At the heart of Andrew Miller's first novel, Ingenious Pain lies the question "What does the world need most--a good, ordinary man, or one who is outstanding, albeit with a heart of ice?" The outstanding man in question is James Dyer, an English freak of nature who, since his birth during the 18th-century Age of Enlightenment, has been impervious to physical pain. Not only does he feel no pain, but he also recovers from all injuries in record time. By turns a foil for a quack doctor at county fairs and an object of study by a wealthy collector of human oddities, the protagonist, James Dyer, eventually becomes a surgeon. As such he gains exposure to a panoply of 18th-century philosophical thought, medical practice, historic events and larger-than-life rogues and heroes, both fictional and real.

As a surgeon, James Dyer excels, and his inability to feel--whether physical pain himself or empathy for others--seems only to enhance his skill with a knife. James slices and dices and cures without a scintilla of compassion while his reputation grows, until at last he arrives in Russia and the mystery of his unusual quality is resolved. Miller navigates his complicated story and exotic locales with unswerving confidence, bolstered no doubt by thorough research. James Dyer is not a character who invites love, but his adventures make for intelligent, deeply pleasurable reading. --Alex Freeman "What does the world need most--a good, ordinary man, or one who is outstanding, albeit with a heart of ice?" This is the question at the heart of Andrew Miller's first novel, Ingenious Pain, a book set during the 18th-century Age of Enlightenment. The outstanding man in question is James Dyer, an English freak of nature who, since birth, has been impervious to physical pain. Not only does he feel no pain, but he recovers from all injuries in record time. By turns a shill for a quack pain- reliever at county fairs, an object of study by a wealthy collector of human oddities, and, eventually, a surgeon, James Dyer--and through him the reader--gains exposure to a panoply of 18th-century philosophical thought, medical practice, historic events, and larger-than-life rogues and heroes, both fictional and real.

As a surgeon, James Dyer excels, and his inability to feel--whether physical pain himself or empathy for others--seems only to enhance his skill with a knife. James slices and dices and cures without a scintilla of compassion while his reputation grows, until at last he arrives in Russia and the mystery of his unusual quality is resolved. Miller navigates his complicated story and exotic locales with unswerving confidence, bolstered, no doubt, by thorough research. James Dyer is not a character who invites love, but his adventures make for intelligent, deeply pleasurable reading. --Amazon.com

Fascinating account of a man born a stranger to pain, 22 Oct 2008
This story didn't snare me from page one. It took some pages before the narrative seemed to come suddenly into a beauty all its own and captivate me. Set in a time in which life's everyday hardships are alien to us today, James Dyer is an unlikely central figure. Born in 1740, unable to feel physical or emotional pain, James grows from childhood to adulthood without humanity, owing to his inability to empathise with the suffering of others. Yet he's not an unsympathetic figure to the reader. This powerfully moving story--adventure blended with philosophy of the time and an unexpected dose of mysticism--gives the reader a spellbinding insight into a man born apart from others.


A Beautiful Book, 22 May 2008
I loved this book. It reminded me very much of Rose Tremain's Restoration in feel and genre. It is a fascinating study of a man out of his time who is both an alien and an outsider and yet has the ability to touch people when he himself cannot be touched.

It is profound, moving and exceptionally well written. It's a great historical novel, really getting into the time it is set in, and full of lovely details that shape your immersion as the reader into the work. It's melancholy and beautiful and I highly recommend it.

A rare treat, 26 Mar 2006
A doctor that is uncapable of feeling physical pain, now there's an original starting point for a novel! Set in the 18th century but timeless in its study of human behaviour, and written in a most beautiful style. Insightful, engrossing, captivating, ... you name it, this book has it all.

I've lost count of the number of people I've recommended this to, and most of them still thank me for it ;-) Allow yourselves a treat, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Intricate but rather dull, 14 Dec 2004
I'm afraid this didn't really speak to me at all. I'm sure it's all very worthy, but I didn't find any of the characters interesting, and the prose is so dense it seems to stop you (or at least this reader!) getting to the heart of what's going on.

Towards the end I was seriously skipping and I wouldn't recommend this book. The good news is this author's later books are far better!

Creatively daring, totally unconventional, and successful., 23 Oct 2003
This first time author so skilled and so committed to his subject that he has been able to reject all the conventions of novel writing and still get his surprising book published--receiving rave reviews on two continents in the process!

Miller sets the book in the eighteenth century and begins with a graphic autopsy of the main character. Here he recreates the philosophical and scientific attitudes of the period, attitudes which are alien to our own, and which he will explore as a subtext throughout the book. He summarizes the life of the main character--which he spends the rest of the book recounting--in the first chapter, eliminating any climactic excitement he might have created. His main character is a man with the inability to feel pain, someone with whom the reader cannot possibly identify, and his adventures are weirdly melodramatic, so unusual the reader's interest lies primarily in their curiosity.

