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Self (Paperback)

by Yann Martel (Author)
3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
Price: £6.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Customers buy this book with Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Self + Life of Pi
Price For Both: £11.78

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  • This item: Self by Yann Martel

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Life of Pi by Yann Martel

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Product details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber; New edition edition (7 April 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0571219764
  • ISBN-13: 978-0571219766
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 149,062 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description
A fictional autobiography of a young writer which takes the reader to Canada, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and elsewhere. This story of love, sex and ambiguity is the first novel by the Canadian author of the award-winning short-story collection, "The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios".

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Self
46% buy the item featured on this page:
Self 3.3 out of 5 stars (7)
£6.99
Life of Pi
35% buy
Life of Pi 4.2 out of 5 stars (297)
£4.79
The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios
7% buy
The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios 3.4 out of 5 stars (7)
£6.99
The Book Thief
6% buy
The Book Thief 4.5 out of 5 stars (443)
£3.99
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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Decidedly odd..., 14 Jul 2003
By A Customer
Upon hearing the name "Yann Martel", I assume people will immediately conjoin the words "Pi" and "Booker" to it. Yet for a canny insight into the award-winning writer's life (or so it seems), not to mention a less prophetic and philosophical read than his other work, Self would be the one to opt for.

The blurb reads "What is fiction? What is autobiography? Where do the two meet?", with this question repeated for Man-Woman and Violence-Happiness. I can safely say that Martel has indeed blurred the boundaries between these words, these concepts, thus demolishing societal norms and adding a delightful new dimension to the autobiography genre. I admit it may not be to the tastes of hardcore readers of this genre, but for those looking for a distinctly unique and heady mélange of fiction and reality (many of Martel's real experiences are subtly peppered in), there's simply no other place to go.

As for where Fiction & Autobiography, Man & Woman, or Violence & Happiness meet... read the book and decide for yourselves - the answer may not be what you expect, much like the novel itself.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent writing, however, story a bit too postmodern for my taste!, 13 Dec 2006
By Ms. A. Voulgari "bookmonkey" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
After 'The Life of Pi', Yann Martel established himself as a great author. However, I doubt as many people would have read the life of poi if they had read 'Self' first!

Yann Martel's writing is excellent, very well-paced and enjoyable to read. Hoiwever, I was really troubled by the story I must admit. In this book he tries to explore the pains of life through anumber of different identities: the beginning of the book is autobiographical, then the main character suddenly becomes a lesbian woman. The identities continue to change without much warning or any particular reason. Yes, sex is very explicit in this book and so is violence. I suppose although I was quite drawn to it out of curiosity rather than suspense or un-put-down-ability of the book, I'm not quite sure I'd recommend it too highly. If you want a good introduction to Martel, start with the life if Pi!
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating carrots, 26 Jun 2003
By yasmin (brighton, england) - See all my reviews
I read this book in a day, unable to give it up. I then re-read it in a week, taking my time to savour the genius of martel's writing. It's been a long time since an author not only wrote an amazing tale but also wrote with such craft. Martel's use of language turns ordinary stuff into fascinating detail. I will read this over and over again; and I now see carrots in a new light.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars bizarre but haunting...
From eye-fish to fluid gender this book is full of far reaching ideas and pretty shocking in some parts - but i have always had a belief that the finest forms of art leave the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by R. Duffield

4.0 out of 5 stars Food.
I can fault this novel with only one observation. The exploration of any 'Self' is so complex that both the title and the set questions are not fully answered. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Matter Stret

1.0 out of 5 stars One of the worst books I have ever read
This is one of the worst books I have ever read. It was so painful that I could only skim the better part of it. Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2006

2.0 out of 5 stars Starts very promising, but unfortunately loses the plot...
I bought this book along with "Life of Pi", and chose to read it first. This is a very unusual book indeed. Read more
Published on 11 Jul 2003

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