Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2116435 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 280 pages

Synopsis
DEFYING GRAVITY is based on four generations of a family living in the Somerset village of Bishops Lydeard.

Customer Reviews

Funny;raw, yet compassionate and beautifully crafted.
This is a spell binding novel which combines the beauty of language with raw social observation.Cleverly crafted it plots the passage of a family through several generations, touching on the inevitability of geniality on the one hand whilst giving hope on the other.
As a first novel it is extremely skillfully written with just the right blend of humour interspersed with passages of reflection.
The characterisations are rich and engaging and the geographical tapestry wonderfully evoked and expressed through historical "references" and local Somerset "history".
If the novels of Barry Hines, David Nobbs, Alan Sillitoe, John Braine and touches of Joanne Harris and Roddy Doyle appeal, you will certainly enjoy this book.Furthermore,if you like the idea of combining the skills of these writers with a style which is balanced and in a more classical vein then this is the type of book for you.

Warm, intensely imaginative and deeply gripping
This is an astonishingly good book.

The plot and the characters are beautifully complex; and this is a huge achievement given the scope of the book. You warm to the characters and engage with them. And it's very well written.

All of which is great; but what sets this book apart, for me, is the way that Hill manages to end just about every paragraph with a casual reference to yet another twist to the unfolding events, so that it's practically impossible to put down. And I won't spoil the plot for you, but all this build up is more than justified - just wait till you find out how it all gets tied together at the end.

If I recommend only one book this year, this book is it.