Yet the book "works," and very often thrills. Somehow he does manage to make the reader care about James Dyer and his fate, and he does create excitement in a plot which skips from small town England to the court of Russia. Miller's masterful and controlled use of description is a primary factor in his ability to further the action of this unusual story and bring the characters and the period alive. This reader was awestruck by Miller's creative daring--and by his success. Mary Whipple

Fascinating account of a man born a stranger to pain, 22 Oct 2008
This story didn't snare me from page one. It took some pages before the narrative seemed to come suddenly into a beauty all its own and captivate me. Set in a time in which life's everyday hardships are alien to us today, James Dyer is an unlikely central figure. Born in 1740, unable to feel physical or emotional pain, James grows from childhood to adulthood without humanity, owing to his inability to empathise with the suffering of others. Yet he's not an unsympathetic figure to the reader. This powerfully moving story--adventure blended with philosophy of the time and an unexpected dose of mysticism--gives the reader a spellbinding insight into a man born apart from others.


A Beautiful Book, 22 May 2008
I loved this book. It reminded me very much of Rose Tremain's Restoration in feel and genre. It is a fascinating study of a man out of his time who is both an alien and an outsider and yet has the ability to touch people when he himself cannot be touched.

It is profound, moving and exceptionally well written. It's a great historical novel, really getting into the time it is set in, and full of lovely details that shape your immersion as the reader into the work. It's melancholy and beautiful and I highly recommend it.

A rare treat, 26 Mar 2006
A doctor that is uncapable of feeling physical pain, now there's an original starting point for a novel! Set in the 18th century but timeless in its study of human behaviour, and written in a most beautiful style. Insightful, engrossing, captivating, ... you name it, this book has it all.

I've lost count of the number of people I've recommended this to, and most of them still thank me for it ;-) Allow yourselves a treat, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Intricate but rather dull, 14 Dec 2004
I'm afraid this didn't really speak to me at all. I'm sure it's all very worthy, but I didn't find any of the characters interesting, and the prose is so dense it seems to stop you (or at least this reader!) getting to the heart of what's going on.

Towards the end I was seriously skipping and I wouldn't recommend this book. The good news is this author's later books are far better!

Creatively daring, totally unconventional, and successful., 23 Oct 2003
This first time author so skilled and so committed to his subject that he has been able to reject all the conventions of novel writing and still get his surprising book published--receiving rave reviews on two continents in the process!

Miller sets the book in the eighteenth century and begins with a graphic autopsy of the main character. Here he recreates the philosophical and scientific attitudes of the period, attitudes which are alien to our own, and which he will explore as a subtext throughout the book. He summarizes the life of the main character--which he spends the rest of the book recounting--in the first chapter, eliminating any climactic excitement he might have created. His main character is a man with the inability to feel pain, someone with whom the reader cannot possibly identify, and his adventures are weirdly melodramatic, so unusual the reader's interest lies primarily in their curiosity.

Yet the book "works," and very often thrills. Somehow he does manage to make the reader care about James Dyer and his fate, and he does create excitement in a plot which skips from small town England to the court of Russia. Miller's masterful and controlled use of description is a primary factor in his ability to further the action of this unusual story and bring the characters and the period alive. This reader was awestruck by Miller's creative daring--and by his success. Mary Whipple

A cracking read, 25 May 2008
I got this book a while ago for no reason other than that I liked the title, and I picked it off my shelf last week for nothing other than it's incredible cover. I was quite put off by the blurb, as I think it's a premise that could so easily become either a gush of mush and not a lot else, or a chance to wallow in the horror and gore.

It's actually one of the subtlest novels I've read in a long time: I found myself constantly being surprised and unsure where the author was going, although there nothing here that was implausible. There's nothing too pre-destined about the plot and (thankfully) nothing trite about the outcome, yet there is something very "real" here - and an almost claustrophobic atmosphere that Miller manages to maintain for pretty much the entire novel. Although there's not a lot of heavy stuff to wade through, there's more than enough substance to leave a lasting impression.

really good read, 14 Apr 2008
Really good book.
Clem is a single guy, alone and has photographed horrific images while working in parts of war-torn Africa. He has an ongoing fear of developing a tumour which affects his sight, and eventually kills him as it did his mother.
He finds himself becoming a primary carer for his sister who is taken to a Psychaitric Hospital before going to live with him in a family members country cottage.
Clem seems to have absorbed the guilt of all those responsible for the massacres he has photographed.
The Hypochondrial worrying regarding his eyes is never taken farther. One can`t help wondering if his sister; rather than suffering from a mental illness, has developed the tumour.

