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The Real Thing
 
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The Real Thing (Paperback)

by Catherine Alliott (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Headline Review; New Ed edition (8 May 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0747252351
  • ISBN-13: 978-0747252351
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11.2 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 308,885 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #18 in  Books > Romance > Classic & Contemporary Authors > Alliott, Catherine
    #20 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > A > Alliott, Catherine

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Product Description

Product Description
A glorious tale of love and hilarity from No. 1 bestseller Catherine Alliott.

'What do you think I am, Laura? Some bored Putney housewife with seven-year itch who's just ripe for bumping into her glamorous ex-boyfriend on holiday, ditching her nice, safe, comfortable husband and embarking on a steamy affair with him? This isn't one of your Aga sagas, you know, this is me, Tessa Hamilton, happily married mother of two, and apart from anything else I went out with him years ago…'

Everyone's got one – an old boyfriend with whom they never fell out of love, they simply parted because the time wasn't right. And for thirty-year-old Tessa Hamilton it's Patrick Cameron, the gorgeous, moody, rebellious boy she met at seventeen; the boy her vicar father thoroughly disapproved of; the boy who had left her to go to Italy to paint. And now he's back.

About the Author
Catherine Alliott worked in London as a copywriter in advertising. She now lives in Hertfordshire with her husband, a barrister, and their three children.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Real Thing
51% buy the item featured on this page:
The Real Thing 3.4 out of 5 stars (8)
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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Funny book, shame about the main character, 6 Mar 2001
By A Customer
Mabye it's just me, but as much as I love Catherine Alliott's books, the main character, Tessa, in "The Real Thing" was absolutely irritating and annoying. Catherine Alliott writes some great stuff and is very witty, but Tess...I was secretly hoping that she would get what she deserved, and not the "happy" ending she got.
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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Unappealing main character ruins this book, 29 Dec 2002
By A Customer
The Real Thing was my first Catherine Alliott read; she came highly recommended, but this book proved a tremendous disappointment. The book was well-written enough, but like a previous reviewer, I found the main character off-putting in the extreme. Her intense selfishness and nasty behavior made me long for her comeuppance, but alas, she was granted an undeserved happy ending. The fact that the book was written in the first person, from her point of view, only accentuated her utter self-obsession. I know the real world is full of such people, but hey, isn't this supposed to be fun escapist fiction?!
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars The worst thing I have read in a long time., 15 Mar 2006
By A Customer
I'm finding it hard to find suitable words to describe how I felt about this book. I found the main character to be completely self-obsessed and was at a loss as to how she had snared this wonderful husband she was considering cheating on. As a 'lower class' working mother, I became increasingly irritated at Tess' tribulations - school run and shopping in one morning - the poor love! I also wondered why it was necessary for brand names to be continually inserted throughout the book.

I found it completely unbelievable how the main characters would go into a rambling rant at the slightest thing - do people actually talk like that in Alliot's world?

The twists and turns in the plot were quite entertaining, but for me the book was spoilt because most of the characters in the book were irritating in the extreme.

Without doubt, the worst book I have read in a long time and I would have to be tortured before I read another book by this author.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Regrets about The Real Thing
I have read Rosie Meadows Regrets and truly adored it. So it was with much anticipation that I picked up The Real Thing. Read more
Published on 3 Jul 2006 by J. Russell

5.0 out of 5 stars this book was so much fun to read.
I've never read such a funny and recognizable book before. I think it's brilliant. I had to laugh loud so many times.
Published on 4 Mar 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put it down!
This has to be one of the best books i've ever read, I have neglected my children, left all the house work and almost called in with a sickie at work, I just couldn't put this... Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2000 by rob@robbies-den.freeserve.co.uk

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant first time round ... even better 2nd time round
i read this book for the first time over 18 months ago and loved it being bored one day i dragged it out again , even better , i think most married and single 30 somethings can... Read more
Published on 16 April 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars Catherine Alliott's best book yet. Hilarous.
If you have enjoyed any of Alliott's books, this one is a must. There is never a dull moment and is by FAR the funniest, mesmerising and enchanting. Read more
Published on 6 Sep 1999

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