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jarichan's review against another edition
2.0
Viel habe ich mir von diesem Buch nicht versprochen. Aber schlussendlich war es dann doch noch seichter und oberflächlicher als erwartet.
Hätten die angeblich erwachsenen Figuren nur mal in Ruhe miteinander geredet, hätte das meiste Chaos verhindert werden können. Vielleicht hätte den meisten Charakteren ein Kurs bei Schulz von Thun nicht geschadet.
Überhaupt kam mir das Ganze vor wie eine Netflix-Eigenproduktion einer amerikanischen Komödie. Nicht lustig, jeder macht, was er will, und man selbst sitzt da und fragt sich, was das Ganze soll.
Hätten die angeblich erwachsenen Figuren nur mal in Ruhe miteinander geredet, hätte das meiste Chaos verhindert werden können. Vielleicht hätte den meisten Charakteren ein Kurs bei Schulz von Thun nicht geschadet.
Überhaupt kam mir das Ganze vor wie eine Netflix-Eigenproduktion einer amerikanischen Komödie. Nicht lustig, jeder macht, was er will, und man selbst sitzt da und fragt sich, was das Ganze soll.
nh2022's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.5
pharmdad2007's review against another edition
4.0
Really fun and quick read involving many mistaken identities and hilariously wrong presumptions.
eush's review against another edition
3.0
Skios is funny, especially when it's skewering the high-brow intellectual pretensions of some of its characters, but most of the characters feel shallow and it reads like it desperately wants to be adapted to live action. Good holiday/one-sitting reading though.
scorpio53's review against another edition
3.0
An entertaining read that explores the possibilities opened up by choosing the wrong suitcase at an airport and assuming the persona of the owner
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
3.0
I haven’t read anything by Michael Frayn before although I have heard a lot of good things, so when this novel was long-listed for the Man Booker prize last year I thought I’d give it a go. The story is about a bizarre and amusing mix up when Oliver Fox, a young man bored with his life and looking for some excitement decides to pretend to be someone else. Except that someone else is an emminent lecturer who is due to give a talk to some V.I.P’s at the Fred Toppler foundation. Meanwhile, the real Dr Norman Wilfred ends up with Oliver’s baggage, at the villa Oliver was meant to be going to, with a hysterical woman who after climbing into bed with him (expecting him to be Oliver obviously) locks herself in the bathroom accusing him of being a rapist!
Other characters include Nikki, the organiser of the keynote speech who is pleasantly surprised and pleased with herself on meeting the younger, fake, and very charming Dr Wilfred (Oliver). Does Oliver pull it off? Considerably well, considering he knows absolutely nothing about Dr Wilfred’s work or life, with a few cringeworthy moments when the game is almost given away. For me though, this book was lacking something… the humour was refreshing and quintessentially British, but it seemed to lose its way at the end slightly. I can see why it was long-listed for the Man Booker prize, but I can also see why it may not have won. It wouldn’t stop me reading something else by Michael Frayn however, as I enjoyed his writing style and characterisation.
Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.wordpress.com
Other characters include Nikki, the organiser of the keynote speech who is pleasantly surprised and pleased with herself on meeting the younger, fake, and very charming Dr Wilfred (Oliver). Does Oliver pull it off? Considerably well, considering he knows absolutely nothing about Dr Wilfred’s work or life, with a few cringeworthy moments when the game is almost given away. For me though, this book was lacking something… the humour was refreshing and quintessentially British, but it seemed to lose its way at the end slightly. I can see why it was long-listed for the Man Booker prize, but I can also see why it may not have won. It wouldn’t stop me reading something else by Michael Frayn however, as I enjoyed his writing style and characterisation.
Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.wordpress.com
perednia's review against another edition
3.0
Oliver Fox is one of those feckless young men who makes his way through life responding to the situation as it appears. He lets things shape themselves before and around him, responds with charm, and stays with it until it falls apart or the next situation begins to shape up.
He has been kicked out by his sugar momma Annuka once again. But he's also connected with lovely young thing Georgia, exchanged text messages and is flying to a lovely Greek island so they can spend a few nights together away from her boyfriend. At the same time, super-competent Nikki looks over the last-minute arrangements for the annual gathering hosted by the Fred Toppler Foundation. It primarily exists as a way for the former exotic dancer, the widowed Mrs. Fred Toppler, to pay homage to the source of her wealth with a world-class meeeting of minds from finance, academics, government and the like. The speaker every year is dull as dishwater, so Nikki has found the perfect antidote -- Dr. Norman Wilfred. He travels the world giving talks about how smart he is. As long as he keeps his speech nearby, he can weather any discomfort. Until now.
Fox takes Wilfred's place at the airport when Nikki waits to meet the speaker she hasn't seen before; she's only talked to his PA for weeks. Then Georgie arrives a day early. People keep mistaking Fox and Wilfred for each other in true screwball comedy situations. Frayn is terrific at making these outlandish events seem semi-plausible. Along the way, he throws in a few light zingers about the nature of foundations, the speakers who make their reputations at them and how similar parlor tricks can look like deep thoughts. Or is that last one the other way round?
Without revealing the story's climax, Frayn sets up a meringue-light story, but readers may feel burned at the end. Readers who enjoy complete shifts in story and tone may thrill to the Over the Top action but it is a huge change to overcome. Until then, however, the confection is delightful because when on top of his game, Frayn is adept at making skewing commentary.
He has been kicked out by his sugar momma Annuka once again. But he's also connected with lovely young thing Georgia, exchanged text messages and is flying to a lovely Greek island so they can spend a few nights together away from her boyfriend. At the same time, super-competent Nikki looks over the last-minute arrangements for the annual gathering hosted by the Fred Toppler Foundation. It primarily exists as a way for the former exotic dancer, the widowed Mrs. Fred Toppler, to pay homage to the source of her wealth with a world-class meeeting of minds from finance, academics, government and the like. The speaker every year is dull as dishwater, so Nikki has found the perfect antidote -- Dr. Norman Wilfred. He travels the world giving talks about how smart he is. As long as he keeps his speech nearby, he can weather any discomfort. Until now.
Fox takes Wilfred's place at the airport when Nikki waits to meet the speaker she hasn't seen before; she's only talked to his PA for weeks. Then Georgie arrives a day early. People keep mistaking Fox and Wilfred for each other in true screwball comedy situations. Frayn is terrific at making these outlandish events seem semi-plausible. Along the way, he throws in a few light zingers about the nature of foundations, the speakers who make their reputations at them and how similar parlor tricks can look like deep thoughts. Or is that last one the other way round?
Without revealing the story's climax, Frayn sets up a meringue-light story, but readers may feel burned at the end. Readers who enjoy complete shifts in story and tone may thrill to the Over the Top action but it is a huge change to overcome. Until then, however, the confection is delightful because when on top of his game, Frayn is adept at making skewing commentary.
runkefer's review against another edition
3.0
Classic Michael Frayn. Mistaken identities, miscommunication, assumptions that send characters down the wrong paths. Clever, entertaining, and ultimately light and frothy.
go_jan's review against another edition
1.0
Simply disappointing. A painfully unrealistic story of mistaken identity with the most far-fetched denouement which deprives the author of any credibility. Glad to be able to move on to another book.