I loved reading this..., 31 Aug 2006
Clem, a freelance photo-journalist, is traumatised by something he photographs, so when his sister falls ill he willingly leaves his work to take her down to Cornwall to help her recuperate. I found the novel touching, insightful and quietly compelling. It's a thoughtful book about the capacity of humans for both love and atrocity. Andrew Miller writes beautiful, accessible prose, so his words are a joy to read.

If you like Dan Brown then this probably isn't for you, but if you seek excellent writing and a moving, intelligent plot then I'd highly recommend it. I'll certainly be ordering another of his very soon.

Forgettable, 15 Jun 2006
it was the book cover and it's blurb that made me buy this book. i was hoping to read something fresh as it dwelt with a photographer and an issue that isnt much talked about. but unfortunatly i found it a tad slow paced, expecially at the beginning. it was a good book but extremley forgettable.
the book is about a man deeply effected by the pictures he took of an african masscare. it's an original idea, expecially with the other issues involved with his characters sister,but for me, this book is extremely unforgettable and didnt really conjure up the emotion i had wanted.


Very disappointing, 26 Apr 2006
A weak book from a strong writer, The Optimists is a misstep into Graham Greene territory. A news photographer shoots the aftermath of an African massacre, his sister has a nervous breakdown, he seems to be having one himself--none of it is compelling or fresh, and, at time, it's even somewhat ludicrous. The imagery, obvious metaphors about sight and pretty juvenile stuff about optimism, is hackneyed. And when his companion at the massacre site, a supposedly hard-boiled journalist, turns up voicing platitudes and dedicating himself to feeding the Toronto homeless, it's definitely one cliche too far. Even the family's name is worn out--they're (accidentally?) named after another of the more annoying families in literary history, the Glasses. Read Miller's first two books: they're so good it's hard to believe the same writer brought us this. Or maybe this one is actually that first novel he couldn't sell before, which is what it reads like.

In Andrew Miller's third novel, Oxygen, the IMPAC-award winning author of Ingenious Pain offers an intense, claustrophobic tale of parallel lives experiencing regret and redemption.

A family reunion of sorts is underway in the summer of 1997 for Alice, a newly retired, long-widowed schoolteacher, dying of cancer at her home in the English countryside. Gathering at her side are her two sons: Alec, a myopic, indecisive translator, and the more gregarious Larry, an unemployed TV soap star whose glittering US career is about to take a nosedive into the shabby territory of porn films, so he can stave off bankruptcy and hold on to his disintegrating marriage. The counterpoint to this scenario is Laszlo Lazar, Hungarian exile and fêted playwright, whose latest work, Oxygene, Alec is translating. Lazar, who has a comfortable existence in one of the more fashionable Paris quartiers, seems to possess everything that Alec does not: critical success, a loving partner, a longstanding circle of artistic friends. Yet Lazar is tormented by memories of the 1956 uprising and a comrade he feels he betrayed. When a political splinter group asks him to undertake a mysterious mission, he seizes his chance to atone for the past.

Shifting between a quintessentially English idyll, the carousing bars of Paris, the physical and emotional aridity of California, and a Budapest of the past and present, Miller skilfully evokes his characters' stories and their common theme-the liberation of self--even if the end result is that self's destruction. He writes compassionately of the terminally ill Alice, clinging to the last vestiges of life, the last agonising breath: "Was that the last to go? Certain gestures, reflexes, a way of cocking the head or moving the hands in speech?" He reminds us that human beings have choices, even in despair, and he provides a suitably ambiguous ending to round off a wise and engrossing novel.--Catherine Taylor

Fascinating account of a man born a stranger to pain, 22 Oct 2008
This story didn't snare me from page one. It took some pages before the narrative seemed to come suddenly into a beauty all its own and captivate me. Set in a time in which life's everyday hardships are alien to us today, James Dyer is an unlikely central figure. Born in 1740, unable to feel physical or emotional pain, James grows from childhood to adulthood without humanity, owing to his inability to empathise with the suffering of others. Yet he's not an unsympathetic figure to the reader. This powerfully moving story--adventure blended with philosophy of the time and an unexpected dose of mysticism--gives the reader a spellbinding insight into a man born apart from others.


A Beautiful Book, 22 May 2008
I loved this book. It reminded me very much of Rose Tremain's Restoration in feel and genre. It is a fascinating study of a man out of his time who is both an alien and an outsider and yet has the ability to touch people when he himself cannot be touched.

It is profound, moving and exceptionally well written. It's a great historical novel, really getting into the time it is set in, and full of lovely details that shape your immersion as the reader into the work. It's melancholy and beautiful and I highly recommend it.

A rare treat, 26 Mar 2006
A doctor that is uncapable of feeling physical pain, now there's an original starting point for a novel! Set in the 18th century but timeless in its study of human behaviour, and written in a most beautiful style. Insightful, engrossing, captivating, ... you name it, this book has it all.

