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Gentlemen and Players
 
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Gentlemen and Players (Paperback)

by Joanne Harris (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Black Swan; New edition edition (5 Jun 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0552770027
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552770026
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 4,515 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #2 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > H > Harris, Joanne

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Product Description

Daily Express, June 16 2006
'A delicious black comedy...a clever story of obsession and revenge, with a spectacular final twist'

Product Description
The place is St Oswald's, an old and long-established boys' grammar school in the north of England. A new year has just begun, and for the staff and boys of the school, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork and Information Technology rule the world and Roy Straitley, Latin master, eccentric, and veteran of St Oswald's, is finally - reluctantly - contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes and everyday crises of the school, a darker undercurrent stirs. And a bitter grudge, hidden and carefully nurtured for thirteen years, is about to erupt. Who is Mole, the mysterious insider, whose cruel practical jokes are gradually escalating towards violence - and perhaps, murder? And how can an old and half-forgotten scandal become the stone that brings down a giant?

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Customer Reviews

61 Reviews
5 star:
 (28)
4 star:
 (19)
3 star:
 (5)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (6)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (61 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling, 3 Oct 2006
By Stants (Plymouth, England) - See all my reviews
Gentlemen and Players is ultimately (though not nearly as simply) a tale of bitterness and revenge. Harris uses two narrators to good effect, although this is admittedly confusing at the beginning of the novel. On one side we have Snyde (the player), who is planning to bring down grammar school St Oswald's from the inside, while on the other we have eccentric (and very likeable) Latin master Straightly (the Gentleman), who is potentially the only one capable of seeing the disasters that begin to occur around the school.

Harris' tale effortlessly breezes between past and present to good effect, and the two narrators are portrayed likeable by Harris, ironic as they are opposites. Snyde, although seemingly evil, draws a lot of sympathy when it comes to the child's upbringing. It is clear that Snyde as a child felt rejected by St Oswald's, and it this that gave much bitterness and hatred towards the school. We also see Harris poking a little fun at the snobbery of the middle classes and the grammar school.

Overall, Snyde's obsession with St Oswald's becomes the reader's obsession to, as the pages are desperately turned to find out what happens next. Harris is effective in her fast paced style of writing, combining thrilling writing effortlessly with suspense; making it obvious she had a whale of a time writing this. Although at times the narrating is flawed, and the twist at the end is a little inconsistent with previous events, this makes for a light and entertaining read. This is no classic, but nevertheless a highly enjoyable read.
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60 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book! I couldn't put it down!, 2 April 2006
By D. A. Rees (Christchurch, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I was recommended this book by my wife who has read all of her books! Eventually I took up the challenge and was completely absorbed by the brilliant characters! The book is written from a dual narrative perspective and manages to switch from one to the other without losing the thread - it is a real testament to the quality of the writing that I was desperate to find out what was going to happen from both narrative views. Add to this the fact that the book has unexpected developments that hit you at precisely the right time and have you thumbing back through what you've read for clues. I read this book incredibly quickly and am still thinking about the way it all panned out.
In short this is an incredibly good book, very readable and keeps your interest at every page. It has a wry humour despite some extremely dark human behaviour!
I would recommend this book to anyone. I enjoyed it so much even though it made my wife extremely smug to be proved right! I now want to read her other books - apparently one is written from the perspective of a bottle of wine!! If she can pull that off then she is, indeed, an exceptionally talented writer!
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A definite must-read., 5 Aug 2006
By Lucas Levin (London, England) - See all my reviews
At first when reading this book, I believed it to be rather banal. However, this opinion soon changed after the first few chapters. The book draws you in as it takes you and the characters down a path of suspicion, away from the hinted truth. The ingenious twists and turns are what set this book apart from other thrillers. This grippingly inventive novel shows just how superb a writer Joanne Harris truly is.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant !
I loved this book and certainly did not expect the twist at the end.
I kept thinking about it, did she give any clues ? I think not, just a really good read. Read more
Published 18 days ago by CM

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine piece of novel writing
Gentleman and Players is one of the finest novels I have read by Joanne Harris. She is truly a wonderful author, as she has the ability to adapt writing style and introduce a new... Read more
Published 6 months ago by P. DATTA

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant!
Quite different as no french connection. Terrific read. Ddin't see the "twist" coming!! Highly recommended.
Published 10 months ago by Alison Mallaghan

5.0 out of 5 stars Best read this year
Brilliantly written, you could feel yourself in the school amongst the teachers. The ever more dramatic twists and turns keep you on edge and the final surprise is utterly... Read more
Published 11 months ago by De Helen Pike

4.0 out of 5 stars A slow starter, but well-worth persevering with!
I am a long-time fan of Joanne Harris' work, so when I picked up Gentlemen and Players I was certain I would find a book that was exciting and completely absorbing, and luckily, I... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Lauren Thomas

4.0 out of 5 stars No twist for me thanks!
I absolutely loved reading this book, and was completely absorbed in the atmosphere and characters, yet found the twist to be unnecessary and bitterly disappointing... Read more
Published 12 months ago by S. Adams

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read
I've long been a fan of Joanne Harris - I adored Chocolat, Blackberry Wine and Five Quarters of an Orange - but found myself flagging over Coastliners and her subsequent books,... Read more
Published 12 months ago by BM

5.0 out of 5 stars What a twist!!
Loved this book - really gripping, and was completely flabbergasted at the end (which I stayed up until some ridiculous hour reading, as I couldn't out it down!)
Published 15 months ago by K. M. Woodhouse

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, gripping with a final twist
My friend lent me this book, knowing I had read all JH's other stories.
I could not put this book down, a refreshingly different story again from all her other novels. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mrs. Andrea Turner

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read
Gentlemen and players is a fantastic read, it is slightly slow to get into. I felt the two separate characters narrative to begin with, although initial unsettling did work out... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Kittykat

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