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The Lesser Bohemians cover art

The Lesser Bohemians

By: Eimear McBride
Narrated by: Eimear McBride
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Summary

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

Critic reviews

"One of the most groundbreaking pieces of literature to come from Ireland, or anywhere, in recent years." ( Vanity Fair)

What listeners say about The Lesser Bohemians

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Highly recommended

I almost gave up on this after a couple of chapters because of its unusual style. I'm so glad I didn't. It's wonderfully written and beautifully read. In a lovely rythmic style, it tells the love story of two damaged people as they work out how to survive.

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7 people found this helpful

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Not for the prudish !

I loved this ! Brilliant narration by the writer , I felt as if she was telling me her story as a trusted friend who wouldn't moralise no matter how explicit the details she had to tell might be . I really felt I knew her and more than that I became close to her and wanted her chaotic relationship to endure. Highly recommended .

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5 people found this helpful

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Perfect for audio

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.

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4 people found this helpful

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worth sticking with

OK so it takes a while to get used to the style. The amount of sex is quite incredible, but it actually is an extremely good book. I gave up on it with my first attempt quite early on as I found the style so odd. Since it is part of a course I'm doing and a fellow student said it's good when you get into it, I decided to give it another go. I'm glad I did. Once they stop copulating long enough to move into a storyline proper I was quite wrapped up in the book. The text does become a lot more conventional then anyway. Really enjoyed it.

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4 people found this helpful

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Captivated

I love how Eimer McBride reads this and have been hooked with these characters, so much so this book has been gobbled down within a few days. There were times I didn't, and couldn't, listen because the story was saddening. However, McBride's unique stream-of-conciousness style narration has allowed scenes that could be trite or too dense to be actually perfectly balanced. Highly recommend.

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3 people found this helpful

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Blurs the line between piety and prose

Wow, quite a revelation! I see that I am not alone in almost giving up on this book a few minutes in. The almost poetic style with its paucity of articles and auxiliary verbs was a little off putting at first. It soon became the norm and enjoyable to boot.
Two damaged individuals come together in a passionate encounter and find some redemption in each other. A little protracted towards the end, and I admit to becoming rather impatient with both of the main characters (thank you 'flat mate' for bringing some lightness and 'normality'). I will certainly search for more by this author. A refreshing change.

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3 people found this helpful

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Beautiful, gentle, shocking. A remarkable book

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

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2 people found this helpful

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Very touching well told story

Happy ending to this complex love story. Unusual twists about the ' Game of Love'
How silly spites can undermine a relationship. Revelations and self redemption towards the end.

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2 people found this helpful

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Fast-paced, intimate journey into an emotional personal relationship

I really love this book, and the way the author reads it makes it quite magical. The story feels so authentic and, although it deals with domestic violence, abuse and self harm, the strength of the characters endears them.

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2 people found this helpful

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Dont know how this drivel ended up in my basket

Oh Dear. The sample must have sounded good for me to pick up ...but after 5 mins of the flowery overly poetic similis and my soul needed an asprin.

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1 person found this helpful