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A darkly comic novel about a woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown, set against the backdrop of a London awash with faithless lovers, cutthro...
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Dec 21, 2007
Alicia
rated it: 
The jacket describes this novel as "piercingly wise and bitingly funny" with a main character who is "a triumphant modern heroine." I can;t think of worse ways to describe this book, which was profoundly depressing. The main character, a successful journalist, suffers a sort of mid-life crisis after the death of her mother and abruptly quits her job. Then her boyfriend of ten years dumps her for another woman, and all her friends are jackasses, and she's just in a terrible me
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Dec 02, 2009
Mary
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I had high hopes for this book. It has a compelling premise: a thirty-something woman, whose mother has died, walks out of her own life—quits her job, breaks up with her boyfriend, and starts couch surfing. It seems as though an interesting philosophical journey will unfold. But her Bartelby-like approach quickly becomes infuriating and annoying. Perhaps this is because Rosa’s inner dialogues are too repetitive, focused as they are on being broke. She isn’t likable, with her “oh-poor-me, why doe
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Aug 04, 2011
Jayne
rated it: 
This was a profound and quite moving novel which, against all expectations, sustained its intensity right through to the end, never letting up at all. It is surely the work of an awesome intellect. The story follows Rosa, a journalist who suffers a sort of early mid-life crisis following the death of her mother, quits her job and slides into poverty and mental instability. Suddenly she is aware of the futility of her own existence, and the fundamental questions of philosophy are suddenly all too
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Aug 15, 2011
Cecilia
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 07, 2008
Carrie
rated it:
Inglorious is British author Joanna Kavenna’s first novel, and I can’t say it makes me want to pick up any of her future work.
Inglorious is the story of Rosa Lane, a writer who works as a critic for a London newspaper. She is floundering after the death of her mother. Her grief has overwhelmed her, and made her already floundering relationship with Liam come to a dead standstill. When she decides to resign from her job, Liam is pushed to admit that they have no future together. He du More...
Inglorious is the story of Rosa Lane, a writer who works as a critic for a London newspaper. She is floundering after the death of her mother. Her grief has overwhelmed her, and made her already floundering relationship with Liam come to a dead standstill. When she decides to resign from her job, Liam is pushed to admit that they have no future together. He du More...
Jul 28, 2008
Rebecca
rated it:
I loved the first couple of pages of this when she quit her job abruptly. After that I struggled - but I'm not sure whether that says more about my state of mind or the state of mind of the heroine. It's quite hard when teetering on the brink of being depressed yourself to read about someone having a nervous breakdown; it was all so internal and introspective. And those readers in a bright bouncy positive state of mind probably wouldn't feel inclined to read it in the first place. However, it co
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May 09, 2008
Alistair
rated it:
i bought this book on spec largeley because it had a dog on the cover and one of the reviewers said the tone was somewhere between Bridget Jones and Philip Larkin . i soon forgot about the dog because this is a brilliant account of someone having a nervous breakdown and driven almost mad and paranoid because she gave up her job , lost her mother and her boyfriend in short succession
the Bridget Jones connection comes only because , Rosa whose nervous breakdown is described , is a th More...
the Bridget Jones connection comes only because , Rosa whose nervous breakdown is described , is a th More...
Sep 01, 2008
Anna
rated it:
Repetitious and navel gazing, but some of it is really well written. The interior life of the main character is incredibly depressing because it's so boring. Boring and familiar. This book conforms to many of the genre expectations of "chick lit," but it subverts these expectations by being horribly realistic about one particular woman's interior life. Whereas most chick lit provides us with an "everywoman" character whose "quirky eccentricities" include shoppin
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Aug 15, 2009
Annelise
rated it:
Genre search FAIL. It was classified as "Humorous fiction" and, while the heroine wrote some very funny to-do lists and job application letters, mostly it's a pretty depressing tale of a woman sinking into depression after her mother dies, quitting her job, getting dumped by her boyfriend of many years (who then becomes engaged to one of her best friends), and running out of money while overstaying her welcome in her friend's spare room. Nothing ever really happens. It was a great slee
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Feb 22, 2011
Mike
rated it:
I picked this up because it was described as a dark comedy with biting humor. Once and a while, one of her letters was amusing, but the whole book was like watching a comedian die onstage. I think it wanted to be funny, but it just couldn't get there.
The book was also plain dull. My eyes kept glazing over as I read about Rosa's philosophical views on life.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. In fact, several times I nearly quit on it but I kept thinking it would get bet More...
The book was also plain dull. My eyes kept glazing over as I read about Rosa's philosophical views on life.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. In fact, several times I nearly quit on it but I kept thinking it would get bet More...
Aug 23, 2007
Gretchen
rated it: 
Inglorious is the story of a 30-something woman who loses her mother, her boyfriend, her job, and just maybe, her sanity. After the death of her mother, Rosa Lane finds herself adrift, searching for the meaning of life. Rosa finds comfort in reciting endless lists of objectives to herself, ranging from "Hoover living room" to "Read Shakespeare, Proust, Dante, Spencer, Milton, Donne, and the others." Her attempts to get something done and to get out of her depression are a
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Jul 07, 2009
Juliann
rated it: 
This one dragged at time but mostly because of the style - very British. The story of a woman who just walks out one day, seeming to know that there needs to be a change in her life but not sure how to get there. There was something so true about the way the people in her life wanted her to "just get on with it" - I think it is how we all function, as if we are all just there on the edge of wanting to walk out on our lives.
