely works. Hitchcock once said that if you have four characters playing cards round a table and a bomb goes off in a briefcase hidden under the table, that's a surprise. If you tell the audience about the bomb and let the characters continue to play cards, that's suspense.
The use of the third person narrative allows Carroll to show us the bombs under the tables, but he also never fails to throw in several surprises along the way.
Like everything else he's written, this is highly reccommended
This is the first book where Carroll uses the omniscient third person narrative. all his previous novels are written in the first person. The change definitely works. Hitchcock once said that if you have four characters playing cards round a table and a bomb goes off in a briefcase hidden under the table, that's a surprise. If you tell the audience about the bomb and let the characters continue to play cards, that's suspense.
The use of the third person narrative allows Carroll to show us the bombs under the tables, but he also never fails to throw in several surprises along the way.
Like everything else he's written, this is highly reccommended
Format:Paperback
Jonathan Carroll has long been a favourite "eyebrow raiser" of mine, most of his books have moved me, one or two have not but then again is that not the nature of individualism? We cannot please everybody all the time , we cannot connect with everybody all of the time.
In his latest novel the main character is a person that you do not warm immediately to, if at all, as with other Carroll novels but that is the nature of the story it seems.The main character is a womaniser and you have to force yourself to like him to feel for his predicament and yet all that surrounds him is pure Carroll magic.
It is the nature and duty of an intellectually stimulating writer,like Carroll, to investigate all corners of the human condition and to report those findings from the point of view of as many different characters as possible, from 'nice' people to 'not nice people' to allow as many of us readers to be stimulated both intellectually and artistically.Carroll does this and does this bravely by moving direction with a new type of character and a slightly different story angle.
This book left me in stunned and breathless, not since Suskind's 'Perfume' have I felt so in awe of a writers imagination and 'personal eye'.
I can never play Scrabble in the same mind ever again!
In his latest novel the main character is a person that you do not warm immediately to, if at all, as with other Carroll novels but that is the nature of the story it seems.The main character is a womaniser and you have to force yourself to like him to feel for his predicament and yet all that surrounds him is pure Carroll magic.
It is the nature and duty of an intellectually stimulating writer,like Carroll, to investigate all corners of the human condition and to report those findings from the point of view of as many different characters as possible, from 'nice' people to 'not nice people' to allow as many of us readers to be stimulated both intellectually and artistically.Carroll does this and does this bravely by moving direction with a new type of character and a slightly different story angle.
This book left me in stunned and breathless, not since Suskind's 'Perfume' have I felt so in awe of a writers imagination and 'personal eye'.
I can never play Scrabble in the same mind ever again!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
review from SciFi.com
Jonathan Carroll brings his uniquely compassionate perspective and off-kilter storytelling skills to this ancient, resonant theme, and the result is utterly enthralling. Read more
Published on 20 Aug 2005
Carroll continues his plummet into flatulence
Books like "Bones of the Moon" and "A Child Across The Sky" had seductive prose, exciting momentum and moral unease. But Carroll's last few books have been increasingly indulgent. Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2005 by Jason Mills
White Apples
I've read every one of Carroll's novels and I thought this one his best to date. I read it on holiday, which only added to the escapism that his novels plunge the reader into. Read more
Published on 14 Dec 2004 by Carl Patrick
too many threads - not enough content
Much as it pains me to write this, as a longtime Carroll fan, but this book is a oddly poor example from a normally great writer. Read more
Published on 26 May 2004 by Nigel Lancashire
Yawn
Plodding story line that takes forever to develop. Creeping suburban banality throughout - token gay person - 'importance' of kids - blah blah blah. Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2003 by "rmk_uk"
5 stars from SFX Magazine review
"This is a book with a diabolical grin. It's also one of the most disturbing pieces of fiction you'll ever read, guaranteed to soak through into your subconscious and stay there... Read more
Published on 6 April 2003
from "THE NATION" (US) magazine
This is vintage Carroll: ingeniously plotted, richly metaphorical and metaphysical with a seditious and very witty take on reality. Read more
Published on 26 Dec 2002
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