What do you think?
What You Want
BRAND NEW-FIRST EDITION=FIRST PRINTING-FULL NUMBER LINE-SHIPS SAME OR NEXT BUSINESS DAY-TRACKING ON ALL ORDERS
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2014
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 9, 2015
It is probably advisable to flick through this 'novel' before reading and decide whether the format is for you, because it is not strictly a novel in the usual sense. It is written entirely in verse. Clever as this epic feat of writing is, it is not for everyone. Epic is the right word as the book delves into the history of mankind and places the life of a common-or-garden modern man, by inference, alongside the allegorical and mythic characters from Homer, Dante or Milton. These comparisons are rich in irony and there is humour in the book. The great questions of existence - about the nature and origin of human happiness and fulfilment - are explored through sections devoted to philosophical ideas as to how happiness is to be achieved, perhaps through love, religion, personal status, money .... Where does the life of our modern man fit into the great archetypes proposed by philosophy? This is the question that Patrick encounters as he moves through a mythical journey, meeting different historical characters, all the while assisted by a guide and mentor.
The rhyme has the effect of moving the back story of the central character along with pace and also with wit - it lends distance. We can see through his self-delusions with our modern eyes, and we can sense where he is going and reflect on his mistakes with a touch of cynicism. Highly serious characters from human history come in to and out of view in his dream journey, and even they are portrayed without awe but with a light, dry touch. This book could do with a companion's guide to the characters. Oddly, we know from the tone and description that they are real historical figures, but it's difficult to know which without having an excellent general knowledge of history.
So this book was entertaining and intriguing. I was quite happy with the rhyming format and found myself seeking the rhymes as much as I sought the action. But the story itself, the pilgrim's progress of the central character, was banal and unengaging, and I can't give it more than 3 stars.
The rhyme has the effect of moving the back story of the central character along with pace and also with wit - it lends distance. We can see through his self-delusions with our modern eyes, and we can sense where he is going and reflect on his mistakes with a touch of cynicism. Highly serious characters from human history come in to and out of view in his dream journey, and even they are portrayed without awe but with a light, dry touch. This book could do with a companion's guide to the characters. Oddly, we know from the tone and description that they are real historical figures, but it's difficult to know which without having an excellent general knowledge of history.
So this book was entertaining and intriguing. I was quite happy with the rhyming format and found myself seeking the rhymes as much as I sought the action. But the story itself, the pilgrim's progress of the central character, was banal and unengaging, and I can't give it more than 3 stars.
April 14, 2022
Reading this book was like reading a dictionary in a poetry form.
Yeah you read that right.
This book is a verbiage nonsense in my opinion. It failed at whatever it was trying to convey because every time I read a sentence, I had to look up the meaning and by the time I understood the meaning, all the meaning and flow was lost.
My point is if you want to get your point across why do overcomplicate some basic life lessons with excessive word jargon?
Yeah you read that right.
This book is a verbiage nonsense in my opinion. It failed at whatever it was trying to convey because every time I read a sentence, I had to look up the meaning and by the time I understood the meaning, all the meaning and flow was lost.
My point is if you want to get your point across why do overcomplicate some basic life lessons with excessive word jargon?
December 11, 2018
Self-indulgent verbose twaddle.
I can imagine the author sitting there imagining that he's writing a masterpiece just because he uses big words, and it rhymes.
In fact, the format makes it nigh on impossible to read and I gave up early on, having already developed a loathing for the main character.
I can imagine the author sitting there imagining that he's writing a masterpiece just because he uses big words, and it rhymes.
In fact, the format makes it nigh on impossible to read and I gave up early on, having already developed a loathing for the main character.
Read
December 19, 2014Completely unbearable - I wanted to like it but couldn't get past about 10%
December 1, 2021
A book I read at the perfect time period of my life. I am really glad I read this and this is what I exactly needed at this moment because of the situation I am in right now.
The author gives interesting ideas and perspectives on life and the things we hold important. Through a devastating story, the author gives an insight about real happiness and how it differs from person to person and what are the common facts underneath. The story gives appealing perspectives on love, marriage, sex, religion, wealth, respect and a few other elements of life.
The most fascinating thing for me in this book is that the perspectives it offers and how open they are and how solid they are. One can actually learn to change his or her perspectives on life, and it offers things to be thought about and expand our thought process on those topics. The true happiness of life and how one can let things go and really go after true happiness is beautifully explained here. Great book
The author gives interesting ideas and perspectives on life and the things we hold important. Through a devastating story, the author gives an insight about real happiness and how it differs from person to person and what are the common facts underneath. The story gives appealing perspectives on love, marriage, sex, religion, wealth, respect and a few other elements of life.