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Jul 30, 2008
Julie
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I really enjoyed this book, and found it also compulsively readable. However, at times I was very frustrated with the protagonist, Rosa. Of course, as many characters do, she makes stupid choices, but this isn't what I'm complaining about. At times Rosa felt like she was having a psychotic break. Perhaps that was the intention? I doubt it. Lots of wandering around, oblivious to the world and kind of freaking out...I guess that in London she was able to do so without attracting stares, but i
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Feb 10, 2011
Marlene
rated it:
I had a hard time getting into this book. I forced myself hoping it would get better. I felt sorry for Rosa and all her awful friends and ex-boyfriend. A very dissappointing ending.There was no resolution.
Dec 07, 2011
Susan
rated it:
An unpleasant woman who is having a nervous breakdown has unpleasant experiences with her unpleasant friends and family. Beautifully written but, like the protagonist, doesn't go anywhere.
Oct 20, 2010
Maria
rated it:
Very depressing and boring read.
Nothing really happens. It's the thoughts that go through the main character's mind while having a breakdown.
Skimmed through many parts because it just was redundant.
No real ending.
Nothing really happens. It's the thoughts that go through the main character's mind while having a breakdown.
Skimmed through many parts because it just was redundant.
No real ending.
Aug 16, 2010
Laura
rated it:
Beautiful cover, but the story itself is unfortunately plodding. I just didn't care about the main character. I couldn't find any reason to keep reading about her.
Jun 19, 2011
Martha
rated it:
This was a rather frustrating book. It was well-written and often quite interesting. But, it was completely plotless. I normally don't mind that, but it got to be maddening with this one. It was essentially the internal monologue of Rosa, who left her job and broke up with her boyfriend in the first few pages of the book. The internal monologue doesn't get her anywhere after that. She can't pull it together and her friends are all jerks. It seemed like a realistic picture of someone spinning the
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Mar 29, 2010
seanat (elka)
rated it:
After her mother dies Rose walks out of her job, is dumped by her boyfriend and makes herself homeless. As she free-falls into a nervous breakdown Rose is told by all and sundry to just get on with it and pull herself together but is at first unwilling and later incapable of doing so.
Both dark and comic, I thought this a fascinating read although a bit long-winded. Written as Rose thinks ; she isn't always likeable, you certainly want to give her a good shake sometimes but ultimately I did More...
Both dark and comic, I thought this a fascinating read although a bit long-winded. Written as Rose thinks ; she isn't always likeable, you certainly want to give her a good shake sometimes but ultimately I did More...
Jul 17, 2010
Theresa
rated it:
The portrayal of the interior life of a young, grieving woman is masterful. But it is also a painful read.
Oct 27, 2007
Wooky
rated it:
Forget the chick-lit-like cover photograph. This is a very quirky and funny, yet dark and serious portrait of depression. It sagged a bit past the middle mark, when there wasn't much to propel the plot forward, but I closed the book really admiring how the author was able to mix some really dark elements with lots of humor. Also strong were her insights into the psychology of her characters (especially in the last scene between the protagonist and her ex-boyfriend).
Jan 21, 2008
Marty
rated it:
I'm not sure how I felt about this book. I really didn't enjoy reading it; I found myself pretty frustrated with the main character for most of the book. But then I think that's kind of the point - having been through the depression thing both with friends and myself, that's sort of how it is: frustrating. So I don't know. It wouldn't be top on my list of books to recommend, but I didn't hate it either.
Jul 27, 2009
Stephanie
rated it:
ugh... don't bother. one of those books where you keep waiting for something to Happen and the reason you don't just throw it away is cuz you want to know what happens in the end. which was nothing. bit fat zilch. though. i did somewhat like her writing style and there was potential there but it was somehow lost along the way.
Dec 17, 2009
Marjanne
rated it:
I did not dislike this book, though I found the plot to be confusing. I mostly liked the main character. She has some questionable friends. The writing was good, though the author did get carried away with overly describing things. Anyhow, an interesting read, though I doubt I would ever pick it up again.
Sep 02, 2008
Jennifer
rated it:
Kavenna obviously is a talented writer -- there are numerous passages worth lingering over. However, as others have noted, her main character becomes immensely frustrating and ultimately insufferable in her self-absorption. You come to loathe her as much as she loathes herself.
Nov 20, 2009
Duckie
rated it:
2008 Orange Award for New Writers
I started out thinking that the main character in this novel was ME, then quickly realized that, no, in fact, it was my ex. And that took me out of it enough that I just couldn't wholeheartedly enjoy it. Shame, because it is engaging...
I started out thinking that the main character in this novel was ME, then quickly realized that, no, in fact, it was my ex. And that took me out of it enough that I just couldn't wholeheartedly enjoy it. Shame, because it is engaging...
Dec 30, 2007
Julie
rated it:
It violates the "show, don't tell rule" a bit too much to be a 3 star. That said, parts of it sing and so well-capture the state of mind of someone who's at sea in the world that it [almost] makes up for it. Disregard the ridiculous chick lit cover art - it's much darker than that.
Dec 28, 2007
Jami
rated it:
This is a lovely book...well written and thoughtful. It offers little glimmers of insight and is funny and human. It is a good book to read when you are feeling a little sad and down..it embellishes those feelings.
