The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith

by Peter Carey
The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith  
published 2004 by faber and faber
binding Paperback
isbn 0571174930   (isbn13: 9780571174935)
pages 512
description The Booker Prize-winning author of Oscar and Lucinda and The Tax Inspector now gives readers a hero, the malformed but ferociously wilfu...more
date added
02-16-07



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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 128)



Peter
Peter rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
04/12/08

It is an odd book. I really like Peter Carey, but I'm not quite sure what he was trying to get at in this story. Still, it is well written, with magical elements and a picture of a weird world, and it is written as a quest which I always like. It somehow seems like it owes something to the Tin Drum by Gunter Grass, but maybe because they both feature deformed midgets.
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Stacey
05/10/07

bookshelves: booksivereadandloved
Read in June, 2004
recommends it for: Most
A strange and twisted novel set in a non-existent place yet imbued with a ring of familiarity despite its fantastical set-up and singularly mal-formed title character. We never exactly what is wrong with him, but the story doesn't suffer, it's a very interesting work.
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Aimee
05/07/08

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in May, 2008
Just felt too depressing for me..... and I couldn't take the constant description of the author's terrible appearance. Got about 100 pages in and just could not push on....
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Kendra
Kendra rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
02/21/08

Read in January, 2004
Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. As usual, Peter Carey writes a very good book that is very difficult to read at times. One of my favorite writers.
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Jane
Jane rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
04/02/08

One of the most intriguing and mystifying books I have ever read. Outstanding, imaginative and compelling.
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Sophie
Sophie rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
07/04/07

Amusing, twisted, uncomfortable, and politically fused. Very Carey.
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Kowhai
Kowhai rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
07/26/07

Meh. Very long.
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Maura
Maura rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
04/19/07

Read in October, 2004
 

Annie
Annie marked it as to-read
03/29/07

bookshelves: to-read
 

Melanie
Melanie rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
10/31/07

bookshelves: 2006
Read in January, 2006
 

Adam
Adam rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
06/06/07

bookshelves: fiction
 

Sarah
Sarah rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
11/14/07

 

Ted
Ted rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
10/30/07

 

Tanea
Tanea rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
04/27/07

 

Eloise
Eloise rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
05/09/08

 

Mark
12/28/07

bookshelves: on-hold
Read in January, 2008
 

Aviam
Aviam added it
02/15/08

 

Shannon
Shannon marked it as to-read
10/31/07

bookshelves: contemporary-fiction, to-read
 


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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 3.63 (93 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.72 (71 ratings)
number of reviews: 7






other editions

The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith (Paperback)
The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith (Hardcover)
Unusual Life Of Tristan Smith (Hardcover)