T.C. Boyles riotous first novel now in a new edition for its 25th anniversary
Twenty five years ago, T.C. Boyle published his fir... read full description
Twenty five years ago, T.C. Boyle published his fir... read full description
reviews
Feb 05, 2012
Frank
rated it: 
Another one from Boyle that was immensely enjoyable - funny, witty, bawdy, and sometimes shocking. Great writer! This book was Boyle's first novel. It's basically the story of Mungo Park, the Scottish explorer who was the first European to see the Niger River in Africa. During the first 3/4 of the novel, the story switches from Mungo's adventures to the story of Ned Rise a thief, scoundrel, and all-round con man in the filthy streets of late 18th century London. Although I did really enjoy Mungo
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Aug 23, 2011
Kunal
rated it: 
I really enjoyed this book. A roller-coaster of hilarity, pathos, and despondency (a combination as odd as it is wonderful). The first book I thought of when reading this was "Heart of Darkness" which, I believe, makes sense what with the exploration of the "dark continent" and the Congo. That, however, is the only real connection. Boyle throws his characters into the worst of situations and then, after a glimmer of hope, makes it even more terrible. You end up aching for any
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Aug 07, 2011
Ron
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Boyle's first novel is a staggeringly ambitious effort that spans the African continent and the seedy underside of late 18th century London, with brief detours to bucolic Ireland. Water is a metaphor for bodily functions and booze, as the perils of this time period are brought wondrously and poetically to life, Boyle only later mixing it with the substance of life to make a feculent statement about death and disease. The themes are wide ranging and at times a bit diffuse, and Boyle would later u
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Aug 05, 2011
Ian
rated it: 
TC Boyle shows his versatality in this satire of a historical novel, in which fate ultimately brings the 2 protagonists - explorer Mungo Park, and street urchin Ned Rise, together in a momentous expedition into the dark heart of Africa. An enjoyable romp from the squalor of London's streets pre-sewerage days, to the hot, humid, pestilential tropics - both places portrayed as harsh and unforgiving in their own ways. Nasty, brutish and short lives seem to be the order of the day at the turn of the
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Feb 15, 2011
Joseph
rated it:
A literary but compelling book from T.C. Boyle. It's his first novel, but worth reading. I'm enjoying it a lot, but then again, Boyle is one of my favorites. I've enjoyed his use of humor and historical settings in the past.
Now that I'm done with the book, I'd have to say that it was a tragic comedy. It reminded me of Steinbeck in terms of the tragic nature of the characters and what happens to them. It was a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys literary books. I had More...
Now that I'm done with the book, I'd have to say that it was a tragic comedy. It reminded me of Steinbeck in terms of the tragic nature of the characters and what happens to them. It was a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys literary books. I had More...
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Jul 06, 2010
R. Michael
rated it: 
TC Boyle is a good writer, he has a stack of accolades to prove it and I loved _A Friend of the Earth_ but this one was a bit of a chore to finish. It had some great moments but the whole was just too long and felt generally pointless. I love historical fiction (Flashman rules) but his snarky cute modernisms (he describes the Mandingo word for white man as "honkee")really detracted from the georgian setting. It was much more a collection of vingettes in search of a novel that never qui
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Jun 08, 2009
Nicole
rated it:
This book was definitely entertaining during its first half. During the first Niger exploration, i found myself enthralled in the characters and whatever happened to them. However, the second trip to the Niger, i just couldn't care less. Although i have to give credit to TC Boyle for being an extremely talented writer with amazing details and humor (even if Water Music is the only book of his that i read), i found this story just too long for what it was worth in the end. I'm just glad it's
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Sep 02, 2007
Aaron
rated it:
By the time this novel was released, T. C. Boyle had already proven himself to be a master of the short story. Obviously, his first novel was highly-anticipated, and if it had been a clunker, it might have destoryed an otherwise promising career. Fortunately for him (and for anyone lucky enough to read this novel), Boyle hits a grand slam out of the park on his first step up to the plate.
Boyle's first novel, set in the late eighteenth century, chronicles the partnership of British th More...
Boyle's first novel, set in the late eighteenth century, chronicles the partnership of British th More...
Feb 22, 2011
Simplicimus
rated it:
After half a page I found myself in the midst of the story, and after that I followed the protagonists through the wilderness of western Africa and the jungle of 18th century London in a swirl of adventures and often surprising twists. There are quite a few bits of knowledge interspersed, but it never felt like sitting in a classroom, rather like being guided round a room of curiosities. I was impressed of how the author managed to pick up and release the three threads very skilfully or to add a
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Nov 24, 2008
Michael
rated it:
TC Boyle knocks it out of the park again. I am baffled as to where he comes up with this stuff. So funny, strange, and somehow serious too. The story of England in the late 1700's (what a dump it must have been), centered around the absurd effort one man makes to explore Africa. Long but worth it.
Oct 29, 2007
Ben
rated it:
Another from one of my favorite authors. While this novel is less cohesive than some of his other works--the stories are a little disjointed, especially that of Ned Rise--I found the ending a bit more satisfying. There isn't any of his usual ambiguity without resolution--well, there's less of it anyways. This novel is especially humorous in its telling, even though the subject matter is one of his darker tales. The parallel stories follows a London thief and con man who's trying to make a de
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Jan 08, 2010
William
rated it:
Like Indiana Jones on speed! I rattles from one crisis to the next before settling into a more reflective tone and eventually winding down to an excellent but heartbreaking conclusion. Often Dickensian in tone, often very funny, alway a great read.
