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John Purcell

Goodreads Author

Born

Sydney, Australia

Website

http://www.johnpurcellauthor.com/

Genre

Contemporary, Historical Fiction

Member Since

June 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/johnpurcellauthor

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While still in his twenties, John Purcell opened a second-hand bookshop in Sydney, in which he sat for ten years reading, ranting and writing. Since then he has written, under a pseudonym, a series of very successful novels, interviewed hundreds of writers about their work, appeared at writers’ festivals, on TV and radio, and has been featured in prominent newspapers and magazines. Until recently, was the Director of Books at booktopia.com.au, Australia’s largest online bookseller, where he supported Australian writing in all its forms. Now a full-time writer, he lives in the UK with his wife, three dogs, three cats and his overlarge book collection. His novels The Girl on the Page and The Lessons are published by Fourth Estate.

3 posts
John Purcell's Blog

On writing women

I find it funny when someone asks me how I write female characters. As though women were some foreign entity only ever glimpsed by the fortunate. Rare and unknowable. But they aren’t rare, are they? Women are everywhere. My mother is a woman. So are my sisters. Come to think of it, so is my wife. And my step-daughter. My publisher is a woman, too.

The question isn’t as simple as it seems either. Ho Read more of this blog post »

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Published on May 09, 2022 01:46

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John Purcell’s books

Average rating: 3.66 · 1,636 ratings · 280 reviews · 13 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Girl On The Page 3.62 avg rating — 1,379 ratings — published 2018 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Lessons 3.88 avg rating — 257 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uncovering Promising Practices in School/University Partnerships: A Look at High-Performing Charter Schools 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Now's the Time: 52 Essays on the Occasion of Charlie Parker's Centennial Year 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A treatise of the cholick; containing analytical proofs of its many causes, ... The second edition. By John Purcell, M.D. 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Treatise Of The Cholick: Containing Analytical Proofs Of Its Many Causes, And Mechanical Explanations Of Its Several Symptoms And Accidents 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Linux OS: The Professional Edition 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A treatise of the cholick; containing analytical proofs of its many causes, ... together with its cure at large. By John Purcell, M.D. 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Treatise of Vapours, or Hysterick Fits. Containing an Analytical Proof of Its Causes, Mecanical Explanations of All Its Symptoms and Accidents, According to the Newest and Most Rational Principles. Together with Its Cure at Large 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hotham Valley Tourist Railway Souvenir Book 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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John Purcell is currently reading

The Holocaust: The Jewish Tragedy

by Martin Gilbert

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Mar 19, 2023 06:55AM

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For Two Thousand Years

by Mihail Sebastian

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Feb 18, 2023 06:26AM

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The Life and Times of Allen Lane (Penguin Special)

by Jeremy Lewis

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Jan 15, 2023 09:35AM

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John Purcell started reading The Holocaust: The Jewish Tragedy by Martin Gilbert	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 19, 2023 06:55AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Holocaust by Martin Gilbert. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Holocaust by Martin Gilbert <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Purcell rated a book it was amazing Night by Elie Wiesel	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 18, 2023 06:27AM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Night by Elie Wiesel. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Night by Elie Wiesel <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Purcell is currently reading For Two Thousand Years by Mihail Sebastian	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 18, 2023 06:26AM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of For Two Thousand Years by Mihail Sebastian. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — For Two Thousand Years by Mihail Sebastian <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Purcell marked as i-ll-try-again-later Man of Straw by Heinrich Mann	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 17, 2023 06:07AM · 2 likes · like
John Purcell wants to read I’ll Leave You With This by Kylie Ladd (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 16, 2023 07:01AM · 1 like · like
John Purcell is currently reading The Life and Times of Allen Lane (Penguin Special) by Jeremy Lewis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Purcell wants to read The Bookseller's Tale by Martin Latham	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 08, 2023 02:25PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Bookseller's Tale by Martin Latham. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Bookseller's Tale by Martin Latham <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Purcell wants to read Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Purcell rated a book really liked it A Wreath of Roses by Elizabeth Taylor	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 08, 2023 02:22PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Wreath of Roses by Elizabeth Taylor. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Wreath of Roses by Elizabeth Taylor <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Purcell rated a book liked it Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Quotes by John Purcell (?)

“He must fly regularly. I don’t. Not any more. So I have been watching everything with interest. I love to watch people and eavesdrop. I can’t help myself. This scene, with passengers taking their seats and struggling with hand luggage, everyone at cross purposes, is repeated all day on dozens of flights at hundreds of airports and must seem commonplace to those working, but this moment won’t happen again. Not just to me, but to all of us. Life is like that.”
― John Purcell, The Lessons

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“Sometimes people are bound to one another. Stars align. True love and all that. But sometimes people just become horribly
entangled. They’re not meant to be, but they become tied. They hurt each other every time they move. There’s nothing anyone can do about it.”
― John Purcell, The Lessons

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“Of course I adopted a positive outlook. When in Rome. Besides, pessimism made one a pariah. Sarcasm was outlawed, irony unknown. If one couldn’t afford two cars, a pool, three bathrooms, and a television in every room, at least one could have an indefatigably positive outlook. It was a free country, after all. But somehow my optimism always struck the
wrong note.”
― John Purcell, The Lessons

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: These books are not mine please remove them	2	15	May 11, 2018 04:33PM
Aussie Readers: Share Your Reviews (and Thoughts) Here - 2019	3102	318	Dec 31, 2019 06:58PM
Aussie Lovers of...: Currently reading/Just finished! CLOSED	7148	730	Dec 31, 2019 07:03PM
Aussie Readers: Recently Purchased/Acquired book/s - part 2	6886	875	Dec 30, 2021 10:11PM
Aussie Readers: Share Your Reviews (and Thoughts) Here - 2021	3359	345	Dec 31, 2021 03:47AM
All About Books: What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations, reviews Part 2	10004	1035	Feb 23, 2023 07:22PM
The Reading For P...: What Do you Think? Book Reviews Centre	4260	368	Mar 08, 2023 04:45AM
Aussie Readers: Annual Aussie Author Challenge 2023 - Opposites Attract	141	231	20 hours, 35 min ago

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