I've lost count of the number of people I've recommended this to, and most of them still thank me for it ;-) Allow yourselves a treat, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Intricate but rather dull, 14 Dec 2004
I'm afraid this didn't really speak to me at all. I'm sure it's all very worthy, but I didn't find any of the characters interesting, and the prose is so dense it seems to stop you (or at least this reader!) getting to the heart of what's going on.

Towards the end I was seriously skipping and I wouldn't recommend this book. The good news is this author's later books are far better!

Creatively daring, totally unconventional, and successful., 23 Oct 2003
This first time author so skilled and so committed to his subject that he has been able to reject all the conventions of novel writing and still get his surprising book published--receiving rave reviews on two continents in the process!

Miller sets the book in the eighteenth century and begins with a graphic autopsy of the main character. Here he recreates the philosophical and scientific attitudes of the period, attitudes which are alien to our own, and which he will explore as a subtext throughout the book. He summarizes the life of the main character--which he spends the rest of the book recounting--in the first chapter, eliminating any climactic excitement he might have created. His main character is a man with the inability to feel pain, someone with whom the reader cannot possibly identify, and his adventures are weirdly melodramatic, so unusual the reader's interest lies primarily in their curiosity.

Yet the book "works," and very often thrills. Somehow he does manage to make the reader care about James Dyer and his fate, and he does create excitement in a plot which skips from small town England to the court of Russia. Miller's masterful and controlled use of description is a primary factor in his ability to further the action of this unusual story and bring the characters and the period alive. This reader was awestruck by Miller's creative daring--and by his success. Mary Whipple

A cracking read, 25 May 2008
I got this book a while ago for no reason other than that I liked the title, and I picked it off my shelf last week for nothing other than it's incredible cover. I was quite put off by the blurb, as I think it's a premise that could so easily become either a gush of mush and not a lot else, or a chance to wallow in the horror and gore.

It's actually one of the subtlest novels I've read in a long time: I found myself constantly being surprised and unsure where the author was going, although there nothing here that was implausible. There's nothing too pre-destined about the plot and (thankfully) nothing trite about the outcome, yet there is something very "real" here - and an almost claustrophobic atmosphere that Miller manages to maintain for pretty much the entire novel. Although there's not a lot of heavy stuff to wade through, there's more than enough substance to leave a lasting impression.

really good read, 14 Apr 2008
Really good book.
Clem is a single guy, alone and has photographed horrific images while working in parts of war-torn Africa. He has an ongoing fear of developing a tumour which affects his sight, and eventually kills him as it did his mother.
He finds himself becoming a primary carer for his sister who is taken to a Psychaitric Hospital before going to live with him in a family members country cottage.
Clem seems to have absorbed the guilt of all those responsible for the massacres he has photographed.
The Hypochondrial worrying regarding his eyes is never taken farther. One can`t help wondering if his sister; rather than suffering from a mental illness, has developed the tumour.

I loved reading this..., 31 Aug 2006
Clem, a freelance photo-journalist, is traumatised by something he photographs, so when his sister falls ill he willingly leaves his work to take her down to Cornwall to help her recuperate. I found the novel touching, insightful and quietly compelling. It's a thoughtful book about the capacity of humans for both love and atrocity. Andrew Miller writes beautiful, accessible prose, so his words are a joy to read.

If you like Dan Brown then this probably isn't for you, but if you seek excellent writing and a moving, intelligent plot then I'd highly recommend it. I'll certainly be ordering another of his very soon.

Forgettable, 15 Jun 2006
it was the book cover and it's blurb that made me buy this book. i was hoping to read something fresh as it dwelt with a photographer and an issue that isnt much talked about. but unfortunatly i found it a tad slow paced, expecially at the beginning. it was a good book but extremley forgettable.
the book is about a man deeply effected by the pictures he took of an african masscare. it's an original idea, expecially with the other issues involved with his characters sister,but for me, this book is extremely unforgettable and didnt really conjure up the emotion i had wanted.


Very disappointing, 26 Apr 2006
A weak book from a strong writer, The Optimists is a misstep into Graham Greene territory. A news photographer shoots the aftermath of an African massacre, his sister has a nervous breakdown, he seems to be having one himself--none of it is compelling or fresh, and, at time, it's even somewhat ludicrous. The imagery, obvious metaphors about sight and pretty juvenile stuff about optimism, is hackneyed. And when his companion at the massacre site, a supposedly hard-boiled journalist, turns up voicing platitudes and dedicating himself to feeding the Toronto homeless, it's definitely one cliche too far. Even the family's name is worn out--they're (accidentally?) named after another of the more annoying families in literary history, the Glasses. Read Miller's first two books: they're so good it's hard to believe the same writer brought us this. Or maybe this one is actually that first novel he couldn't sell before, which is what it reads like.

