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My Lover's Lover (Paperback)

by Maggie O'Farrell (Author)
2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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My Lover's Lover + The Distance Between Us + After You'd Gone
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Product details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Headline Review; New Ed edition (6 Jan 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0747268177
  • ISBN-13: 978-0747268178
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 38,271 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #4 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > O > O'Farrell, Maggie

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Maggie O'Farrell was heralded as a major new writer with her debut novel, After You'd Gone. And here she is with My Lover's Lover, demonstrating again her extraordinary talent. The coda to the novel's final part is Evelyn Waugh's "To know and love one other human being is the root of all wisdom". It's the choices and chances, the compromises and delusions, made in the search for love that preoccupy O'Farrell's central characters. The setting is 30-something London, New York, and rural China. Lily and Marcus meet at a gallery opening; almost the day after, they're sharing his chic loft, and soon after that, his bed. But if this sounds like chick-lit, any similarities end here. Narrated in four parts, O'Farrell moves adeptly from third to first person, from present to past to future.

Through Lily's account in the first section, a claustrophobic fear pulsates: she is haunted by Marcus's previous lover, Sinead, who seems to be everywhere--"The flat seems sticky with Sinead's fingerprints. [Lily] doesn't know what to do." But according to Marcus, Sinead "is no longer with us". On every page, O'Farrell's transcription of the body as register of the emotions, of fear and desire, is breathtaking. Language dissects and insinuates; revelations unfurl and double back. Sinead's incredulity at Marcus's being "not exactly faithful" and Marcus's old friend Aidan's consternation at his own secret longings are described with such tactility, such spare suggestiveness that these lovers' tales take on a brooding, yet haphazard quality. O'Farrell is an insightful and passionate chronicler of human emotions. It's compulsive and thrilling stuff. --Ruth Petrie --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Elle, April 2002, Read of the Month
'O'Farrell's second novel, written with passion and clarity, beautifully describes how old relationships can haunt new lovers'

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My Lover's Lover
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The Distance Between Us
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Customer Reviews

43 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (10)
2 star:
 (6)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
2.9 out of 5 stars (43 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A book of two halves, 20 April 2003
By A Customer
As others have commented, I was awaiting the publication of Maggie O'Farrell's next book, and read most of it in one day. I did start out disappointed, as I wasn't at all attracted to Lily, and the book had a 'chick lit' feel to it. Her thought processes seemed dull, and she seemed very shallow. Once Sinead's story began though, I felt, here we were, back to the real O'Farrell, as Sinead seemed engaging and believeable, and I could see more in her relationship with Marcus, although he still made me squirm. What I wondered (and hoped!) was that O'Farrell did this on purpose, that Lily was supposed to be seen as shallow, and this became more evident in contrast to Sinead. I was certainly impressed in the change in voice as the action moved from one character to another, and the way they were described and how their thought processes ran seemed to paint a clear picture. And I did like the fact that you really are unsure what is going to be the outcome until the last page. O'Farrell also leads us up some garden paths quite well, so we think we are guessing something which turns out again not to be true. And while the revelation may not be huge, what seems significant is the exploration of it, especially by Aiden, and this is very sensitively drawn.
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting, 19 Mar 2003
By A Customer
I really can't agree with those reviwers who criticise this book because I loved it, even to the point of rushing home from work just to read a few more chapters! I have not, however, read the author's first novel, 'After You'd Gone' (which I understand is really good) and so perhaps, because I did not subconciously compare it with this one, I enjoyed for itself. I found the story not to be haunting in a creepy sort of way, but in the sense that it evoked the atmosphere of a love that lingers and refuses to leave, even after one of the lovers has left. Lily moves in with Marcus, who is boyish and irresistable, but he is still deeply affected by the break-up of his 5-year relationship with Sinead. Although Lily and Marcus become lovers, Lily cannot escape the presence of Sinead in the converted warehouse she shares with Marcus. Sinead's presence is so overpowering that Lily is able to 'see' her and smell her perfume, which makes Lily too nervous to be in the place alone. Although Marcus seems sincere, Lily finds that he is still obsessed by Sinead and constantly phones her, asking her to come back. Unable to stand the uncertainty, Lily tracks Sinead down and begs her to tell the truth about why she left Marcus. Upon hearing Sinead's story, Lily begins to see Marcus in a different light, until she is forced to face the truth about their own relationship. This is a story of love, betrayal, friendship and trust and (unlike a previous reviewer) I found the ending to be perfectly clear and also very satisfying. In all, I found this novel to be very tender and thought-provoking and it lingered in my mind for a long time after I had finished it.
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26 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant, haunting follow-up, 4 April 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: My Lover's Lover (Hardcover)
I was almost too scared to read this book! I loved her first novel, After you'd Gone, so much I was worried I wouldn't like this one as much.

