Everything in Hannah Luckraft's life is tinted amber: her dreary job selling cardboard boxes; her strained relations with a beloved younger brother...
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reviews
Jul 26, 2007
Carol
rated it: 
Extremely dark, and I remember being dissatisfied with the ending. However, the writing absolutely blew me away. I read a lot of fiction, and very little electrifies me the way this book did.
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Aug 29, 2007
tish
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The first chapter of Paradise begins with Hannah, our narrator, in a hotel with no knowledge of why she's there, where she's going or where she's been. Pretty quickly you realize that she's an alcoholic, and we are brought up to date by memories and flashbacks to discover that in the timeline of the novel that first chapter falls at the midpoint. I was a little discombobulated at first by the structure, but as I got to know Hannah it fit perfectly. Memories are discovered and confessed by the m
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Feb 05, 2009
If there's one point of consensus in reviews of Kennedy's latest novel, it's that she is a masterful stylist. The fork in the road for critics of Paradise, the British author's fifth U.S. release, is the subject matter. Her supporters are impressed that the book avoids a tumble into bleak self-pity. Hannah is a perceptive, funny guide to her own dissolution. But the detractors__a distinct minority__see Hannah's ability to express herself and her inability to solve her problems as a narrative fai
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Jan 25, 2009
Jaemi
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I didn't actually finish this book, but not because I didn't like it. In fact, what I read, I liked quite a bit.
Told in a stream of consciousness that sometimes doubts itself, this is the story of an alcoholic. In fact, I believe it is the story of two alcoholics, and how they intertwine, disease and all. But I mainly only saw the leading lady.
The style is quite different than other things I've read, even other British things, and that was part of the appeal. The language is More...
Told in a stream of consciousness that sometimes doubts itself, this is the story of an alcoholic. In fact, I believe it is the story of two alcoholics, and how they intertwine, disease and all. But I mainly only saw the leading lady.
The style is quite different than other things I've read, even other British things, and that was part of the appeal. The language is More...
Jun 14, 2009
Chris
rated it:
I read this novel about a young Scottish woman who also happens to be a raging drunk over the course of a day and a half, and I felt like I was on a bender with her. Considering little happens and the narration is filtered through a constantly replenished glass, the fact I couldn't put the book down says something. Unfortunately, I found the ending very unsatisfying.
Jun 01, 2011
GUPTGed at page 18 (pathetic, I know)! Hey, man, if I wanted to trawl the minutiae of the mind of a hair-splitting alcoholic, I would just think.
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Dec 16, 2011
Carolyn
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I could taste the alcohol on my tongue while reading this book. Don't start it without some liquid replenishment nearby.
Apr 14, 2011
Melissa
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Beautiful and intense. The way she uses language is incredibly powerful.
Jan 29, 2012
Penelly
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I'm so glad I decided to hunt down some female Scottish authors. Because I found this novel. I absolutely loved this. It's not long but I read it slowly because I wanted to savour the writing. Breathtaking. It's a story about Hannah Luckcraft, an alcoholic woman whose search for the next drink, whose ups and downs, are compelling, saddening and believable. The insights into addiction are quite remarkable. The utter despair is tempered by a beautifully dark sense of humour and some of the most am
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Jan 11, 2009
David
rated it:
Wry, sarcastic, hilariously witty alcoholic Scottish female hits rock-bottom. Cynical 1st-person narrator, slaughters all she encounters w/ twisted intelligent humor. I love this book. UPDATE: The unraveling of the ending is very disappointing. The narrative seems to degenerate into a non-redemptive magic realism.
Dec 11, 2007
Melissa
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Both beautiful and disturbing, qualities I expect from Kennedy's novels. The ending was unsatisfying, though. I understand and respect the instinct to be ambiguous and leave it messy, I felt like what had been intensely and unflinchingly realistic because just intensely weird... it felt like she flinched.
Jul 28, 2011
Jennifer
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This book was horrible in a totally amazing way. Engrossing, felt entirely realistic. Yet describing a nightmarish existence of addiction that was painful to read, but impossible to look away from. I don't know how accurate this is to life, and after reading this book, I am very grateful to not know that.
Aug 12, 2008
Donna
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A tale of hope and despair. Those of us who have been touched by the issues in this novel will find the book riviting. I can best describe my interpretation of this work by the following quote: "Even the darkness has it's own light"
Jan 29, 2012
Really wrenching, incredibly well-written novel of addiction. The first-person depiction of addiction is on a par with and maybe better (can't believe I'm about to say this) than the portrayal in Infinite Jest.
Jun 16, 2008
Greta
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This book was remarkable. Not much happens, plot-wise, but I couldn't put it down. Definitely want to read more by this author.
Sep 15, 2007
Kelly
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Devasting novel about alcoholism. Kennedy is brilliant and so skilled at lightening a heavy book with humorous comments.
Jul 11, 2008
Dave
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Brutally honest without being cruel. This is a book I will want to read again, albeit reluctantly.
Jan 29, 2012
Rebecca
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Absolutely brilliant - the antidote to every self-help book and cliche-ridden novel out there.
Feb 10, 2012
Jan 30, 2012
Jan 27, 2012