The most fascinating thing for me in this book is that the perspectives it offers and how open they are and how solid they are. One can actually learn to change his or her perspectives on life, and it offers things to be thought about and expand our thought process on those topics. The true happiness of life and how one can let things go and really go after true happiness is beautifully explained here. Great book
April 18, 2024
Wth was this
May 31, 2015
What You Want
Constantine Phipps (Author)
'What You Want' has many unique selling points. It is a story about boy meeting girl, losing girl, getting over girl, but it is about a lot more than that. The way in which it is told is completely new. Over the course of fifteen long form poems, it reveals a lot about the human condition. Patrick is still in love with his estranged wife, but after a trip to Themeparkland with their son, he tries to commit suicide. The attempt is unsuccesful and the rest of the novel follows his new-found love for his own family and his life.
The central selling point of the novel is the unusual way in which it is told, and the book should be marketed in the poetry section as well as the literary fiction section of book shops. There is a lot to like about this book, both in the way it is written, in the story, and the lessons it teaches about life. There is a lot for a reading group to discuss in this book, which is the work of a talented writer at the top of his game.
Constantine Phipps (Author)
'What You Want' has many unique selling points. It is a story about boy meeting girl, losing girl, getting over girl, but it is about a lot more than that. The way in which it is told is completely new. Over the course of fifteen long form poems, it reveals a lot about the human condition. Patrick is still in love with his estranged wife, but after a trip to Themeparkland with their son, he tries to commit suicide. The attempt is unsuccesful and the rest of the novel follows his new-found love for his own family and his life.
The central selling point of the novel is the unusual way in which it is told, and the book should be marketed in the poetry section as well as the literary fiction section of book shops. There is a lot to like about this book, both in the way it is written, in the story, and the lessons it teaches about life. There is a lot for a reading group to discuss in this book, which is the work of a talented writer at the top of his game.
April 6, 2016
I really don't know how to feel about this one. It required all of my will to get through it, and I'm still not sure if it was worth it.
A tale about life expectations, infidelity and a marriage falling apart, writing completely in verse. The main character revise his life in a Dantesque ride through a fantastic theme park which attractions consist on journeys and tales about love, sex, marriage, lust, money, power, status and religion, among others.
It reads more like a technical and stylistic, rather than narrative and storytelling, achievement.
One of the thing I did like about What You Want is its expansive use of language, as almost every page had a couple of words I didn't know the meaning to. Not being an English native speaker, I enjoyed the learning opportunity.
I frankly don't know if I would recommend this one. Give it a go for a couple of chapters and I'm sure you will quickly decide if it's worth it. If at first it doesn't work for you, just leave it.
A tale about life expectations, infidelity and a marriage falling apart, writing completely in verse. The main character revise his life in a Dantesque ride through a fantastic theme park which attractions consist on journeys and tales about love, sex, marriage, lust, money, power, status and religion, among others.
It reads more like a technical and stylistic, rather than narrative and storytelling, achievement.
One of the thing I did like about What You Want is its expansive use of language, as almost every page had a couple of words I didn't know the meaning to. Not being an English native speaker, I enjoyed the learning opportunity.
I frankly don't know if I would recommend this one. Give it a go for a couple of chapters and I'm sure you will quickly decide if it's worth it. If at first it doesn't work for you, just leave it.
June 27, 2016
A long form prose poem about a trip to an imaginary theme park where the attractions are based on the sources of human happiness does not seem like it should be something that could work, but this does and it is excellent. It is thought provoking in its presentation of philosophy and emotionally powerful in the personal story that underpins it. It is utterly unique and worth reading.
I struggled at first to work out how best to read it. Because it rhymes, there is an instinct to impose a line-by-line cadence to one's reading, but i found this to be awkward. It was more comfortable to simply read it as prose and allow the rhythm of the rhyme to exist in the background.
I struggled at first to work out how best to read it. Because it rhymes, there is an instinct to impose a line-by-line cadence to one's reading, but i found this to be awkward. It was more comfortable to simply read it as prose and allow the rhythm of the rhyme to exist in the background.
January 25, 2017
Interesting book. I was attracted to it because it's written in verse and seemed to be laid out similarly to those epic poems of the ancients. In practice I found the format amusing at first, but eventually a bit cloying and difficult to read. It felt indulgent at times. That said, there's a lot of great imagery, and I liked the stories of the protagonist's relationships.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews