| Case Histories | 
 enlarge | Author: Kate Atkinson
Publisher: Black Swan
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy Used: £0.01
You Save: £7.98 (100%)
New (28) Used (84) Collectible (3) from £0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  44 reviews
Sales Rank: 2744
Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 399
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 1.1
ISBN: 0552772437
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780552772433
ASIN: 0552772437
Publication Date: August 2, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: DESPATCHED FROM UK, BOOKS SHIPPED DAILY.
|
| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 44 | | ... 9 NEXT » |
Wonderful Confusion April 9, 2008
I really enjoyed this book of the lost and found centred around cases taken on by ex-policeman now PI, Brodie. Atkinson takes you into her characters musings on life after death and loss with witty observations. The cases are poignant, sad, inevitable and it is not just Brodie who is confused by the end. Not everything is tied up neatly leading to more confusion. Major and minor characters are rounded and full of life, even the sad ones.
 Gripping and superbly written March 25, 2008
Couldn't put this down! A gripping and superbly written novel, combining the excitement and tension of a crime novel with a wonderful literary style. I really enjoyed it and will eagerly await new work by her.
The different strands which make up the plot are so skillfully and cleverly interwoven gradually as the novel progresses. A great read. Have since read 'One Good Turn' and loved that too.
Wonderfully entertaining March 24, 2008
I love Kate Atkinson books, having only recently discovered her other novel, One Good Turn which is the predecessor to Case Histories. I love the way she interweaves comedy and intrigue and I have to say Jackson Brodie is my new hero. Highly recommended.
A crime novel with multiple strands February 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The book opens with three diverse and seemingly unconnected crimes (the "case histories" that give the book its title) that take place several years apart. By coincidence, they are all brought to Jackson Brodie, a former police inspector turned private investigator. While this is a mystery/crime novel, it's also about family relationships - both Jackson's and those of his clients. (Jackson's personal life is about as complicated as those of the clients whose mysteries he is trying to solve.)
The book has a huge cast of characters which gets a bit confusing. I spent a lot of time flicking back through pages to check who people were. This is probably just a reflection on me and my faulty memory, but I recommend reading it with a notebook so you can make notes on who's who - e.g. Sharon is his dentist, while Shirley is Caroline's sister.
I also have mixed feelings about the way that the plot jumped backwards and forwards. Kate Atkinson likes to introduce a plot development but then double back to give you the background to it, or another character's perspective on what went before. Sometimes this works really well but other times it's irritating and you wish she's just get on with the story. The three mysteries are all explained, although I would have preferred there to be a little more resolution to them (in most cases, the individuals involved don't find out what happened).
Despite these flaws, I really enjoyed "Case Histories". It's well written and kept me engrossed throughout. While some of the secondary characters are fairly sketchy, Jackson is a great character and I'm pleased to see that he reappears in "One Good Turn".
If you enjoyed this book, I recommend "The Broken Shore" by Peter Temple.
The result is truly compelling. November 29, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Shot through with wry humour, this is a highly original, literary but accessible take on the modern detective story, noteworthy both for the quality of the writing and for the innovative structure. I would agree with those other reviewers who feel that the loose ends are all tied up a little too neatly, however. That is the only reason why I have not awarded it the full five stars.
Kate Atkinson's strength lies in her eye for detail, as she describes the banalities of lives distorted by extraordinary events. She is particularly good on grief and the never-ending sense of loss, revealing the various darknesses hidden beneath the veneer of apparent normality!!! Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go and read it.
|
|
|
