The Other Hand
By Chris Cleave
Sceptre publishing, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-340-96342-5
This post is
about a book that failed to make the shortlist of the Man Booker list, but I
was asked to read it this week, and it took precisely two nights. Nearly 400
pages of prose that transported me to a lifestyle I hadn’t realised existed, in
a way that I felt both comfortable reading, but it made uncomfortable reading
as well.
I must state
at the very beginning that I cannot talk about the plot. As odd as that sounds,
I have been asked not to, as you will be if you decide to buy this book. To
quote directly from the back cover of my copy is says:
‘We don’t want to tell
you what happens in this book. It is a truly special story and we don’t want to
spoil it’
That, in
itself, is enough to make you want to look inside, and I am sure that you will
not be disappointed. It is one of those books that you will sit on the sofa and
forget your coffee, lunch and possibly even your children over. It is a bit of
a leap of faith to buy a book without knowing even the plot line, but I can assure
you that this tale will be one you will not have heard before, and although
written in a style that is not new to me, it is an easy flowing, absorbing way
to spend hours in a different place.
Rather than
exposing the plot to public debate, I am more than looking forward to joining
in commentary and debate with any of you that have read it and would like to
discuss it further. I will ask a pertinent question at the beginning of the conversation
to establish that you are not just fishing for the plot line. I’m sure you will
understand.
There are a
couple of issues I have with the book so therefore...
BookerBookBloke verdict: 9/10
Why not try one of my short tales at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reflections-On-Fading-Lamp-ebook/dp/B00BFH9CL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364403788&sr=8-1
or
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mitigation-Thoughts-Fawkes-prison-ebook/dp/B004A15A6O/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364403828&sr=1-2
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