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An inside view of the greed and social power plays behind the closed doors of upper-crust society, An Absolute Scandal looks at a world wher...
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reviews
Feb 20, 2011
Grace
rated it: 
The first proper eighties style bonkbuster that I've read since I was a teenager I think. It wasn't too badly written and ticked along pretty well - was perfect for my incredibly lazy saturday (only left the flat to get some chips). Hilarious class aspect, especially about the horror of state schools. I imagine Vicenzi's audience reflects the primarily comp-educated population and there is fair bit of knowingness about this.
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Jul 27, 2008
Nette
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Penny Vincenzi is my secret shame; I've read all of her books. The characters are unrealistic, the dialog is silly, and the plots are ludicrous, but I can't stop. I keep waiting for my more intellectual friends to stage an Intervention, a la A&E. "Jeanette, these folks are here because they just love you to death, and they can't stand that you're destroying your mind with this trash. Either you go to rehab today, where you will read nothing but Joyce Carol Oates for 90 days, or they wil
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Sep 18, 2009
Robin
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I love Penny Vicenzi's books. The other two that I have read take place in the early 1900's which I always find interesting and this one takes place in the late 1980's. What I like about Vincenzi is that she does write somewhat chicklit books....but they are much better. They are well written and filled with an interesting cast of characters. This book centers around the true events of Lloyds of London basically collapsing and what it does to the people who had invested in them. Apparently t
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Feb 12, 2009
Anne
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How many times can a writer make people vomit in a book? This must hold the record and that's about the most drama you get here - how imaginative!
Rating this as "1" seems extremely generous but the rating numbers don't go into negatives.
Dreadful book. It bothers me that people pick up this kind of soulless book at the airport before they go for their 2 week holiday and that is all they might read in a year.
I picked this book up at a charity event wanting something t More...
Rating this as "1" seems extremely generous but the rating numbers don't go into negatives.
Dreadful book. It bothers me that people pick up this kind of soulless book at the airport before they go for their 2 week holiday and that is all they might read in a year.
I picked this book up at a charity event wanting something t More...
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May 03, 2010
Phoenix
rated it:
This was a delicious read about Lloyd's of London and the big scandal where they ruined everyone's lives by hoodwinking people who couldn't really afford to invest in Lloyd's to nevertheless invest in it b/c it was so prestigious to be a Lloyd's "Name." Then they used their investment funds to back the absestos litigation funds which they saw coming years before and these people lost everything. And the hits just kept coming.
In the wake of all of the economic scandals of More...
In the wake of all of the economic scandals of More...
Jul 26, 2010
Redfox5
rated it: 
A really good read. I was quiet sad when it ended, even tho I was slightly annoyed they didn't name the baby. I like to think they named it Simon. I cried quiet alot when one of the main characters died. I really felt for the people they left behind. It must be a horrible thing to watch your life slowly fall to pieces, losing homes, partners and jobs. The charcters I didn't really like were Richard, Debbie and Joel. I found their story quiet interesting but didn't warm to them for lots of differ
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Mar 07, 2011
Karen
rated it:
Not one of Penny Vincenzi's best, at least not in my view. I started out really enjoying it but got too bogged down in too many characters and realised that I was far more interested in some of them than others. So I ended up 'skip reading' to see what happened to the most interesting people. I might give it another go sometime but probably not soon.
I wish I could claim to have enjoyed this book more because the research behind it is, as best as I can make out, spot on. I was one of t More...
I wish I could claim to have enjoyed this book more because the research behind it is, as best as I can make out, spot on. I was one of t More...
Oct 11, 2009
Anne
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'An Absolute Scandal' is a classic Penny Vincenzi read, set in the 80s and full of upper-class characters, yet still a great, page turner with great characters and a well-researched plot line.
Centred around a group of Lloyds 'Names' who have been flung together to fight against losing their wealth - each member of this group consider that they have been swindled by Lloyds syndicates and duped into becoming 'Names'. It has become apparant that their investment is not as safe as it wa More...
Centred around a group of Lloyds 'Names' who have been flung together to fight against losing their wealth - each member of this group consider that they have been swindled by Lloyds syndicates and duped into becoming 'Names'. It has become apparant that their investment is not as safe as it wa More...
Nov 11, 2008
Ria
rated it:
The absolute scandal of Penny Vincenzi's novel is the Lloyd's "Names" debacle of the 1980's. The "Names", many of whom were wealthy and privileged and many who were not but felt flattered to be invited to join the former group, were induced to make "risk-free" investments in what turned out to be high-risk, unlimited liability insurance underwritings which resulted in thousands of individuals having to declare bankruptcy. Does anything sound familiar? I read this
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Jul 21, 2009
Alison
rated it:
I found this at a bookstore in Toronto during our (DH and my) vacation there in May. It's size is what initially made me pick it up-I'm a sucker for good thickies-and the synopsis on the back of the book intrigued me.
In the beginning (maybe the first 100 pages) I had trouble keeping the characters straight-who was married to this one, who knew that one and so on but as I got deeper into it that part got much easier.
I ended up really enjoying the book-the connection of the More...
In the beginning (maybe the first 100 pages) I had trouble keeping the characters straight-who was married to this one, who knew that one and so on but as I got deeper into it that part got much easier.
I ended up really enjoying the book-the connection of the More...
Jan 29, 2012
Kim
rated it:
Victims of 1990s Lloyds of London insurance scam lose hundreds of thousands, suffer financial/emotional losses, rebound at end.
I really liked this book. I didn't think I'd get sucked into it at first, thinking that the subject matter was just a little too similar to US banking scandals in the recent decade. However, it was a good moral along the lines of "if it sounds too good to be true" cliches.