Aug 03, 2011
Donna
rated it:
Seriously, one of my favorite books ever. I have probably bought 20 copies of this to give away and read it at least 5 times. Hilarious, sad, bawdy...historical fiction taking great license. Ned Rise is a great character. Bring your dictionary.
Aug 29, 2009
Christopher Rex
rated it:
This book should've been 200 pages shorter. Way too long and not engaging enough. The characters and story-lines are funny and Boyle is an excellent writer, but he wasn't able to keep the attention over such a long period w/ this theme.
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Dec 16, 2009
Rachael
rated it:
This is a beautifully written book, but not in a way that is distracting from the interesting and imaginative plot. It's the kind of writing that you barely even notice (a good thing, to my mind). The characters, though not exactly real, were full - reading it is right in between a myth and a Virginia Woolf novel, which is basically perfect. It's funny where it means to be with suspense in all the right places. In fact, the only reason I can't give it five stars is pretty stupid: there's an almo
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Oct 13, 2009
Nancy
rated it:
How to describe this? Laugh-out-loud funny at times, full of fascinating history, memorable characters, and a really warped sense of adventure. Two men go exploring in the heart of 18th century Africa with some dire results!
Mar 19, 2009
Amy
rated it:
I read this a long time ago. It's better when you're younger. I'm not saying it's a kid book, but it didn't stand the test time from adolescent to adulthood.
It's not an adolescent book, BTW.
It's not an adolescent book, BTW.
Aug 05, 2011
The source of the Niger, a recipe for stuffed camel (feeds 400, serve with rice), and a bit of Dickens era England that makes Oliver Twist look like a spoiled little brat.
Feb 17, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
This is a fun adventure, the first of Boyle's sprawling epics. The reader journeys from west Africa to the British Isles and back again, following a cast of memorable characters and their outlandish experiences. It's a wild read, and often very funny. And no one does a better turn of phrase than Boyle.
Nov 25, 2009
Sweetman
rated it:
One of my favorite T.C. Boyle books. Entertaining, imaginative, gripping at times. It didn't get 5 stars because it was a shade too long and dragged a bit in parts.
Jun 11, 2011
Belcampo
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I have read this book so many times it is literally falling apart. Every couple of years it dig it out and send a couple of days reading it. Wonderful
Mar 18, 2011
Malonie
rated it:
Fascinating, entertaining, and endlessly enthralling. This story is an epic and should not be missed by anyone interested in armchair trekking.
Jun 05, 2009
Shincrackerfarm
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A third of the way through. I'm enjoying the read, but I'm still waiting for the "hilarious" part.
Finished at last!
If the Washington Post book reviewer had actually read this book, which I seriously doubt, he would have written a completely different comment. Rather than "hilarious", I would say Ned Rise's and Mungo Park's "adventures" crossing Africa were "disturbing".
The plot is clever, the presentation spellbinding, the meaning, if an More...
Finished at last!
If the Washington Post book reviewer had actually read this book, which I seriously doubt, he would have written a completely different comment. Rather than "hilarious", I would say Ned Rise's and Mungo Park's "adventures" crossing Africa were "disturbing".
The plot is clever, the presentation spellbinding, the meaning, if an More...
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Mar 01, 2010
Yvette
rated it:
Another great book by Boyle. It reminded me of every book you ever read--seriously--it had an element of all. A little Dickens, Conrad, Twain; an Odyssey! Some Shakespeare. I am completely amazed at the talents of this guy. And this was his first book. Still can't believe his command of the language and syntax. Yikes!
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Mar 22, 2008
Clare
rated it:
This was my second time reading Water Music. I read it 20 or so years ago. I found that it was haunting me - I wanted to read it again. I probably should have let it haunt.
Boyle's use of the language is phenomenal. No one can turn a phrase like him. I never know which words are merely invented, and which I should go look up. But you are never lost for the meaning!
The book is a better read the first time because - well - the ending hasn't changed! Definitely read it More...
Boyle's use of the language is phenomenal. No one can turn a phrase like him. I never know which words are merely invented, and which I should go look up. But you are never lost for the meaning!
The book is a better read the first time because - well - the ending hasn't changed! Definitely read it More...
Jun 25, 2011
Kim
rated it:
interesting as all Boyles' noveles tend to be. There's something about them though that keeps me reading. This one's about exploring Africa and being the first white man to 'discover' the Niger river. If you like T.C. Boyle, go for it.
Feb 22, 2009
Blane
rated it:
One of my favorites. Ned Rise must be included with the top "rascals" of all time. Read It!
Sep 21, 2009
Patrick
rated it:
A wild and woolly tale of exploration and abandonment. As always Boyle is funny and provocative.
Aug 30, 2009
Leslie
rated it:
Very original, perhaps downright weird, spouf/satire of English colonial exploration of the Congo.
Apr 10, 2009
Louise
rated it:
"Follow the wild adventures of Ned Rise, thief and whoremaster, and Mungo Park, explorer, through London's seamy gutters and Scotland's scenic highlands-to their grand meeting in the heart of darkest Africa. There they join forces and wend their hilarious way to the source of the Niger."
