Customer Reviews
Fabulous! - By: Teresa White, 31 Aug 2008 
You can't not get totally absorbedin this story about 1950's middle class prejudice & hypocrisy. The story kept me completely hooked & I read itin just 2 evenings (and nights!!!). Lewis's (main character) journey takes you through all emotions possible, from sadness & despair to anger & even complacency. An excellant read that portrays the real bare bones of human nature & relationships. You ceratinly won't regret this read! Enjoy.
an examination of pain - By: Dr. J. Bestley, 29 Aug 2008 I read this bookin 1.5 days much to my wife's irritation since I was supposed to be helping look after the children while on holiday! Other reviewers have referred to the clautrophobia of the 1950s which I would entirely concur with, there is a fawning sense of hierarchy & keeping up appearances regardless of underlying realities.
A great novel dealing with hypocrisy, failed communication between father & son, failure of articulation of great distress & possible resolution.
I strongly recommend reading it.
a bit disappointing - By: Penny Name, 28 Aug 2008 
I really wanted to like this after all the hype but to be honest I found it a bit boring & melodramatic. The central idea was good but I never really got inside Lewis's head & towards the end the fact that every female characterin the book found him irresistible got a bit silly. The final scenesin the church & at the railway station beggared my belief, you could see the book was written with a movie dealin mind. I found myself skipping large chunks & was a bit bored.
Sublime - By: Lydia Gwilt, 28 Aug 2008 A beautiful, beautiful, beautiful piece of fiction. This is the book I wished I had written & the friends to whom I've lent my copy say the same. I sincerely hope that this isn't the one & only book Sadie Jones hasin her, but what a read The Outcast is; fan-blooming-tastic!
Not as good as its reputation - By: Swiss Choc Lover, 25 Aug 2008 I can sort of see why a lot of people like this. All the ingrediants are there, but Sadie Jones is no Delia when it comes to getting the right result. A good story is ruined by too many viewpoints that switch without reason (sometimes mid-paragraph) leaving you to wonder who's the real main character. It's meant to be Lewis, but we see the action from at least 7 other characters that it all gets a bit jumbled & lost. Where was Ms Jones' editor? Asleep, I guess. And the prose - far from being elegant & beautiful as some reviewers would have you believe, it's childish & uninspiring. How did this get onto the Orange shortlist? I'm only glad Rose Tremain won.
