A new collection of stories by the internationally acclaimed author of Any Human Heart (“the finest storyteller of his generation̶...
read full description
reviews
Feb 05, 2009
All but the most diehard fans of postmodernism will likely find Boyd's formal idiosyncrasies jarring. His abrupt changes in style and experimental narrative techniques prompted some critics to hail him as a virtuoso. Others felt that Fascination lacked the conventional pleasures of plot and character-more than one reader found these tales of anguished artists tiresome. This collection is more likely to satisfy on an intellectual level than an emotional one; readers bothered by gimmicks would do
More...
Nov 01, 2011
Ian
rated it: 
About half way into the first story I realised I'd read this before; I thought finding a book in the library by an author I like that I hadn't already read was too good to be true.
Interestingly, some of the stories felt a lot longer second time around, while others seemed far shorter and some I didn't remember at all. All are worth reading for fans of Mr Boyd and all contain his trademarks of well-drawn, complex characters, frequently on the horns of challenging moral or other dilemma
Interestingly, some of the stories felt a lot longer second time around, while others seemed far shorter and some I didn't remember at all. All are worth reading for fans of Mr Boyd and all contain his trademarks of well-drawn, complex characters, frequently on the horns of challenging moral or other dilemma
Apr 16, 2007
abby
rated it: 
There were a few too many stories that I'd probably appreciate a lot more if I was a man going through a midlife crisis. I am quite biased, but I find these types of characters a) boring and b) creepy. There were a few moments that made me wonder whether it was the narrator or the author himself who completely lacked self awareness (for example, a married middle aged journalist blithely propositions his 19 year old interview subject, with little acknowledgment of her extreme discomfort), and a b
More...
Sep 19, 2008
Philip
rated it:
Fascination by William Boyd is a set of sixteen short stories. This may not sound either surprising or original until one considers their form. The author uses at least nine different and clearly identifiable forms in which to present this work. One takes the form of a video. There are childhood memories, a diary, a journal, an A-to-Z listing. One story is a set of dialogues over lunch. Another is a set of monologues. And William Boyd’s use of these different forms is not just a writer’s trick t
More...
Jan 21, 2011
Gary
rated it:
Halfway through this and have been blown away by two or three stories and the others very decent. Boyd knows how to capture the best part of a story and present it in this short format. It often feels like you've actually read a novel and not a short story.
Apr 04, 2010
Brendan
rated it:
A short story collection- twelve in all. A good variety of settings and characters. Well-paced pieces, creatively presented. "Notebook No. 9" and "A Haunting" seem the best to me.
Apr 11, 2011
Robert
rated it: 
Sensational. The only problem with these short stories is that I didn't want them to end.
Jun 27, 2010
Sara
rated it:
Boyd writes with an attention to the interior that can be consuming. the simple short one in this collection titled "the view from yves hill" is a good one.
Jun 28, 2008
Dean
rated it:
So far, I am definitely appreciating Boyd's succinct prose and cinematic style of writing. It also comes across as very confessional, but in a subtle way. So far so good for a diverse short story collection.
Jan 29, 2012
Irongoonie
rated it: 
"Comment savoir si votre vie est intrinsèquement dépourvue d'interêt ? Vous le savez, point final. Certaines personnes s'en accomodent dans la tristesse et le silence, d'autres tentent d'y remédier."
Jan 29, 2012
Véronique
rated it:
La première histoire, celle du titre, est belle. Un homme qui dévie sa route et rencontre ue femme qui deviendra sa maitresse. Les autres m'ont emmerdées.
Feb 14, 2009
Nick
rated it:
The story "Adult Video" is exceptional. "The Mind-Body Problem" is also quite good.
Jan 22, 2012
Jan 30, 2012
Jan 14, 2012
Jan 10, 2012
Jan 08, 2012
Jan 08, 2012
Dec 29, 2011
Dec 19, 2011