What happened?, 24 Aug 2008
I very rarely write reviews but I had to as this book as stayed with me since I finished reading it last year when I was on holiday. The main reason it made such an impression was that it frustrated me so much. Although it was not a long book it took me some time to read as the characters, though intriguing, were not enough to hold my attention. However, I persisted, looking forward to finding out how the tenuously linked characters would be drawn together, only to finish the novel with a resounding thud...what happened?

Thinking back, it still frustrates me now, and so I felt I should at least warn others and give Oxygen the 1 star I feel it deserves.

Amazing descriptive power, 30 Nov 2007
Dealing with a difficult subject this is a beautifully written book.
Some of the passages were so well crafted I had to go back and re read them again to enjoy the image.

The story line weaved two apparently separate tales running along contemporay time scales until both simultaneously reach a climax and leave the reader not knowing what has happened.

I felt both tales stood up in there own right, one the tale of a woman in the final stages of cancer and her sons, the other a play write dealing with his own unfinished history.

At times a very difficult book to read, emotionally, but always perfectly written.

Disappointing, 04 Dec 2005
The book started off with some promise, but became increasingly repetitive, as more patience was required to await its fulfilment. Eventually, the substance degenerated into the minutiae of the lives of unconnected groups and then nothing happened.

Although the parallels and the vague threads of difference and similarity could be seen, there was no real hint of a loom, to weave them into something meaningful and worth having. For me, this book was a disappointing waste of time.

Superb, 07 Jul 2005
This is one of the best books I've read all year, even better than Miller's Ingenious Pain (I've ordered Casanova). The story of a dying mother and her dysfunctional family, it manages to be moving, shocking and very, very funny all at the same time. Miller is a great stylist, an impeccable writer, and someone who knows how to make his characters truly come alive. With great skill, he manages to make us care about the two sons, empathize with the mother, and invest hope and a great curiosity in an odd but compelling family saga.

Three Men Caught In A Crisis, 18 May 2005
Three men caught in a crisis of life, two are related by blood and the other is related by his writing. Andrew Miller was a Booker Prize Finalist with his book, "Oxygen". Oxygen the element of life's breathing, so necessary in our life.

Alice Valentine has recurrent tumors in her chest that have metastasized to her brain. She is in the throes of death and her two sons need to see her soon. Alec is a struggling translator and is working on a book written by a Hungarian writer, Lazlo. Alec has never had an easy life; he has had to fight for what he needs and wants his entire life. Alec has a crisis in his life- how can he care for his mother and still lead the life he wants, Lazlo has everything he needs in life it seems, love, riches and a career in Paris. But, those close to him, understand that he allowed a young Hungarian to die during the Hungarian revolution is 1956. Lazlo cannot forget this, and there comes a time when he may be able to rectify this mistake. Lazlo has a crisis in his life and he needs to know he can overcome his mistake and live life a free man again. Larry is Alice's other son, and he lives in California. He has had a successful career as a television star, but that ended two years ago. Now he needs to pay his bills for his wife, Kristi and young daughter, Ella. Porn seems to be the answer for easy money. Larry and Kristi have a crisis in their marriage.

Alice is dying and everyone in her family wants to come together to celebrate her life and birthday. There is celebration, there is pain and there is the mundane everyday life of the men and the people they bring into their lives. Each of these men will be able to feel a sense of liberation from their actions. They will concentrate on love and loss and regret and self-discovery. Each of them will live and breathe Oxygen. Will Alice's dying bring the family closer together? How does the story of Lazlo's book, Oxyegen compare to the real life drama going on within the family? What of little Ella who steals "things" and hides them, and then becomes very quiet? What of Kristi and what she wants within the marriage? Does reconciliation bring the family closer? This is a skilled chronicle of the human mind and heart. This book leaves us gasping for more "Oxygen". Highly recommended. prisrob

In his first novel, Ingenious Pain, Andrew Miller told the tale of a man who felt too little; in his second novel, he features a man who feels too much. Set like its predecessor at the end of the 18th century, Casanova in Love follows the fortunes of that legendary lover whose name is now synonymous with "womaniser". Miller drew parts of his story from Giacamo Casanova's own Histoire de Ma Vie, and indeed the novel begins in the German castle where the real Casanova spent his last years writing his autobiography. There, as the now elderly and frail adventurer burns letters and papers, he is interrupted by a mysterious woman who has come to hear the story of one particular era in his past:

"Imagine him now: thirty-eight years of age, big chin, big nose, big eyes in a face of "African tint," a guardsman's brawny chest and shoulders, stepping down the gangplank in Dover harbour ... In the customs house he gave his name as de Seingalt, the Chevalier de Seingalt, a citizen of France. Lies, of course, or something like them, but it pleased him to dream up names for himself; it was also politic. Europe--the parts of it that counted--was a small place, and in his travels he had met at least half the people of influence in the entire continent. "Casanova" was in too many documents, too many secret reports and in the minds of too many people he would rather not encounter again".

