Product Description

Subtitled The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn, this is a self portrait of a passionate girl who needs to write - in this case the story of her teenage years. It is the last novel in the loosely connected sequence of novels which began with Breaktime in 1978.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #471908 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-01
• Binding: Hardcover
• 816 pages

Synopsis
Subtitled 'The Pillow Book of Cordella Kenn' this is the story of Cordella from the time she is 15 until she is 20. She is pregnant and plans to give this account to her daughter on her 16th birthday so that they can share their youth together. She chooses the old and famous Japanese book' 'The Pillow Book' by Sei Shonagon' as a model in order to include all kinds of things she has already written as well as the episodes and thoughts she has now as she compiles her book. She tells of her mother (who died when Cordella was 5) of her father and her aunt Dorls (who marry when she is 16), of her love for William Blacklin, the boy with whom she chooses to have her first sex - and with whom she falls deeply in love. She writes about Julie Martin her teacher who helps her spiritually, describes her love affair with an older married man and her terrifying sexual experience with an unbalanced young man who is obsessed with her. The book includes thoughts on being a women, on poetry, music, reading and writing, on being pregnant and finally of her marriage to William.

This Is All is an anthology, written in six 'books' of Cordella's adolescent life, by turns funny, poignant, sad, exciting, fascinating ironic and truthful about topics that parents often do not tell their children. It is a richly entertaining and challenging read.

From the Inside Flap
All writing is a gift
Cordelia, at nineteen, while pregnant with her baby daughter, complies the story of her teenage years.
Choosing the old and famous Japanese pillow book as her model, Cordelia is able to include all kinds of writing she has done in the past, as well as episodes and thoughts, lists and poems she is writing now.
Here is an honest and challenging self-portrait of an exceptional girl who passionately needs to write - of the unusual relationship within her family, of her love for William Blacklin, the boy of her choice with whom she has her first sex, of her affair with an older married man, of her terrifying experience with a young man who is obsessed with her, and of her friendship with her teacher, Julie, who encourages her in her spiritual life. Her thoughts range widely: on poetry and breasts, periods and music, friendship and trees, consciousness and sleep, and much more besides.
A wonderfully evocative and gripping story of an extraordinary girl who in turn maddens and fascinates and finally seduces the reader.
Aidan Chambers is a writer who constantly breaks boundaries, in his stories and the way he tells them. Nowhere has he done this more triumphantly than in the Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn.
All writing is memory.

From the Back Cover
(of Postcards from No Man's Land)
'... the kind of book that gives you hope for the future of literature for young people' CARNEGIE JUDGES
'Writing and literature at its best' SCHOOL LIBRARIAN
'The type of teenage fiction that should be cherished' INDEPENDENT

Customer Reviews

Brilliant
An amazing book that totally captured me, even though it was so long and there was much confusion. In the middle of the book the pages suddenly do not match up which was very annoying until i finally realised it seperated into two different stories, A and B. You can read whichever first, it makes no difference and after realising this i got on fine with the book again. I really identified with all the characters and what they were going through and i couldn't wait to finish it. Overall amazing!

AMAZING
This book is absolutely fantastic. I became a fan of this author when I read "Postcards form No Man's Land" when it was first published and I have to say that this book excells itself in a similar way.

The book delves into the life and thoughts of Cordelia Kenn, our main charecter and the book is written by this fictional charecter. Cordelia discusses a wide range of everyday things about life, her relationships with her friends, lovers, parents and her thoughts about random subjects in a frank,honest and sometimes funny manner. This is one of the only books I have read where you really connect with and understand the author (in this case the ficticious Cordelia). The book touches on something everyone can relate to or has experienced - whether its first love, betrayal, poetry, music - EVERYTHING!!!

It's definately worth reading - when the book goes onto random thought sand not her life story, the plot does drag and the size of the book is a little daunting, however it is worth tackling the book and reading it. You won't be dissapointed.

Life told in epic ways
In this book, Chambers shows us that he knows all.

It doesn't have the fast-paced narrative structure that some of his other books can boast of, but its unflinching portrayal of its main character, Cordelia, is unsurrpassable.

Cordelia talks about everything - from exam revision to the importance of trees in her life, from periods and farting to poetry. She gives us detailed accounts of herself and of others, and with them gives the reader and intensely personal portrayal of her life.

Despite its flaws - the book is too long, I feel, and looses some of its power with too many detours - it is still a powerful and uncomprimising portrayal of a girl and a life. Purely because of this, it is an astonishing book in its scope and in its honesty, all the way to its heartbreaking ending.

I cannot give it five stars because of its flaws in narrative structure - but every life is flawed, so perhaps those flaws make it even more real. I reccomend it very highly.