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The Ghost of Neil Diamond
by
David Milnes
Dark comedy. A washed up folk legend tries his hand as a Neil Diamond impersonator in the Far East and suffers an annihilation of identity.'The best novel I've read in years. Storytelling, architecture, poetry and painting - a few rare novels excel in all four categories. This is one such book'dissident books, New York'We have a real corker of a tale on our hands. It's a s...more
Paperback, 300 pages
Published
August 30th 2008
by Youwriteon
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Dissident Books
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Why do we review books from other publishers? Because we like to, that's why! There are a lot of good books out there, and we think you should know about them.
The Ghost of Neil Diamond is the best novel I've read in years. I've not experienced fiction like it since "Suite Francaise" by Irene Nemirovsky.
Novelists can succeed at their craft four ways: storytelling, architecture, painting, and poetry. You almost certainly know what I mean by "storytelling....more
The Ghost of Neil Diamond is the best novel I've read in years. I've not experienced fiction like it since "Suite Francaise" by Irene Nemirovsky.
Novelists can succeed at their craft four ways: storytelling, architecture, painting, and poetry. You almost certainly know what I mean by "storytelling....more
This is one of the most extraordinary books I have read. It manages to avoid all the icons of Hong Kong and ram the place in your face, warts and all, and tell you everything about it and make you want to go there straight away! The story is of a diffident Neil Diamond impersonator (Neil Atherton) and his lowly ambitions to get gigs at some expat clubs. His tormenters come in the shape of a Chinese impresario called Elbert Chen and a flashier, recently more successful Neil Diamond impersonator ...more
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Parrish Lantern
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This book is a dark comedy, even in the moments where there are signs that optimism may raise it’s head, a bloody great sword would come swooping down, just to let you know that such idealism was unwarranted here, and yet this book constantly made me smile, the characters here are fantastic, the strangely seedy, dishonest & yet otherworldly nature of Elbert Chan, the snooty humour of the office girls, the sheer desperation sweating from every pore (along with the booze) of Iannis and the self bl...more
This black comedy provides a quirky insight into the struggles of a down and out ex-pat in Hong Kong as he seeks to establish a toehold in the entertainment world. Gritty and real in places, surprisingly touching in others, we are drawn into Neil's disintegrating life and the dilemma's he faces in dealing with the devious and inscrutable Elbert Chan. Rather like some TV programmes, I found myself almost shouting at Neil to tell him what to do! Ultimately a satisfying and unusual read.
It's a long time since I read an Elmore Leonard yarn, but there are many elements in the Ghost of Neil Diamond that resonate for me. The snappy writing, witty similes, plenty of the seedier side of humanity, desperation and despair, failure and more failure. I don't think I would normally have picked up a novel about a Neil Diamond impersonator, but the title intrigued me and the opening cruelly dragged me in -- it starts in a gents' urinal and from that moment Milnes slams "engaged" o...more
John Brookes
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Paul Brazill
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