After many years spent adventuring on the Continent, Casanova has come to England to find peace, "a span of quietude in which to find himself again; serenity." But he is not the kind of man who can long endure solitude. Soon he has started to accumulate acquaintances. One of them is the great Samuel Johnson; another is Marie Charpillon, a high-priced courtesan who becomes both his obsession and the cause of his eventual downfall. In an age when everyone is reinventing himself, Casanova attempts several guises--labourer, writer, country gentleman--in order to win his paramour, only in the end to come face to face with a darker self stripped of all artifice.

In tracing the course of his character's doomed love affair, Miller takes the reader on a graphic tour of 18th-century London from the glittering soirées of the well-to-do to the filthy flophouses of back street slum-dwellers. This might have been the Age of Enlightenment, but there are still many dark pits of misery and ignorance in this imagined universe. Miller tells his tale of obsession in cool prose that describes in intimate detail his characters' thoughts, and actions, the smells and tastes and textures they encounter, the humiliations and heartbreaks they suffer, yet from a certain detached distance. But in the world that his fictional Casanova occupies, love is a commodity and one with a high depreciation rate at that; in such a world, a little distance is singularly appropriate. --Alix Wilber

Fascinating account of a man born a stranger to pain, 22 Oct 2008
This story didn't snare me from page one. It took some pages before the narrative seemed to come suddenly into a beauty all its own and captivate me. Set in a time in which life's everyday hardships are alien to us today, James Dyer is an unlikely central figure. Born in 1740, unable to feel physical or emotional pain, James grows from childhood to adulthood without humanity, owing to his inability to empathise with the suffering of others. Yet he's not an unsympathetic figure to the reader. This powerfully moving story--adventure blended with philosophy of the time and an unexpected dose of mysticism--gives the reader a spellbinding insight into a man born apart from others.


A Beautiful Book, 22 May 2008
I loved this book. It reminded me very much of Rose Tremain's Restoration in feel and genre. It is a fascinating study of a man out of his time who is both an alien and an outsider and yet has the ability to touch people when he himself cannot be touched.

It is profound, moving and exceptionally well written. It's a great historical novel, really getting into the time it is set in, and full of lovely details that shape your immersion as the reader into the work. It's melancholy and beautiful and I highly recommend it.

A rare treat, 26 Mar 2006
A doctor that is uncapable of feeling physical pain, now there's an original starting point for a novel! Set in the 18th century but timeless in its study of human behaviour, and written in a most beautiful style. Insightful, engrossing, captivating, ... you name it, this book has it all.

I've lost count of the number of people I've recommended this to, and most of them still thank me for it ;-) Allow yourselves a treat, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Intricate but rather dull, 14 Dec 2004
I'm afraid this didn't really speak to me at all. I'm sure it's all very worthy, but I didn't find any of the characters interesting, and the prose is so dense it seems to stop you (or at least this reader!) getting to the heart of what's going on.

Towards the end I was seriously skipping and I wouldn't recommend this book. The good news is this author's later books are far better!

Creatively daring, totally unconventional, and successful., 23 Oct 2003
This first time author so skilled and so committed to his subject that he has been able to reject all the conventions of novel writing and still get his surprising book published--receiving rave reviews on two continents in the process!

Miller sets the book in the eighteenth century and begins with a graphic autopsy of the main character. Here he recreates the philosophical and scientific attitudes of the period, attitudes which are alien to our own, and which he will explore as a subtext throughout the book. He summarizes the life of the main character--which he spends the rest of the book recounting--in the first chapter, eliminating any climactic excitement he might have created. His main character is a man with the inability to feel pain, someone with whom the reader cannot possibly identify, and his adventures are weirdly melodramatic, so unusual the reader's interest lies primarily in their curiosity.

Yet the book "works," and very often thrills. Somehow he does manage to make the reader care about James Dyer and his fate, and he does create excitement in a plot which skips from small town England to the court of Russia. Miller's masterful and controlled use of description is a primary factor in his ability to further the action of this unusual story and bring the characters and the period alive. This reader was awestruck by Miller's creative daring--and by his success. Mary Whipple

A cracking read, 25 May 2008
I got this book a while ago for no reason other than that I liked the title, and I picked it off my shelf last week for nothing other than it's incredible cover. I was quite put off by the blurb, as I think it's a premise that could so easily become either a gush of mush and not a lot else, or a chance to wallow in the horror and gore.

