Product Description

This book is set in London, 1826. Leaving behind his father's tragic failures, Gabriel Swift arrives to study with Edwin Poll, the greatest of the city's anatomists. It is his chance to find advancement by making a name for himself. But instead he finds himself drawn to his master's nemesis, Lucan, the most powerful of the city's resurrectionists and ruler of its trade in stolen bodies. Dismissed by Mr Poll, Gabriel descends into the violence and corruption of London's underworld, a place where everything and everyone is for sale, and where - as Gabriel discovers - the taking of a life is easier than it might seem.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2179 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Markus Zusak, author of THE BOOK THIEF
'Months after you've turned the last page, James Bradley's words are still with you - brave, compelling, unforgettable.'

Daily Telegraph
'A classically claustrophobic Gothic chiller.'

Big Issue
'An earthy brooding Gothic horror ... Gory at times, philosophical at others, this is atmospheric stuff.'

Customer Reviews

Really Hardgoing!
I wish I had read all these reviews before I bought this book. I very very rarely give up on a book, but I am in "grave" danger of not finishing this one, and I hate doing that.
I think the author has tried too hard with his narrative, the prose is wordy, and doesn't get anywhere. If I read the phrase "for a long moment" again, I will throw the book out of the window.
I was looking forward to reading this book, but what a disappointment. I am not getting involved with the story or the characters at all, and really have a sense of wasting my time continuing to read it.
Beautiful cover though!

It's not as bad as all that!
Gabriel Swift is an orphan who is sent to London by his guardian, in order to learn about anatomy and surgery from the eminent Mr Poll. Gabriel is unsettled and largely unable to connect with those around him , but he does manage to form a companionship with Charles, another surgeon, who introduces him to the seamier side of London life. Gabriel also becomes acquainted with Lucan, a charismatic and dangerous resurrectionist, who seems to be able to blackmail and intimidate many of those he comes into contact with.

When Gabriel's apprenticeship fails, he must find other means of supporting himself (and his opium addiction.)As he falls further and further into addiction and despair, Gabriel must take desperate measures in order to survive. It is at this point that the narrative becomes begins to reflect how disconnected he is from those around him.

I don't think this book is nearly as bad as some of the other reviewers are saying. It is true that the story is a bit meandering, but really the novel is about one man's journey rather than being plot driven. The only things that I did find incredibly irritating was that Gabriel constantly mentions the meaningful looks he has observed between people and his interpretations of what they might mean. This is clearly ridiculous, and because it happens all the time it becomes annoying. However, I thought in general the book was very readable; although perhaps it would be better to avoid if you're either depressed or squeamish!

I give up!
After two attempts to get into this book, reading it twice from the beginning, I give up! I thought I would try something different to my usual read and was drawn to the book's setting and fancied a bit of gore! However, the plot is weak, it takes so long to get off the ground and you are left flicking through it to find the next bit of gore that the book allegedly promises!

The worst thing about it is the characters. I thought I was being a bit dense at first for getting confused with who was who and I re-read pages and pages of it to try to get my head around it! The problem is that none of the characters are likeable or memorable. 'Mr this' and 'Mr that' all merge into one big 'Mr' and it is frustrating!

I gave up about a third of the way through, before Gabriel even descends into the 'underworld' of body snatching. I just stopped caring to be honest and couldn't be bothered forcing myself to read any more of this shallow dross.