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A History Maker
 
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A History Maker (Hardcover)

by Alasdair Gray (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Price: £13.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Customers buy this book with 1982, Janine (Canongate Classics) by Alasdair Gray

A History Maker + 1982, Janine (Canongate Classics)
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Morag McAlpine (6 Oct 1994)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0862414954
  • ISBN-13: 978-0862414955
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,084,835 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #36 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > G > Gray, Alasdair
    #42 in  Books > Fiction > Cult Authors > Gray, Alasdair

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Product Description

Synopsis

Set in the Ettrick Forest of the 23rd century, a matriarchal future where women preside and bear children. Marriage does not exist and men mate freely with women of adjacent households. Their only occupation is fighting; they organize into Clans and indulge tirelessly in Border warfare.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A History Maker
61% buy the item featured on this page:
A History Maker 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
£13.99
1982, Janine (Canongate Classics)
12% buy
1982, Janine (Canongate Classics) 4.4 out of 5 stars (5)
£7.07
Poor Things
10% buy
Poor Things 3.3 out of 5 stars (3)
£5.84
The Ends of Our Tethers
9% buy
The Ends of Our Tethers 4.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£5.48
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Customer Reviews

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

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Limbs are hacked off and people make love., 7 Mar 2001
By twistedmouth@hotmail.com (Glasgow, Scotland) - See all my reviews
Gray grabs hold of the Scottish Literary Tradition and with Science Fiction in the other hand he squashes them together. This works very well, surprisingly, and the novel still has a broad range of issues and emotions that you would expect from such a fine author. Sometimes, the novel is annoyingly clever.

It is set in a future where wars are tribal and are leagued and bound by rules, although still bloodthirsty and violent. A glance in the veterans club is proof of that. There is little hope for Wat Dryhope, the novel's anti-hero, as he tries his best to stop the senseless killing. No one listens to him and those that do misinterpretate him. Even the armless, legless, eyeless veterans oppose his peaceful stance.

But this book is more than just a diatribe about war. The Public Eye, which is everywhereTV, is nasty and cruel, and promotes bloodthirsty battles for their pulling power. However, declining audience numbers call for drastic measures, and they call for even more blood, for even bloodthirstier battles than the one Wat was the unwitting hero of. All in the name of family entertainment. On Wat's peace mission he meets his father, sleeps with his sister and falls foul of a sinister bitter plot to cause global disaster and give birth to a televised dark age.

In this novel limbs are chopped off and people make love. Televised wars meet the Ettrick shephard, an unlikely combination it is true. Gray is a great writer and like his many other books this is very good.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars full marks for creativity, 24 Jul 2006
This review is from: A History Maker (Paperback)
I think the synopsis and the previous review have said most of what needs to be said. I shall just add my vote for this book. A humorous and creative sci fi yarn about the future. Very unusual, but a quality read, which was refreshing, and opens new horizons for literature and raises many issues about violence, sex, work, the roles of women and men, the role of the media, sporting/military psychology, sexual freedom and historical interpretation. Telling historical judgements are made. An intelligent author who seems to be able to rise above conventionality.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by Alasdair Gray, 8 Oct 2009
This review is from: A History Maker (Paperback)
As Alasdair Gray isn't an Oxbridge thesaurus-junky, he will never be nominated for the booker prize, or taken as seriously as much lesser but much more celebrated talents south of the Scottish border, but this book confirms that he is one of the greatest living British writers (and I'm English by the way!).

There isn't much point in trying to describe the book - it's a relatively short novel by Gray, although the glossary at the end is almost as entertaining as the story itself. There are fewer of his wonderful illustrations but the unmistakeable touch of beguiling imagination, social and political polemic, brilliant dark humour, biting wit, and above all a lightness of touch on grand themes which not many people can pull off convincingly. I would recommend this to fans or newcomers.
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