Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #375928 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 380 pages

Review
'AM Homes' new novel is weird and warm and wise and really rather wonderful' Mark Haddon * "Witty and well written while in pursuit of the spirits living inside the machine" Times * "Homes is excellent on the inner workings of men" Time Out

The Times
'Witty and well written while in pursuit of the spirits living inside the machine'

The Guardian
‘packed with unexpected pleasures’

Customer Reviews

Wonderful book.
I thought this book was fantastic!

The book is an easy read, and I found it very difficult to put down. It's about Richard, a wealthy but lonely man in LA who needs to do something more with his life. You don't feel particularly sorry for him, but get intricately involved in his life, as he develops a friendship with Anhil, who sells donuts and provides wisdom, and from there seems to pick up people along the way who are in need of a friend, as is he. The people he meets are very interesting, and vividly described, so that they become your friends too. The book also explores Richards relationships with his family; his brother, parents, ex-wife and son.

As it's set in LA it also describes how life differs there - the Beverley Hills way of life, with constant sunshine, a focus on looking good, eating healthily and 'being someone'. (Its references to Malibu Beach and Santa Monica and the pier brought back great memories of a holiday I went on to those places last year).

Ultimately however, it shows that people are all individual human beings who need friends and need to be loved, and it doesn't matter where they come from or how rich they are, they all have the same needs.

It was a joyful, uplifting book, which didn't preach, but just told a story which was funny to read and sad to have finished. So quickly over! Read it in the depth of winter to cheer you up and bring sunshine into your life, or on holiday as an easy, relaxing read. It will fit the bill.

Enter LA; where silence is golden
...it just gets under your skin. Slowly, with each turn of the page you become more emotionally involved in the characters and by the end of the book you truly feel you've just witness a life lesson in progress. Makes you want to go out and be like Richard - choosing to re-enter your surroundings and engage with those around you, for who knows what adventure it could lead you on.

Witty, engaging, orginal, surreal, pick it up and read it - you wont regret it.

I don't think it'll save anyone's life
This book is rather strange. Novak the main character is having a sort of mid life crisis. He has cut himself off from the world and the book tells the story of his attempt to rejoin normal life.

However this is LA and nothing is normal. Novak encounters some frankly bizarre situations some of which are totally unbelievable, other are funny and others are just warped.

The characters are interesting but I just couldn't get that excited about them or the plot.

I have to admit I was drawn to the book due to the pictures of donuts on the front. Shallow I know.