But it's another beautiful, heart-breaking, gut-wrnching read. It's not so similar to After You'd Gone that you miss the people in the first book, but it's similar enough to still love it.

It's in three parts. The first part centres around Lily and what starts out as a slightly unhealthy interest in her lover's ex, Sinead. O'Farrell builds up the idea that Sinead is haunting Lily and, just like After You'd Gone, she pulls the rug out from under your feet just as soon as you think you know what's happening.

It didn't make me cry, like the first novel did, but it scared me and gripped me and thrilled me. It's a fantastic read and if you've ever loved someone but felt a bit unsure of them - this is the book for you.

Hurry up with the next one, Maggie!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing ending
I enjoyed the style of O'Farrell's writing and was pretty much engrossed in this throughout. The change of narrator was well handled and I liked the twists and turns of the plot... Read more
Published 1 day ago by Alison Mallaghan

4.0 out of 5 stars Haunting, dreamlike novel to while away a lazy Sunday.......
I spent a lazy Sunday afternoon completely engrossed in this book, and must say I am surprised at some of the reviews on here as I thought it was fantastic! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Aphrodite

4.0 out of 5 stars a lover's discourse
Born in N.Ireland, O'Farrell is the author of four novels. Her debut, After You'd Gone, published in 2000, won a Betty Trask Award. Read more
Published on 18 Jul 2007 by Leyla Sanai

2.0 out of 5 stars A waste of paper
My Lover's Lover pretty much pinches its title from Eric Rohmer's 1987 film L'Ami de mon amie. That certainly wasn't Rohmer's greatest work, and neither is this pointless novel... Read more
Published on 10 May 2007 by International Cowgirl

4.0 out of 5 stars Love My Lover's Lover
Maggie O'Farrell's skill at weaving a web of half-truths and mis-conceptions shows a worthy depth of understanding of human nature. Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2007 by Mrs. Kerry King

2.0 out of 5 stars Amateur story writing
I picked up this book with high hopes for something which promised to be slightly supernatural and intriguing. Read more
Published on 3 Jul 2004 by Gill Currell

3.0 out of 5 stars Slightly disappointing
The novel begins as a gothic romance and ends somewhere completelydifferent. Like some reviewers before, I found 'My Lover's Lover' adisappointment after reading 'After You'd... Read more
Published on 21 April 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars well written, keeps you guessing
I really enjoyed this book and am surprised at the mixed reviews it has recieved. I have not read Maggie O Farrell's first book but after reading her second i will search out... Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2004

1.0 out of 5 stars Unlikable characters
Oh dear - what a disappointment. Like many of the reviwers here I loved After you'd gone. But this - what awful characters. Read more
Published on 23 Dec 2003

1.0 out of 5 stars Dreary!
Maggie O'Farrell's sensitive and precise style of writing was displayed to full devastating effect in "After You'd Gone" which incidentally also had an interesting plot and good... Read more
Published on 10 Oct 2003 by Pedantic Prudence

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