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Babyville (Paperback)

by Jane Green (Author) "Julia hoists herself around on the bed until her head's at the bottom, then sticks her legs straight up in the air and leans them..." (more)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Babyville + Straight Talking + Mr. Maybe
Price For All Three: £15.38

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Product details

  • Paperback: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin; New Ed edition (30 May 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140295933
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140295931
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 26,242 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #8 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > G > Green, Jane

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

To have a baby or not to have a baby, that is the question that's facing Jane Green's heroines in her fifth novel, Babyville. Julia, Maeve and Sam are pondering the pros and cons of procreation; the effect that it could have on their careers, partners and lives.

The novel opens with Julia, a successful TV producer, with her legs straight up in the air, encouraging her boyfriend Mark's sperm to reach their destination. Julia thinks she wants a baby to fill the huge gap that has suddenly appeared in her life. But Mark thinks:

We don't make love anymore. We make babies. And we're failing.
Maeve, who also works in TV, is adamant that she doesn't want a baby or a relationship; she's happy as a single, ambitious, career girl: "The togetherness. The cosiness. That coupledom that is pure anathema to me." But she finds herself pregnant after a one-night stand and finds that her preconceptions turn out to be misconceptions. And finally there is Sam; voluptuously, glowingly pregnant at the beginning of the book, but near the end screaming at her beloved partner Chris: "You haven't been stuck in all day with a screaming baby. You have absolutely no idea what it's like for me." Chris feels "neglected. Abandoned . Unwanted."

Babyville is played out in the present tense, with a staccato style delivery, with beats of humour between the emotional labour. The emotions may be powerful and universal, but the prose style may need a longer fermentation period. --Eithne Farry --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



Mirror Magazine

'It's ... spot on. Once you pick up Babyville, it's unlikely you'll be able to put it down.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
Julia hoists herself around on the bed until her head's at the bottom, then sticks her legs straight up in the air and leans them gently on the headboard. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Babyville
69% buy the item featured on this page:
Babyville 3.9 out of 5 stars (49)
£5.47
Bookends
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Straight Talking
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7% buy
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Customer Reviews

49 Reviews
5 star:
 (18)
4 star:
 (16)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:
 (8)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (49 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars quite good beach book, 14 Jul 2002
As many others have, I've read all of Jane Green's books, & it's become kind of a compulsion to buy every new one coming out. I just finished "Babyville", which I read in just one day: finishing a book in one day is always a good thing!

You all probably know that this book deals with babies: having babies, dreaming about babies, raising babies, bonding with babies, being jealous of other peoples' babies...Through 3 different stories (Julia, Maeve & Sam are the main characters), Jane Green looks at 3 different aspects of the same life-changing experience. All 3 stories are quite good, light, easy reading. I found it quite original that the "baby-issue" was introduced in this "chic-lit" genre, as it's called. I've read countless stories of "boy-meets-girl" so it was a relief to have something a little different to read at the beach.

I won't go into more details, just that in my opinion Maeve's story was the most appealing, since she's a character that I find true to life: independent & funny, & a person that learns a lot through loss of control. Julia I liked less, she seemed unreal & very self-centered. As for Sam, I have to say that her story didn't ring true to me, especially the infatuation part. But I'll let you discover the rest for yourself.

All in all, an easy, fun, quick book, made for summer vacations at the beach.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars very enjoyable, well done, 4 Jan 2002
By A Customer
I was a bit dubious when I began reading this book as I don't have any children and thought Jane Green and babies? But after reading this book twice, I would highly recommend it to anybody. It's based on three women, Julia Maeve and Sam whose lives are all affected in some way by baby making and each other. I found it hard to warm to Julia, as she seemed to be a misery and definately stuck in a rut trying to have a baby and being unhappy with her partner Mark. She leaves the story early and we move on to Maeve.
Maeve, I could easily identify with and have as a friend, as she comes accross as independent, sassy and fun! She finds herself in the predicament that she falls pregnant totally unexpectantly and have to learn to cope with whatever decision she makes re the future.
The third subject is Sam, whose character I loved. Sam's story starts after she has her baby the wonderful George, who is the apple of his mother's eye, and she is fusses over constantly and makes tonnes of baby food and freezes it in ice cube trays.....(madness!) She finds mothermood so difficult, coping with other mothers, and stays in her pajamas all day. Her husband doesn't understand where his outgoing fun loving wife has gone, and their frustration with each other starts to take it's toll until.... I won'tgo any further but I'd highly recommend this read. I enjoyed how Jane Green gently brushes their three lifes against each other.
If this hasn't convinvce you, here's one last attempt to convert all those who actually have had babies. I watched my best friend reading this who has a two year old, with tears of laugher rolling down her face, and hearing her say, I went through that, or I know how she feels, so it is realistic and to the point.
Well done Jane! Five stars
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've read in ages, 31 Oct 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Babyville (Hardcover)
I've read all of Jane Green's books and enjoyed them all so when I saw this new one I bought it fast. I wasn't disappointed. It is by far the best she has written and I was sorry to finish it. It was very realistic and reflected different women's feelings and thoughts about having a family extremely well: women who have had children will relate to it, as will those that prefer a career. I could relate to all of the characters in some way and it was just amazing how true to life they all were. I think it showed that life isn't always a bowl of cherries and there are ups and downs in any relationship, sometimes they that can be worked through and sometimes they can't. I don't want to give anything away so I just suggest you go out and read it!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars It was ok...
Normally, I am the sort of person who can read a book in about a week, but not with this one. I read it for about a month (constantly putting it down and picking it up). Read more
Published 4 months ago by C. Rucroft

2.0 out of 5 stars Oh, please
I'll preface this by saying this is not the sort of book I normally read, but it was given to me while on vacation. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Jen Z

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh Baby Baby!
'Babyville' by Jane Green follows the lives of three women, all very different people, all with very different opinions when it comes to having kids. Read more
Published 16 months ago by KAT

4.0 out of 5 stars a superb read!
I have just finished this book as I bought all the jane Green books after reading Mr maybe and this book yet again did not disappoint! Read more
Published 18 months ago by Ms. S. King

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down
This is the first Jane Green book I have read and I loved it. I agree with the previous comment about the stories not being finished before you move onto the next person, but all... Read more
Published on 15 May 2007 by Ernie the cat

5.0 out of 5 stars Hillarious!
This novel by Jane Green is one of her funniest! It will have you laughing from start to finish! A real gem to any woman who is thinking about having a baby, pregnant or had a... Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2007 by Carrianne M. Hall

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than her previous effort
I read this book shortly after reading bookends, and thankfully it was much better.

The story is about three women, who's lives are interlinked, but the story is... Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2006 by Sarah

4.0 out of 5 stars Babyville
A reviewer from HELLO! Magazine describes `BABYVILLE' as unputdownable and Jane Green's fourth novel to be released in the US is just that indeed...unputdownable! Read more
Published on 16 Oct 2005 by DevJohn01

5.0 out of 5 stars Think you want a baby then read on
I am a mother of 2 pre-school children who was not looking for this type of book at first but i thought it sounded ok so added it to my basket. Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2005 by Mrs S M Clement

5.0 out of 5 stars Really lovely read
This is a great book, there are three main female characters and you r really can relate to every one of them. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2005 by Hannah Mitchell

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