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The Lesser Bohemians

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The Lesser Bohemians

By: Eimear McBride
Narrated by: Eimear McBride
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The breathtaking new novel from Eimear McBride, about an extraordinary, all-consuming love affair.

One night an 18-year-old Irish girl, recently arrived in London to attend drama school, meets an older man - a well-regarded actor in his own right. While she is naive and thrilled by life in the big city, he is haunted by more than a few demons, and the clamorous relationship that ensues risks undoing them both. A captivating story of passion and innocence, joy and discovery, set against the vibrant atmosphere of 1990s London over the course of a single year, The Lesser Bohemians glows with the eddies and anxieties of growing up, and the transformative intensity of a powerful new love.

©1999 Eimear McBride (P)2016 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Mind-bending England
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Critic reviews

"One of the most groundbreaking pieces of literature to come from Ireland, or anywhere, in recent years." ( Vanity Fair)
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Beautifully written, so gentle that you don't realise you're in the midst of something shocking
Such a stunning book, so well crafted, so terrible, so clever . Wonderful writing, a remarkable book

Beautiful, gentle, shocking. A remarkable book

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I was so pleasantly surprised by the style of this book ~ it's different, unique way of expressing things, very contemporary yet easy to follow. I loved the moments of rhyme, so beautifully written, it took my breath away frequently. And it was quite erotic at times! And repulsive at others. However, this was so cleverly written AND narrated perfectly, with sensitivity and compassion. I adored the narrator's Irish accent which just absolutely made it. I have never been so moved by a book. Just wow!

Refreshingly beautiful

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It was an honour, a great gift, to have Eimear McBride read her extraordinary work herself - my own inner voice would not have been up to the challenge of her unique language. I will go back to the text now, more confidently. Might even try and read aloud (to myself) some passages, which is not a response I’ve ever had on listening to an audiobook. Truly ‘a revolution in poetic language’. Bravo and thank you!

Wow!

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Emotional, sensual, raw. A very honest depiction of how people might overcome past trauma. How people fall apart and put themselves back together.

Just brilliant

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Authors should never read their own books, and that rule is proved by this exception. I bought it with confidence, having heard McBride read from A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing, and she is the ideal reader of her own work.

I'm not perfect, mind, so I put off listening to it, because I knew it would be a difficult listen. It is not. It is in fact easier to listen to than some more conventional books, the flow of words lighting up the scene by seemingly tapping into your own core experiences and drawing them out.

This story of a young woman blossoming through her undergraduate acting course is brought into life from the core of one's own senses. As with her first-published book (though I understand this one was conceived earlier), this evolution of the modernist aesthetic is very welcome, absolutely apt for the subject, and beautifully executed.

I hope and trust McBride has patience, resolution and support enough to write just as she pleases, and can find more, equally engaging subjects to nurture in her instinctive way.

Perfect for audio

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