Sign in with Facebook
12th out of 24 books
—
10 voters
The Vanity Game
by
H.J. Hampson (Goodreads Author)
For professional soccer ace Beaumont Alexander, life couldn't be better. He's rich and famous and living a life of A-class luxury in his Essex mansion, The Love Palace, with his beautiful pop-star girlfriend, Krystal McQueen. Idolised and envied all over the planet, he's an international megabrand; seemingly invincible and every bit as vain as you might expect from a man w...more
Paperback, Collector's Edition: only 25 being printed, 300 pages
Published
June 11th 2012
by Blasted Heath
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
206)
‘The Vanity Game’ combines the easy murder of Jason Starr with the black humour of Douglas Lindsay. Fusing the glitz and glamour of high fame A-List celebrity with the gore and grime of the violent underworld, Hampson’s debut novel spotlights the darker side of the entertainment industry. For soccer star Beaumont Alexander, life as he knows it is about to spiral out of control following a brutish encounter at a celebrity party. That one incident leads to a chain of events which ultimately sees B...more
3 likes · like · see review
view all 7 comments
Kathy's Review:
Well, our protagonist, Beaumont Alexander, a famous soccer (football for you non-Americans) player, is a train wreck. From the description, I picture him as David Beckham. Now I am picturing David Beckham naked. Oops - that actually has nothing to do with this book review. Nonetheless, Beaumont is a David Beckham gone horribly wrong. And Beaumont is not a likable guy. He's full of himself, he's a druggie, he does bad things to women, and he generally hates humanity. So why was thi...more
Well, our protagonist, Beaumont Alexander, a famous soccer (football for you non-Americans) player, is a train wreck. From the description, I picture him as David Beckham. Now I am picturing David Beckham naked. Oops - that actually has nothing to do with this book review. Nonetheless, Beaumont is a David Beckham gone horribly wrong. And Beaumont is not a likable guy. He's full of himself, he's a druggie, he does bad things to women, and he generally hates humanity. So why was thi...more
H. J. Hampson’s The Vanity Game from Blasted Heath offers a slice of sleb culture with a lot of grit and blood. I hated Beaumont from the start: he’s everything I hate about the fame game. It’s an uphill battle getting your reader to follow the adventures of a character who is so often absolutely loathsome; it’s a battle Hampson wins. I despised the spoiled, pampered footballer but I was hooked into the story right away. Where is this going to go? That’s the question that keeps you reading. And...more
Synopsis/blurb......
Ripping the lid off the world of celebrity culture, The Vanity Game is a satirical black comedy that's as disturbing as it is hilarious.
Sexier than David Beckham and nastier than Joey Barton, life couldn't be much better for professional soccer ace and international megabrand, Beaumont Alexander. Living the life of luxury in his Essex mansion, The Love Palace, with his beautiful pop-star girlfriend and queen of the WAGS, Krystal McQueen, he’s every bit as vain as you might ex...more
Ripping the lid off the world of celebrity culture, The Vanity Game is a satirical black comedy that's as disturbing as it is hilarious.
Sexier than David Beckham and nastier than Joey Barton, life couldn't be much better for professional soccer ace and international megabrand, Beaumont Alexander. Living the life of luxury in his Essex mansion, The Love Palace, with his beautiful pop-star girlfriend and queen of the WAGS, Krystal McQueen, he’s every bit as vain as you might ex...more
Beaumont Alexander, superstar mega-rich footballer, has the life some people will kill for. He seems to have everything – fast cars, a mansion, beautiful pop star girlfriend, Krystal McQueen, the adulation of his football team’s fans and parties with a multitude of famous friends. He can have what he wants, when he wants.
But Beaumont is a man on the edge and, after a sordid encounter with a hostess at a celebrity party, his life spins out of control and he turns to his manager, Serge, to help hi...more
But Beaumont is a man on the edge and, after a sordid encounter with a hostess at a celebrity party, his life spins out of control and he turns to his manager, Serge, to help hi...more
This debut novel is a dark entertaining tale about Beaumont Alexander, a celebrity Premier league footballer. His girlfriend is the beautiful pop star Krystal McQueen and they live in ‘The Love Palace’ in Essex.
It very quickly becomes clear that something very weird is going on in Beaumont’s life and he ends up feeling like the loneliest person in the whole world as he becomes entangled with a major crime ring.
Hampson has spun an enticing tale with a neat twist in its tail.