It's actually one of the subtlest novels I've read in a long time: I found myself constantly being surprised and unsure where the author was going, although there nothing here that was implausible. There's nothing too pre-destined about the plot and (thankfully) nothing trite about the outcome, yet there is something very "real" here - and an almost claustrophobic atmosphere that Miller manages to maintain for pretty much the entire novel. Although there's not a lot of heavy stuff to wade through, there's more than enough substance to leave a lasting impression.

really good read, 14 Apr 2008
Really good book.
Clem is a single guy, alone and has photographed horrific images while working in parts of war-torn Africa. He has an ongoing fear of developing a tumour which affects his sight, and eventually kills him as it did his mother.
He finds himself becoming a primary carer for his sister who is taken to a Psychaitric Hospital before going to live with him in a family members country cottage.
Clem seems to have absorbed the guilt of all those responsible for the massacres he has photographed.
The Hypochondrial worrying regarding his eyes is never taken farther. One can`t help wondering if his sister; rather than suffering from a mental illness, has developed the tumour.

I loved reading this..., 31 Aug 2006
Clem, a freelance photo-journalist, is traumatised by something he photographs, so when his sister falls ill he willingly leaves his work to take her down to Cornwall to help her recuperate. I found the novel touching, insightful and quietly compelling. It's a thoughtful book about the capacity of humans for both love and atrocity. Andrew Miller writes beautiful, accessible prose, so his words are a joy to read.

If you like Dan Brown then this probably isn't for you, but if you seek excellent writing and a moving, intelligent plot then I'd highly recommend it. I'll certainly be ordering another of his very soon.

Forgettable, 15 Jun 2006
it was the book cover and it's blurb that made me buy this book. i was hoping to read something fresh as it dwelt with a photographer and an issue that isnt much talked about. but unfortunatly i found it a tad slow paced, expecially at the beginning. it was a good book but extremley forgettable.
the book is about a man deeply effected by the pictures he took of an african masscare. it's an original idea, expecially with the other issues involved with his characters sister,but for me, this book is extremely unforgettable and didnt really conjure up the emotion i had wanted.


Very disappointing, 26 Apr 2006
A weak book from a strong writer, The Optimists is a misstep into Graham Greene territory. A news photographer shoots the aftermath of an African massacre, his sister has a nervous breakdown, he seems to be having one himself--none of it is compelling or fresh, and, at time, it's even somewhat ludicrous. The imagery, obvious metaphors about sight and pretty juvenile stuff about optimism, is hackneyed. And when his companion at the massacre site, a supposedly hard-boiled journalist, turns up voicing platitudes and dedicating himself to feeding the Toronto homeless, it's definitely one cliche too far. Even the family's name is worn out--they're (accidentally?) named after another of the more annoying families in literary history, the Glasses. Read Miller's first two books: they're so good it's hard to believe the same writer brought us this. Or maybe this one is actually that first novel he couldn't sell before, which is what it reads like.

What happened?, 24 Aug 2008
I very rarely write reviews but I had to as this book as stayed with me since I finished reading it last year when I was on holiday. The main reason it made such an impression was that it frustrated me so much. Although it was not a long book it took me some time to read as the characters, though intriguing, were not enough to hold my attention. However, I persisted, looking forward to finding out how the tenuously linked characters would be drawn together, only to finish the novel with a resounding thud...what happened?

Thinking back, it still frustrates me now, and so I felt I should at least warn others and give Oxygen the 1 star I feel it deserves.

Amazing descriptive power, 30 Nov 2007
Dealing with a difficult subject this is a beautifully written book.
Some of the passages were so well crafted I had to go back and re read them again to enjoy the image.

The story line weaved two apparently separate tales running along contemporay time scales until both simultaneously reach a climax and leave the reader not knowing what has happened.

I felt both tales stood up in there own right, one the tale of a woman in the final stages of cancer and her sons, the other a play write dealing with his own unfinished history.

At times a very difficult book to read, emotionally, but always perfectly written.

Disappointing, 04 Dec 2005
The book started off with some promise, but became increasingly repetitive, as more patience was required to await its fulfilment. Eventually, the substance degenerated into the minutiae of the lives of unconnected groups and then nothing happened.

Although the parallels and the vague threads of difference and similarity could be seen, there was no real hint of a loom, to weave them into something meaningful and worth having. For me, this book was a disappointing waste of time.

Superb, 07 Jul 2005
This is one of the best books I've read all year, even better than Miller's Ingenious Pain (I've ordered Casanova). The story of a dying mother and her dysfunctional family, it manages to be moving, shocking and very, very funny all at the same time. Miller is a great stylist, an impeccable writer, and someone who knows how to make his characters truly come alive. With great skill, he manages to make us care about the two sons, empathize with the mother, and invest hope and a great curiosity in an odd but compelling family saga.

