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mrs_bonaventure's review against another edition
4.0
Read this over Christmas and was gripped by it. Funny and perceptive, a great zeitgeist novel.
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
5.0
I love this sort of book; you know, those gloriously satisfying reads with lots of characters whose lives are explored by a lovely writer. That would be "Capital" indeed, and this novel is.
Like R.F. Delderfield in "The Avenue", John Lanchester takes a London street and focuses on a number of residents of Pepys Road. Unlike Delderfield's post-WWI idyll, Pepys Road has already been transformed by the big money of 2007 and a non-stop frenzy of additions, remodeling, and spending, spending, spending. In the midst of this, residents begin receiving postcards reading "we want what you have."
The characters are appealing, believable, well-drawn, and surprising. "Capital" is a treat and a pleasure all the way around.
by Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader
Like R.F. Delderfield in "The Avenue", John Lanchester takes a London street and focuses on a number of residents of Pepys Road. Unlike Delderfield's post-WWI idyll, Pepys Road has already been transformed by the big money of 2007 and a non-stop frenzy of additions, remodeling, and spending, spending, spending. In the midst of this, residents begin receiving postcards reading "we want what you have."
The characters are appealing, believable, well-drawn, and surprising. "Capital" is a treat and a pleasure all the way around.
by Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader
gabmc's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book but wonder if there are some deeper layers that I missed. The title kind of hints at it - Capital being the city and capital being property. Basically it's a story about characters who live in the same street. They start receiving mysterious post cards that say "We want what you have". There is a banker and his wife, an old woman, a young soccer player and a family of shop-keepers. There is also a parking inspector, an artist and a builder from Poland.
The story unfolds over 2007-2008, at the time of the global financial crisis. The shop-keepers are originally from Pakistan and are Muslims so there is some suspicion surrounding them.
Some of the characters don't really have resolution and I wonder if that was part of the point?
The story unfolds over 2007-2008, at the time of the global financial crisis. The shop-keepers are originally from Pakistan and are Muslims so there is some suspicion surrounding them.
Some of the characters don't really have resolution and I wonder if that was part of the point?
jo_jo_la_pinks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
exdebris's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
sparklythingpirate9's review against another edition
It's a slow paced book so I have to be specifically in the mood for this, and I've been reading faster paces books alongside it so I'm not making progress.
gingerliss's review against another edition
3.0
Well that certainly took a while didn't it?
I may have rated this book higher if I hadn't read it so partially. I started it all the way at the beginning of the year and have had to read a ton of other books in between for uni.
What I loved about this book:
- The humour and the flow: It flowed very well and there were little laughs throughout.
- The Britishness: Being from England, but having lived abroad since I was 11, anything that reminds me of the homeland is very welcome and this book was full of little Britishisms so to speak.
- The array of interesting characters.
- The way a subject I normally wouldn't be so interested in, in this case economics, became a little more interesting through this novel.
What I thought was mehh:
- The ending was a little sudden and hugely predictable.
All in all a nice entertaining read which would have probably been a really quick read in other times and circumstances.
I may have rated this book higher if I hadn't read it so partially. I started it all the way at the beginning of the year and have had to read a ton of other books in between for uni.
What I loved about this book:
- The humour and the flow: It flowed very well and there were little laughs throughout.
- The Britishness: Being from England, but having lived abroad since I was 11, anything that reminds me of the homeland is very welcome and this book was full of little Britishisms so to speak.
- The array of interesting characters.
- The way a subject I normally wouldn't be so interested in, in this case economics, became a little more interesting through this novel.
What I thought was mehh:
- The ending was a little sudden and hugely predictable.
All in all a nice entertaining read which would have probably been a really quick read in other times and circumstances.
cassandralovesfeta's review against another edition
4.0
Well written, expertly tied together, definitely worth your time.
bellatomreads's review against another edition
4.0
A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great characters and gives a real feel of a place and time.
gailm's review against another edition
1.0
It was boring. It certaintly wasn't "a treat to read", "wonderful, warm, funny or smart". There could have been much more made of the main theme of the story "we have what you want".