The combination of fir...more
It very quickly becomes clear that something very weird is going on in Beaumont’s life and he ends up feeling like the loneliest person in the whole world as he becomes entangled with a major crime ring.
Hampson has spun an enticing tale with a neat twist in its tail.
The combination of fir...more
"The Vanity Game is the début novel from screenwriter H. J. Hampson.
It tells the story of Premiership footballer Beaumont Alexander, and his celebrity girlfriend, Krystal McQueen – who have risen above the ranks of his teammates to reach the stratospheres of fame otherwise attained only by the likes of Bennifer, TomKat and of course, Posh and Becks.
I began The Vanity Game expecting a deliciously vitriolic satire on celebrity culture – and in this respect I was soon disappointed." (Excerpt from f...more
It tells the story of Premiership footballer Beaumont Alexander, and his celebrity girlfriend, Krystal McQueen – who have risen above the ranks of his teammates to reach the stratospheres of fame otherwise attained only by the likes of Bennifer, TomKat and of course, Posh and Becks.
I began The Vanity Game expecting a deliciously vitriolic satire on celebrity culture – and in this respect I was soon disappointed." (Excerpt from f...more
What a fascinating read! Crime noir, black comedy, dark satire: I wouldn't know how to label this clever and enthralling novel. Top footballer Beaumont Alexander’s world is a gaudy, glittering mirage seen through a haze of booze, dope and sex. The only other writer I can think of who has created a protagonist that I found so despicable and yet so engaging is Patricia Highsmith, with Tom Ripley and if you don't find yourself rooting, oh-so reluctantly, for Beaumont by the end I suspect you’re foo...more
If fickle celebrity culture turns your stomach, think how it must affect the celebs themselves. ‘The Vanity Game’ lets us into the monstrous one-track mind of Beaumont Alexander, footballer, model, coke-addict and aspiring global brand. Oh yes, and he’s a rapist and murderer too. He may think he’s above the law, but there are sinister forces at work, and they’re out to get him. Think Joseph K in designer jeans and a luxury Land Rover. I laughed, I didn’t cry, I hated Beaumont from page 1, but I...more
I wass lucky enough to win a signed copy of this and while it isn't my usual type of book I gave it a read. It isn't as obviously funny as the blurb would have you think, but the story itself is good and the concept behind it is interesting. Recommended.
After reading the description of The Vanity Game, my curiousity was piqued so I entered the first-reads giveaway and to my delight I was a winner! Looking forward to reading this book.
2 likes · like · see review
I love a good unreliable narrator, especially when he comes with an interesting plot!
Excellent. This is one of those books that you think is going in one direction and then about half way through does a complete U-TURN and surprises the hell out of you. Highly recommended and I can't wait for more from this talented author!
May 14, 2013
Mila
marked it as to-read
Apr 05, 2013
Jason Beech
marked it as to-read
Apr 03, 2013
Octofishreeds
is currently reading it
Mar 08, 2013
Isabel Almeida (Os Livros Nossos)
marked it as to-read
Feb 28, 2013
Samantha Faulkner
marked it as to-read
Feb 24, 2013
Colleen Green
marked it as to-read
Feb 24, 2013
Joanne Parkington
marked it as to-read
Feb 22, 2013
Josh Stallings
marked it as to-read
Feb 20, 2013
Melissa
marked it as to-read
Feb 20, 2013
Melissa
marked it as to-read
Feb 20, 2013
Andee Stephens
marked it as to-read
Feb 20, 2013
Susan
marked it as to-read
Feb 20, 2013
Jenny - totallybookedblog
marked it as to-read
Feb 19, 2013
Diane
marked it as to-read
Feb 18, 2013
Fred Hughes
marked it as to-read
Feb 17, 2013
Mike
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
HJ Hampson is a novelist and screenwriter from Runcorn, a bleak industrial town in northern England.
She is interested in such themes as celebrity, vanity, death and what makes people commit acts of violence. All these themes are explored in her novel, The Vanity Game, published as an e-book by Blasted Heath
She currently lives in London, likes rock music and baking and supports Liverpool FC.
More about H.J. Hampson...
She is interested in such themes as celebrity, vanity, death and what makes people commit acts of violence. All these themes are explored in her novel, The Vanity Game, published as an e-book by Blasted Heath
She currently lives in London, likes rock music and baking and supports Liverpool FC.
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