Three Men Caught In A Crisis, 18 May 2005
Three men caught in a crisis of life, two are related by blood and the other is related by his writing. Andrew Miller was a Booker Prize Finalist with his book, "Oxygen". Oxygen the element of life's breathing, so necessary in our life.

Alice Valentine has recurrent tumors in her chest that have metastasized to her brain. She is in the throes of death and her two sons need to see her soon. Alec is a struggling translator and is working on a book written by a Hungarian writer, Lazlo. Alec has never had an easy life; he has had to fight for what he needs and wants his entire life. Alec has a crisis in his life- how can he care for his mother and still lead the life he wants, Lazlo has everything he needs in life it seems, love, riches and a career in Paris. But, those close to him, understand that he allowed a young Hungarian to die during the Hungarian revolution is 1956. Lazlo cannot forget this, and there comes a time when he may be able to rectify this mistake. Lazlo has a crisis in his life and he needs to know he can overcome his mistake and live life a free man again. Larry is Alice's other son, and he lives in California. He has had a successful career as a television star, but that ended two years ago. Now he needs to pay his bills for his wife, Kristi and young daughter, Ella. Porn seems to be the answer for easy money. Larry and Kristi have a crisis in their marriage.

Alice is dying and everyone in her family wants to come together to celebrate her life and birthday. There is celebration, there is pain and there is the mundane everyday life of the men and the people they bring into their lives. Each of these men will be able to feel a sense of liberation from their actions. They will concentrate on love and loss and regret and self-discovery. Each of them will live and breathe Oxygen. Will Alice's dying bring the family closer together? How does the story of Lazlo's book, Oxyegen compare to the real life drama going on within the family? What of little Ella who steals "things" and hides them, and then becomes very quiet? What of Kristi and what she wants within the marriage? Does reconciliation bring the family closer? This is a skilled chronicle of the human mind and heart. This book leaves us gasping for more "Oxygen". Highly recommended. prisrob

Good in parts, 03 Jan 2007
Looking back on this book, it seems to be a series of vignettes rather than an integrated story. This may well have been an intentional choice by the author, since this isn't a story about what happened, but an examination of a man at a certain point in his life.

That this man is Casanova is perhaps misleading, since to me the book was more about 'a' Casanova, rather than 'the' Casanova; it could have been any 18th century rake and writer. As far as I'm aware (no expert here!) the book is historically accurate, and indeed paints a wonderful Hogarthian picture of London, but those wishing to gain some insight about Casanova would be better off reading an biography.

I did enjoy the book, and considered it worth the time spent on it. In particular, the scene between Casanova and Johnson at the end of part 2 when each sees in the other something lacking in their own life is very memorable.

Highly recommended, 12 Mar 2006
When Casanova visits London in 1763 at the age of 38 he hopes to find some peace and quiet and reflect upon his past and present (indeed, a midlife-crisis) but soon he is swept away by the beautiful Marie Charpillon. The seducer is seduced, and Casanova finds himself outwitted at every turn, a plaything in Marie's hands...

This is a tale beautifully told, with delightful dialogues and full of witticisms. One of the best books I've read in years, I wish Miller would sit down and write a dozen or more of the kind.

A book for bedtime?, 04 Jul 2002
This book just didn't move me at all. It seemed pointless: Casanova doesn't get the girl, and reflects upon his life. Although nicely written, the story seemed somehow empty. The characters did nothing for me, and the plot is a series of episodes that don't add up to a novel. The best thing about it is how it evokes the mood of eighteenth century London - particularly, as another reviewer noted, the flood.

A luminous novel of period and character, 18 Apr 2002
Browsers should read with caution any reviewer who finds Andrew Miller's second novel boring. If you want an intricate plot, turn to John Le Carre. CASANOVA offers more subtle and profound pleasures. It is the work of a remarkable stylist. Miller's prose is limpid and luminous; he writes with admirable deftness and economy, in a book that shimmers with surface detail. CASANOVA is a character study. It offers an extended vignette of a very complex man as he undergoes a crisis of purpose. Casanova is blessed and cursed with uncommon talents; like Dr James Dyer in Miller's first novel, INGENIOUS PAIN, he is both larger and less than a man. Miller's documentary style is perfectly suited to a novel about the tensions between a man's visible and invisible selves. I urge you to read this book - and everything that Miller has written. Like all great artists, he teaches us to see.

Beautiful but hollow, 20 Jul 2001
After the extraordinary Ingenious Pain, Casanova traces very similar sylistic ground although with slightly lighter touches. Miller proves himself to be a master of the arresting image and the picture of the white faced women's pig butchery in the country snow is only one of a startling array of portraits in words. Miller creates an evocative picture of 18th century London but the plot seems somewhat rushed. Episodic in structure, it lacks real coherence and heart- but then ,in view of its cheif protagonist, perhaps that is precisly the effect Miller is hoping to create.