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  <title><![CDATA[The Spell]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]></description>
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    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
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    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Feb 23 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[Hollinghurst's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/139087.The_Line_of_Beauty" title="The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst">The Line of Beauty</a>, which won the 2004 Booker, may be one of the best novels I've read, among those novels in the Forsterian/Jamesian tradition, if such a tradition can exist. You know what I'm talking about. Novels about the lives of interesting people just a shade more fascinating a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47367666">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
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  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 23:20:57 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Hollinghurst's prose is as frank and lush as ever in The Spell. He reveals his characters' intricate internal worlds; to the reader's benefit, they are wonderfully observant and self-aware, yet they do not communicate well with one another. They withhold information; they hesitate to reveal themselv...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2612995">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
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    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
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  <read_at>Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2003</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 08:17:36 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Fiction. This book was so unpleasant I finished it in two days. I'd read a chapter, make a face, put the book down, and walk away. Later I'd find myself reading it again. It's a terrible book filled with gay men who are all cheating on each other. The really annoying thing is that it's quite well wr...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5491500">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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</review>
      <review>
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    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
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    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
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  <read_at>Sun Oct 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Nov 03 12:55:22 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Nov 05 20:37:09 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[If you are expecting the beyond beatiful, every page has a gem prose style of &quot;Line of Beauty,&quot; you're not going to get it here.  You can tell this is one of his earlier books and his jeweler's eye is not yet refined enough for Cartier. Tiffany maybe.  It's still a great read, even if you'...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76611078">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76611078]]></url>
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
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    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
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  <date_added>Thu Oct 23 01:52:07 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Oct 23 01:56:14 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book, which has been much-praised, goes to show that if your standing in the literary world is elevated enough, you can get away with writing a shit novel. I, too, love Alan Hollinghurst, but I cannot pretend this book is anything but awful.<br/><br/>The storyline (in as much as there is one)...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/36005813">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/36005813]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/36005813]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>35521206</id>
    <user>
    <id>130065</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Josie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Francisco, CA]]></location>
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  <id type="integer">30104</id>
  <isbn>0140286373</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140286373</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Oct 22 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Oct 16 21:02:43 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Oct 24 22:56:53 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[<em>The Spell</em> is a slight book, almost fully concerned with romantic interaction and drug use (and of course the intersection of the two).  Three of the four main characters (all are, of course, gay men) aren't likeable, and I guess that's the problem.  Sometimes Hollinghurst writes beautiful characters...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35521206">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35521206]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35521206]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>34241675</id>
    <user>
    <id>26852</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Eric]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Minneapolis, MN]]></location>
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  <isbn>0701165197</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780701165192</isbn13>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.00</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>5</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>4</votes>
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          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Sep 30 18:42:17 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Sep 29 20:59:08 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is the third of Hollinghurst’s four novels. And from what I can gather , the runt of the lot for quite a few of his readers. Not hard to see why, given what it followed: a brace of densely brilliant novels which permit us to richly inhabit the lyric sensibilities of two very sinuous and engag...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34241675">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34241675]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34241675]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>1779042</id>
    <user>
    <id>122074</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sofie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Linköpin, Sweden]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/122074-sofie]]></link>
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  <isbn>0140286373</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140286373</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jun 08 12:07:33 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jun 09 11:13:26 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[<br/>I was recommended Hollinghurst's The Swimming Pool Library, but it was out at the library, so I grabbed this one instead.<br/><br/>It's described as a comedy, but the problem is that it just isn't funny. There are a few funny moments, yes, but over-all... no. Another problem is that the char...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1779042">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1779042]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1779042]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>71936819</id>
    <user>
    <id>395503</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Dani]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/395503-dani]]></link>
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  <isbn>0140286373</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140286373</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Sep 17 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Sep 20 18:55:44 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Sep 20 18:58:33 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Not nearly as good as The Line of Beauty, which is one of my all-time favorites, but still a pretty good book.  Hollinghurst is probably my favorite author in the gay literature genre.  His stories have great characters, and he is able to capture the most ordinary of interactions, and people's react...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71936819">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71936819]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71936819]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>70341654</id>
    <user>
    <id>1847852</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jack]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New Haven, CT]]></location>
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  <isbn>0140286373</isbn>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Sep 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Sep 07 06:52:28 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 07 06:56:36 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Not quite as riveting as The Swimming Pool Library, but still great story-telling and lots of naughty fun.  The gay relationships are complex, and the frequency of betrayal occasionally is appalling.  Everyone is rich, and handsome, and randy.  Not for the faint of heart, and unlikely to win over ma...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70341654">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70341654]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70341654]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>10818289</id>
    <user>
    <id>644610</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Matt]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <isbn>0140286373</isbn>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>true</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[gay trash]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Dec 21 09:36:10 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 21 09:33:59 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Very well-written story with horrible, awful characters.<br/><br/>The Spell was a lot like The Line of Beauty.  Hollinghurst seems to like writing character-driven stories about very flawed people.  They gradually, inevitably get themselves into situations that readers can see coming a mile away. ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10818289">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10818289]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10818289]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>30926095</id>
