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Product Description

Observer

'In prose as stark and lyrical as the Cumbrian landscape, Hall picks apart notions of absolutism, individuality and moral responsibility.' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Guardian

'When Hall writes scenes rather than synopsis, the personal drama ensures the political gravity becomes genuinely gripping.' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

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

Average Customer Review

3.5 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking but Flawed, 9 April 2008

By	Quicksilver (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Carhullan Army (Paperback)

Strangely, I find myself in agreement with parts of nearly all the previous reviews here.

First the good points. Sarah Hall's writing is excellent and this novel is highly readable. On the opening page she uses the delightful phrase 'It was a wet rotting October' and this type of evocative language is used right through to the novel's very last words. The narrator slowly drip feeds the reader with snippets of backstory that cover the collapse of the United Kingdom and the genesis of the 'Authority'. This is very well done and Hall makes a breakdown of this magnitude seem scarily plausible. For me, these sections form the strongest part of the novel and should be compulsory reading for anybody considering working for the Ministry of Justice.

I have to come clean and admit that I'm a man and concede that perhaps I'm not the target audience for this novel but for me, the sections dealing with the all-women commune, didn't really stack up. These parts felt derivative and rehashed from countless other (superior) dystopian visions. This novel inevitably invites comparison with Margaret Atwood's "Handmaid's Tail" but this is like comparing the Marx Brothers with the Chuckle Brothers; the Carhullan Army just doesn't come close.

The lesbain love scenes, although sensitively handled were all too predictable and added little to the story. The central question posed by the novelis, 'Will women become as violent as men if they have to?' but Hall's attempts to answer it feel clumsy and contrived. One thing that is exemplified well, is that no matter what ones intentions, absolute power does indeed corrupt absolutely.

The novel does rather collapse in on itself as it reaches the final pages and the ambiguity of the ending isn't very satisfactory but Hall's excellent prose pulls the reader along at a breakneck speed. In all I'm not sure that novel achieves what the author intended but it is an enjoyable read. I haven't stopped thinking about the Carhullan Army since finishing it, which is a strong positive for this flawed but powerful novel.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars torn opinion, 13 Jan 2008

By	P. Jannaway "pamjann" (Scotland, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have to say, I'm not entirely sold on Hall's novel. This indepth narrative of one woman's determination to fight back against the injustices of an oppressive government is certainly thought provking. The imagery of nature fighting back again containment is convincing - government control of human reproduction represents an attempt to control nature; whereas the women living at Carhullan are living off the land and allowing nature its rightful place in the world. Imagery found in the episode in Sister's father's garden shows how nature (i.e. the over-grown garden) is a protector, is the right path, by hiding the gun and ammunition from the Authority; her salvation, so to speak, is guarded by unadultered nature.
However, my main problem with the novel lies in it's conclusion. After the last piece of missing data it just ends. I sort of feels that Hall ran out of steam and couldn't be bothered finishing it properly. While, as a rule, I have no problem with ambiguous endings, and actually quite like puzzling over the question 'so, what happened next?', the connections were anything but seamless.

If you like nice neat bows to tie up your endings, this is not the one for you. But, if you like a thought provoking exploration of the ethical questions involved with retaliation of oppression then give it a go.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stirring, inspiring, a must-read, 6 Nov 2007

By	G. Siddhu (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The one star reviews on this site are truly unaccountable; this novel is so good that my copy has been making the rounds of several friends, all of whom are coming back saying that it was un-put-downable.

For anyone familiar with Sarah Hall's past work, the language in the Carhullan Army is much more stripped down with less of the beautiful and poetic discription that so characterised the first two novels. Some will prefer less description and more action, but I personally have loved all of her work.

There is no point dwelling on useless debates: is this science fiction? is it dystopian fiction? Just look beyond these notions, buy it and read it because it is wonderful and must be made into a film!!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars If things get even a little bit worse
An unusual thriller that should appeal to women as much as men, The Carhullan Army is set in the future in a Britain that has lost its economic power completely and become a... Read more

Published 1 month ago by E. Shaw

3.0 out of 5 stars Stellar prose, but a less-than-stellar plot...
Startling and populated by fascinating characters. Jackie is engaging as a fanatical and inspiring leader. Hall's vivid prose tantalises you from page to page. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Ms. N. J. Dixon

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed views
I read this as I know the setting well and already admired Sarah Hall's work. The idea of another near future dystopian novel attracted me and the lyrical descriptions of the... Read more

Published 2 months ago by R. Creer

4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent and thoughtful
In an undefined time Britain as we know it has collapsed and the country in under the control of the Authority. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Roman Clodia

5.0 out of 5 stars You need to read this book!
To be honest I wasn't expecting much here. I thought I knew Sarah Hall's work from the articles she writes for the glossy magazines that grace Cumbrian dentists' waiting-rooms. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Mr. S. M. Joyce

3.0 out of 5 stars In agreement with other reviews
I tend to agree with others' points on here. I felt that the Handmaid's Tale did this idea of an Authoritarian government and its impact on women in society much better on the... Read more

Published 19 months ago by Ms. J. Francis

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern and yet in a classic vein
Sarah Hall has taken established SF tropes and added a contemporary politic, combined with a poetic use of language to produce an engaging, provocative and thoughtful novel that... Read more

Published on 20 Sep 2007 by K. P. Mcveigh

4.0 out of 5 stars Derivative? Your point being?
Of course this novel is derivative; since when did this tag become a derogatory comment? Surely the point of literature is to share ideas and theories; to call upon established... Read more

Published on 14 Sep 2007 by J. A. P. Laird

1.0 out of 5 stars Derivative and Allegorical
Turgid prose, Hackneyed dystopia and the thinnest veil of metaphor for Sapphic tendencies. The lead `character` Sister leaves her life in a controlled state to be free with the... Read more

Published on 10 Sep 2007 by Smudge

5.0 out of 5 stars a gripping read
The Carhullan Army was a gripping read. I coudln't put it down. Sarah Hall continues her brillient writing and use of language but this book was much more tautly written and... Read more

Published on 3 Sep 2007 by L. Rosenwood

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