Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 17
 Interesting... July 9, 2010
D. DAVIES
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Interesting to read "full of accurately rendered dialogue" against the previous (bookworm26) review's "far too stereotypical & cliched dialogue". At least that suggests a book that invites the process of thought and is thus open to reader interpretation. We all have our preconceptions about what is 'accurate' and what is 'cliched'; at the very least, it's good to see that the book has nurtured intelligent comment.
Having not read the book yet, I'm a little worried that A.Murray might have spoiled the ending. I do hope not.
The phonetic West Midlands speech is an interesting idea, presumably a tough idea at inception, whose conclusion owes something to the author's past as an EFL teacher. With regards to the Bangali asides and thoughts, perhaps future editions will have a glossary.
It's good to see the word 'eponymous' in an Amazon review. Thanks for these insightful thoughts here, I'll be getting my copy shortly.
 Beauty by Raphael Selbourne July 2, 2010
nelsonandsootica
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed this. It is an easy read, has interesting characterisation and it gives food for thought. The characters are a disparate group, brought together by chance who form some rather surprising relationships. It left me thinking about how they vered from their stereotypes, what the needs were of each individual and how they were being met by the other characters. Also, the naming of the protagonist and the relevance of 'beauty' to this story: if she had been a plain girl the story would have been quite different.
 Poor writing June 30, 2010
LovesFiction
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I was very disappointed with this book - the subject matter greatly interests me but it is poorly written and loses its way. I've often found this with the Costa Book Awards, steer clear!
An interesting, entertaining and thoughtful novel June 26, 2010
Phil O'Sofa (England)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Beauty is a bright but uneducated Bangladeshi girl who refuses to be bullied into a forced marriage by her family, now living in Wolverhampton. To escape her violent brothers, who accuse her of bringing shame upon them all, she leaves home. The brothers come looking for her. She is helped by an unlikely saviour in the form of Mark, a tough white bloke that she first meets (but avoids) at the jobcentre, who breeds vicious dogs and served time for car thieving and under normal circumstances would be inclined to beat-up immigrants rather than help them.
Although immersed in the seamier side of contemporary Britain, with its shabby city streets populated by poor immigrants and the white underclass, the mood is lifted by well-drawn, convincing characters that made me want to read on. While it's obvious that the author's own background must have been far removed from these mean streets, it is equally clear that he has learnt his stuff (by working for Wolverhampton social services, according to an interview I read somewhere). Don't be put off by his unlikely name.
In a sense this is a modern Dickens; the tale of a vulnerable creature adrift in an evil world full of dodgy characters, some of whom turn out to have a heart of gold. This is the weakest point for me and the main reason I couldn't quite stretch to five stars: I found Mark's transformation from thug living in the worst kind of squalor to decent young bloke a little unlikely, to say the least, and there is inevitably some stereotyping involved. Another thing that doesn't ring true: when Beauty discovers that most of the old folk living in the care home (where she finds work) have children, she is horrified to think that white people don't look after their parents properly. Her revulsion seems out of proportion however, especially as she's just run away from her own parents. It seems like an irrelevant point to try and fit into this story, despite the ending, which I won't give away.
But these are relatively minor criticisms, and I recommend the book for it's mostly brilliant portrayal of a difficult subject. There are even a few very funny moments, especially when Beauty experiences a typical native night out at the local social club, in all its good-natured, lager-swilling, trouser-dropping glory. Culture clash indeed.
 Interesting Story Line..... May 9, 2010
bookworm26 (uk)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
An interesting Storyline and substantial good reviews read here - that encouraged me to buy.
A mix of well drawn characters that were believable; however, far too stereotypical & cliched dialogue & action, plus far too much introspection of characters overall.
I was still captivated by the strong Storyline & wanted to know what the outcome would be - but overall & throughout, it felt like reading a factual documentary rather than a fictionalised & imagined scenario.
However, it's a first book by the author & a good start!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 17
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