Product Description

Anthony Burgess' epic masterpiece traces eighty-one years in the life of a Somerset Maugham-type writer and lapsed Catholic called Kenneth Toomey. A popular, second-rate novelist/playwright, he spends a lifetime unsuccessfully trying to reconcile his homosexuality with his faith. This is also the story of Carlo Campanati, an earthy Italian priest linked with Toomey through family ties. With dazzlingly inventive narrative spanning six decades, Burgess draws in major events and characters of the century while exploring themes of universal significance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #501213 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 672 pages

Martin Amis
Crowded, crammed, bursting with manic erudition, garlicky puns, omniligual jokes-which meshes the real and personalised history of the twentieth century

About the Author
The writer and critic Anthony Burgess was born John Anthony Burgess Wilson in Manchester. He studied at Xaverian College and Manchester University, lectured at Birmingham University, worked for the Ministry of Education, and taught at Banbury Grammar School. He then became an education officer in Malaya and Brunei where his experiences inspired his MALAYAN TRILOGY (1965). His many novels include A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, 1985, and ANY OLD IRON. In his later years he lived in Monaco. He died in 1993

Customer Reviews

An offbeat masterwork
A lot of mythologising surrounds this novel; when it was first published, the critics snarled and disdained it, and in large part didn't understand it, which is forgiveable, because it is a huge, complex monster of a book. The plot (which is far from being the central point of the book) follows the richly colourful and sympathetic inner life of an ancient, eccentric author against the backdrop of twentieth-century history: this is merely a stage against which to set his relationship with an Italian priest of great character and complexity, destined to become Pope. This relationship is in itself a mere frame for an analysis of the nature of good and evil, and faith and free will, in an astonishingly subtle and labyrinthine way. The whole thrust of the book is to propose an idea, only revealed near the end, which is so philosophically shocking that the reader has to have some way of rejecting it, should they so wish. Suddenly the rest of the book is thrown into crystal relief - the vast complexity of the narrative is a web of deliberate errors of fact, logic and conclusion to allow this escape: the nature of human memory and thought itself is thrown into question. Beyond that, I leave you to argue it out amongst yourselves. This is a truly great book by one of Britain's most important C20 writers.

Epic Masterpiece
I can't believe this isn't full of reviews, this book is one of the best books I've ever read. Anthony Burgess is one of the most inventive, original authors, making you believe everything because he entwines fiction with reality. This is a huge book, a review of the 20th century, deep, and extremly inteligent. By the end of the book Toomey (the main character) is a part of your life, I was so sad to let him go...

Wide-ranging and wonderful journey
This book is a wonderful journey through the life and adventures of Kenneth Toomey, the world-wearing and endearing protagonist. I was gripped the whole way through, although I enjoyed the highly comic scenes in the first half of the novel best. As the story progresses, the tale becomes darker, but it's still a masterpiece. The ending is very strong indeed (and that after one of the best first lines to a novel I've ever read!), with the glorious last quarter twist taking your breath away.

Worth a thousand "The Line of Beauty" books in how to write an epic saga. I can definitely recommend it!