    <user>
    <id>140301</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Brent]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Chicago, IL]]></location>
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  <id type="integer">30104</id>
  <isbn>0140286373</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140286373</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Aug 22 14:12:14 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Aug 22 14:16:30 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[<br/>Sometimes there are books that are a battle.  I question why I am subjecting myself to them.  What am I possibly gaining from reading them?  Sometimes I make it through and sometimes I'm happy that I did.  Sometimes, I just can't be bothered.  For me, The Spell is a &quot;can't be bothered&quot;...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30926095">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30926095]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30926095]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>5335437</id>
    <user>
    <id>323381</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Richard]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Chunli, Taiwan]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/323381-richard-k-w-hsu]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">30104</id>
  <isbn>0140286373</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140286373</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168051609m/30104.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Aug 30 00:39:49 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 30 00:54:36 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Again, it's a well-designed fiction for its aesthetic contrivance. I don't love it particularly in comparison with The Line of Beauty. The drug-using plot in England is quite like the contemporary Taiwan gay scene. <br/><br/>In addition, I am intrigued by Henry James' influence on Hollinghurst's f...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5335437">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5335437]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5335437]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>5196397</id>
    <user>
    <id>314683</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Christopher]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Heathsville, VA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/314683-christopher-barnes]]></link>
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  <isbn13>9780140286373</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Aug 27 18:14:23 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 07:20:14 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This was the first Hollinghurst book I came across, and I actually found it at too early of an age (having had too little experience in the &quot;gay world&quot;) to really get it.  Re-read it recently and found it made a lot more sense to me.  Not his absolute best work, but thoroughly engaging.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5196397]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5196397]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>25817863</id>
    <user>
    <id>797212</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Parker]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Beverly, MA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/797212-parker]]></link>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jun 29 08:07:10 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Aug 02 16:07:35 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[a well written and sometimes amusing book about skanky people in the English countryside. none of the characters are particularly likeable, and the book seems to drift from one sexual conquest to the next. the ending is good though.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25817863]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25817863]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>6164412</id>
    <user>
    <id>350751</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Larry]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Metairie, LA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/350751-larry]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">1226879</id>
  <isbn>0670883565</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780670883561</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.67</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>6</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[anyone]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Sep 13 14:31:50 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Sep 13 14:41:11 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I enjoyed this book but not as much as Line of Beauty.It was a good book dont take it that I didnt like it.I think that my expectations were too high and that always leads to disappointment. Read Line of Beauty first.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6164412]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6164412]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>2504173</id>
    <user>
    <id>136477</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jt]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/136477-jt]]></link>
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  <isbn>0140286373</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140286373</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168051609m/30104.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168051609s/30104.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30104.The_Spell</link>
  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jun 28 15:10:48 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 23:02:39 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[My favorite of his novels by far...i saw a lot of myself in it...of course i don't remember when i last had a relationship...but...a book about gay life that despite being english i could really see myself in.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2504173]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2504173]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>10829861</id>
    <user>
    <id>667977</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Adam]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Dec 21 12:18:00 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jan 15 19:31:37 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The author writes beautifully, but not about much.  Kinda of a fun soap opera really - though I think the author could've borrowed some humour from Armistead Maupin (sp?).]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10829861]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10829861]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>27510129</id>
    <user>
    <id>736321</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Dave]]></name>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.14</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>148</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 17 07:10:56 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jul 19 06:24:27 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A crisp and delicious literary shell surrounds a chewy, soft-core gay porn filling. I liked &quot;In the Line of Beauty&quot; better]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27510129]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27510129]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>29715425</id>
    <user>
    <id>1411395</id>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Spell]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168051609m/30104.jpg</image_url>
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    <![CDATA[Alan Hollinghurst writes like a dream about the nightmare of unequal affection. In his third novel, <em>The Spell</em>, four men dance around one another, their emotions and actions ranging from casual cruelty to anxiety to adoration. Hollinghurst's painful but smiling roundelay alternates between Dorset--where 40ish architect Robin shares a house with the impossibly self-involved Justin--and London. When Justin's ex, Alex, arrives for a weekend in the country, the atmosphere is instantly rich with jealousy and power plays. And after the trio is joined by a younger gay man, Danny--who turns out to be Robin's son--the attractions and duplicities multiply exponentially. Alex, for instance, soon admits to Danny, &quot;I've got a ruinous taste for takers,&quot; and they (and we) are off and running.<p>  As ever, Hollinghurst's prose is musical and sensual but also deeply witty. Even the birds in this novel modulate their song from somnolent calls to outright chuckles--echoing the pleasures and absurdities of the humans they circle. And the author's feel for the easy intimacies and brutalities that his characters exchange is unmatched. As Justin (clad only in a tanga) escorts Alex around the cottage, he points out some vases: &quot;These pots, darling, were made by potters of the greatest probity.&quot; Hollinghurst's descriptions are marvelous, whether of landscape or human frailty. After leaving a rather unrelaxed restaurant with Alex, &quot;Danny recovered his air of bossiness and mystery, like a prefect in the school of pleasure.&quot; And when the two obtain some Ecstasy and hit one of Danny's haunts--a brilliantly realized club--the author reveals the rapture and idiocy in each moment: <blockquote> The boys glistened and pawed at the ground. They looked like members of some dodgy brainwashing cult.... Alex saw that what he most wanted was happening and groped marvellingly between the different kinds of happiness, the chemicals and the sex. It seemed that happening and happiness were the same, he must remember that, to tell everyone. </blockquote> But as amusing as Alan Hollinghurst is, his forte is loss. Again and again he reminds us that solitary sadness is a wink away from comedy and sexual possession. <em>--Kerry Fried</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1998</published>
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  <read_at>Thu Jun 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Aug 09 15:23:22 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jul 18 06:15:45 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Hedonistic, sure, but the language is to die for. Some mind-blowingly beautiful sentences.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29715425]]></url>
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