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The Five Gates of Hell (Bloomsbury Paperbacks)

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The Five Gates of Hell (Bloomsbury Paperbacks) (Paperback)

by Rupert Thomson (Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Air and Fire by Rupert Thomson
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Divided Kingdom by Rupert Thomson
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Product details

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; Re-issue edition (19 Mar 1998)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0747536937
ISBN-13: 978-0747536932
Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 97,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#3 in Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > T > Thomson, Rupert

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Product Description

Review

'A chilling, fabulous mirror on reality An involving and inventive book full of beautiful writing. It has the momentum of a thriller harnessed to the substance of a modern classic' Scotland on Sunday 'A sophisticated storyteller and portrayer of character, who writes in rhythmic prose enriched with original imagery' Sunday Times 'Astonishing The novel is filled with colourful eccentrics and unworldly happenings, quirky characters and supernatural undercurrents Exceptionally well-written' Times Literary Supplement 'Seethes with originality An ingenious, sardonic and seductive roman noir' New York Times Book Review

Product Description

There was a sailor's graveyard in Moon Beach. This was where the funeral business first started. Rumour had it that the witch's fingers used to reach out and sink ships. But there hadn't been a wreck for years, and all the funeral parlours had moved downtown.

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	73% buy the item featured on this page: The Five Gates of Hell (Bloomsbury Paperbacks) 4.5 out of 5 stars (8) �5.07
	9% buy Air and Fire 4.8 out of 5 stars (4) �5.49
	9% buy Divided Kingdom 3.3 out of 5 stars (17) �5.99
	5% buy Death of a Murderer 3.7 out of 5 stars (15) �5.08

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very different - and superb - book., 10 April 2002

By	"rik_burke" - See all my reviews

This was the second book by Rupert Thomson which I had read (the Book of Revelation was the first - The Five Gates... is far superior to my mind). I didn't know what to expect; from the title one would presume some sort of horror, but infact this wasn't to be the case.

Firstly, the quality of writing in this book is superb. For me, his use of language compares with Martin Amis; a description of someone's skin as being "green, like the colour of slow rivers" is one phrase which really stuck in my mind, but the book is full of throwaway descriptions which please and astonish by turns.

The story almost plays second fiddle to the wordsmithing, but it's still very good. The characters are complex individuals, and they are set in a story which doesn't feel the need to be conventional but doesn't seem forced for all that.

Those with an obsessive need to pigeonhole novels may find themselves frustrated by this; its not horror, its not a thriller, its not a whodunnit or a crime novel...throughout the entire book, there's the faint whiff of the supernatural - quite where this smell emanates from is very hard to pinpoint.

In summary, this is a fabulous book: uneasy, unusual, but unputdownable as well. Highly recommmended if you like something a little out of the ordinary.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Five Gates of Hell lead to heavenly fiction, 12 April 2002

By	tposnett@hotmail.com (Oxford, UK) - See all my reviews

This is by far the best Rupert Thompson novel I've read so far (after Soft and The Insult) and in Thompson's visionary kingdom of descriptive imagery only the three-eyed are kings. If you prefer novels with a clear sense of direction you'll possibly appreciate this more than his other books, though it still shares his trademark similes which animate people and objects on every page ,immersing you further into the well-crafted characters and plot.
Riveting stuff - be prepared for some late nights.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More twists and turns then a one-way system... brilliant!, 21 Aug 2000

By A Customer

From the outset the book tries to dazzle and confuse. Following two seemingly seperate characters through their lives, proving life is by no means simple... Brilliantly written if a little coarse at times, but thought provoking and a blooming good read.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Hunchback darkness on his shoulder
I am a convinced admirer of Rupert Thomson's novels, even while admitting that they are sometimes rather odd, though faithful to their own logic, even when imagining an... Read more

Published 2 months ago by E. Shaw

4.0 out of 5 stars bizarre and entertaining
An imaginary place hard to picture. The bad characters are very good. Better than the good ones ! The sea cemetaries: really cool idea !

Published 5 months ago by Jose

3.0 out of 5 stars Good escapism
Soothed by the seedy surrealness of his worldscapes, his jarring similes and peculiar people I don't go to Thomson expecting a meaningful examination of the human condition or any... Read more

Published on 20 Dec 2006 by J. I. De Beresford

5.0 out of 5 stars Highy enjoyable thriller/social examination
This wonderfully constructed story of two young boys from very different backgrounds and how their lives cross and un-cross as they grow older was superb. Read more

Published on 2 April 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars The most beautiful modern literature I have read
This is a beautifully written book. If you're serious about your literature you should read it.

Published on 20 Jul 1999

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