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Engleby | 
 enlarge | Author: Sebastian Faulks
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy New: £3.81
You Save: £4.18 (52%)
Media: Paperback
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0099458276
EAN: 9780099458272
ASIN: 0099458276
Publication Date: March 27, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 72 more reviews...
 Like an ill-fitting straight-jacket August 25, 2008
One reviewer's comment highlighted that nothing much happens throughout it's length which although is possibly a fair criticism, Faulks does manage to keep you turning the pages of this weighty novel.
Another reviewer commented on the dissapointing ending of this engaging work - I have to disagree with them. Much of this book concerns itself with the thoughts and opinions of central character Mike Engleby but for me the few last pages spill into a dreamy half world where truth and make-believe cohabit what could be described as a happy ending.
Being the product of 1970's boarding schools, sympathising with Engleby was second nature to me and I sincerely hope that today's such institutions manage to produce rather more socially rounded individuals.
Disturbing, unputdownable! August 22, 2008
It takes a lot to find a book that actually gives you goosebumps in the middle of the night. This one did. A genius piece from the Faulksmeister - his best yet. Lucid prose that never verges into self-indulgence, a masterful insight into a disturbing and formidable mind and a thought-provoking discourse on personality, nature/nurture and the whole damn meaning of life. Was a little disappointed by the ending but I'd challenge anyone not to be impressed by this book. Disturbingly I also felt I could associate with Mike (!) on many levels. Worrying.
 Chilling but compelling August 16, 2008
It sounds paradoxical to say that I didn't like the book or Mike Engleby, its central character, yet I enjoyed reading it to the extent that I didn't want to put it down. `Engleby' is disturbing and thought provoking, a brilliant depiction of a societal misfit abused by his father and emotionally neglected by his mother. Outstandingly intelligent, he obtains a scholarship to a second-rate public school where his classmates ostracise him, and thence to Cambridge.
The story is told as a journal, a one-sided account from the warped perspective of a sick mind. In many ways Engleby seems immune to the opinions of others, although he ponders the exclamation mark when he sees himself referred to as Mike(!) in the diary of Jennifer Arkland, the fellow student with whom he became obsessed.
As the book develops, the revelation when it comes is chilling (to say more would spoil it for those who haven't read it). I wonder if others were as surprised and shocked as I was or whether most readers foresaw what was coming. My failing to see the pointers only serves to exemplify the brilliance of the writing.
It's a book that provokes a strange mixture of abhorrence and sympathy. To create a dislikeable character with whom readers develop even a degree of empathy is tribute to the skill of the writer. This book is as different from Faulks's other works as a sword from a feather, but it's every bit as strong as `Birdsong' and a strangely compelling five-star read. You really ought to try it, but be prepared not to like it.
unforgettable character August 15, 2008
Engleby is a character who is rare in fiction and shoudl be much prized - an entirely unsympathetic protagonist who is nontheless totally compelling. The period reserearch that must have been done is also convincibgly threaded through the story, but over all it is the masterfl depiction of a character in extremis that stay with me. At times I fluctuated, patience wise with the narrative, it does seem to drag in places when scenario decsription gets rather bogged down but it's the charactersistaion that wins through every time. if you liked charlotte gray then this is at least three times as good.
Compelling August 13, 2008
Engleby marks a departure from Faulks' usual subject matter and style of writing and concentrates instead on the life of Mike Engleby, a loner, who is unable to fit into society.
Throughout the novel, I felt a sense of impending dread, that all of Engleby's life was going to crash down around him at any moment, and although the plot is very different, I found it similar in style to 'Catcher in the Rye', as that too gave me the same sense of uneasiness whilst reading. Having said that, I found the book extremely compelling, with Faulks helping the reader to emphasise with Engleby, in an almost disturbing manner.
I would recommend this book to those who are looking for an interesting and compulsive read, however it is important to note that this is a completely different type of book and style to the majority of Faulks' other novels (Birdsong, Charlotte Gray and The Girl at the Lion D'Or) which were all set during the first and second world wars, and previous fans of Faulks may be disappointed if they were expecting more of the same.
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