I really liked this book. I didn't think I'd get sucked into it at first, thinking that the subject matter was just a little too similar to US banking scandals in the recent decade. However, it was a good moral along the lines of "if it sounds too good to be true" cliches.
Apr 20, 2010
Sally
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I needed a bit of chick lit reading, so I picked up this by Penny Vincenzi. It disappeared for a while until I discovered that a grandchild had been playing and hidden the book in a large urn that had a lid on it. The book is good. I am enjoying it.
After finishing the book, I have to say that I enjoyed it as much as I do any of Penny Vincenzi's books. Reading her books are a bit like reading Maeve Binchy. I always enjoy a good British romance novel.
After finishing the book, I have to say that I enjoyed it as much as I do any of Penny Vincenzi's books. Reading her books are a bit like reading Maeve Binchy. I always enjoy a good British romance novel.
Jun 21, 2010
Ashley
rated it:
Not a bad read; would have been perfect for the beach.
This was a pretty long book (500+ pages), complete with a character list before the first chapter. Typically, these make me roll my eyes: the author is essentially telling me that there are tons of characters, lots going on, and that she herself probably needed a cheat sheet of sorts to keep them all straight. And indeed, I did reference it a lot; it was much-needed.
Vincenzi did a nice job of developing the character More...
This was a pretty long book (500+ pages), complete with a character list before the first chapter. Typically, these make me roll my eyes: the author is essentially telling me that there are tons of characters, lots going on, and that she herself probably needed a cheat sheet of sorts to keep them all straight. And indeed, I did reference it a lot; it was much-needed.
Vincenzi did a nice job of developing the character More...
Mar 16, 2010
Yulande
rated it:
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I picked it up because it seemed like a nice trashy read, but it was more than that. Despite a few irritations because of the writing style but I enjoyed it thoroughly. I was a little work keeping up with the myriad of characters but once I had a handle on it, it was a lot of fun.
Dec 14, 2008
Rachel
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A very looooooong book that was recommended by my MIL. The plot focuses on the interweaving stories of several Londoners effected by financial woes of Lloyds of London. I enjoyed the book because I think Vincenzi did a good job of capturing the nature of love in all its forms. Just don't expect to finish it in a weekend. . .
Aug 16, 2009
Abigail
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This is a great introduction to Penny Vincenzi's writting style. The characters are developed early in the book and continue to grow throughout. Vincenzi is able to keep the reader engaged as the story lines all separately breakdown and then they build themselves up again through interaction. For the book's length it is a quick and compelling read.
Jan 06, 2009
Catherine
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I've never read this author before so I was pleasantly surprised. There are a lot of plots and characters centering around the financial world. While not literature it was the perfect long read for a week when we were trapped in our apt by snow and ice. I found it entertaining and interesting.
Apr 26, 2011
Nadine
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PV has become one of my guilty pleasures, I must admit! This was a good read but at the end the whole story line became a bit thin, and I also didn't like how the main theme, the reason why these group of people had become friends, was kind of forgotten and it was no longer a big deal... I definitely preferred the Lytton trilogy! But will read more by her:)
Feb 03, 2011
Melissa
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I'm a big fan of Vincenzi and this one wasn't bad! I was skeptical about reading a novel/drama about the financial markets but the characters were likeable and even though it was 400+ pages, I breezed through it. Would definitely recommend it, as well as her others.
Feb 19, 2011
Eliza
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I picked this up off a friends bookshelf when I didnt know what to read and My gosh I was hooked. Penny's writing style was so easy to read and relate to I really enjoyed this novel! Very interesting plot and chaacters too, Worth the time I think.
Apr 26, 2011
Manu
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omg. it was and absolute scandal trying to read this alright! lol! i mean there were so many things going on i was just like "wait..... huh slow down" but i the end i was in tears! but i loved how Blue and Lucinda ended up together.
Mar 27, 2009
Diane C.
rated it:
Great fun, concerning a group of wealthy and not so Londoners whose investments in Lloyds of London takes a decidedly unpleasant turn.
Characters, plots, prose all great here. A fun read.
Characters, plots, prose all great here. A fun read.
Mar 31, 2011
Mom
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Set in the last days of England's Thatcher era, story of the fall of several rich families who invested in Lloyds parallels recent economic conditions in US. Very readable, soap opera style pacing.
May 29, 2011
Flavia
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Interesting could be the word. Definitely compelling, otherwise I wouldn't have read such a big book in such short time, though the subject is not compelling for me (finance and so forth).
May 02, 2011
Paige
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I really enjoy Penny Vincenzi's books. But as always, she has so many characters. I always have to go back to the front of the book where thankfully she has listed all of them out...But other than that, a great book!
Aug 09, 2009
Caroline
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Set in England during the late 1980s, this sprawling novel follows the lives of various characters coping with financial ruin after their investments with Lloyd's of London turn sour. The writing is very, very English, with lots of empahsis on relationships and domestic descriptions.
Oct 10, 2008
Janine
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Perfect for a couple of days' beach-side escapism...I found it hard to find any sympathy for the characters initially, particularly as they had for the most part enjoyed many years of prosperity thanks to the annual 'Lloyds cheque'. However I soon found myself caught up by each character's personal story and hoping they came away (reasonably) unscathed. Loved the descriptions of '80s power-dressing, although several references to "that new hamburger place" (McDonalds) was a pretty u
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Aug 02, 2011
I tried to read this, but just couldn't. I gave up after about 100 pages. There's just too many good books waiting for me. Sorry, Book Club!
May 23, 2011
A.J.
rated it:
Another great story from a great story-teller. As usual, a BIG read. I don't know how she does it. She must be exhausted by the time she's finished writing.
