Superb, 09 Nov 2007
A near-perfect book. Excellent, not just for a debut novel, but for any novel. Some of the descriptive passages, particularly of the various characters, are incredibly beautiful while the pace, atmosphere and setting make for an unforgettable book.

Beautiful stuff, 11 Jun 2007
Nothing happens in this novel; but it happens beautifully. Populated with eccentrics, and sweltering in the hot summer of 1984 - when the teachers in Alison's school go on strike for weeks - this is a very English take on magic realism; understated, with shifts of understanding and gradual changes rather than sudden drama. At first, it reads like another of those 'coming of age' novels that revolve around some shocking revelation or terrible incident. But the deeper into the novel you go, you realise there probably isn't anything quite so crass as its centre. Instead, there's some really fine lyrical prose, driven by strange, but strangely believable characters, and with a pungent sense of place.

Despite discernible influences such as Marquez, and highly familiar aspects (hot English summer; young girl wrestling with adolescence), there's nothing else quite like this highly original and beautifully written novel. If this had been published in 1984 instead of set then, Channel Four would have made an affecting, offbeat drama out of it. As it is, we'll have to make do with Pears' stunning prose.

V good - but anachronistic!, 01 May 2002
I bought this book on the strength of the reviews.
I thought it was wonderfully written - very lyrical, wonderful descriptions. It's the kind of book that takes great pleasure in the smallest of details. Alison is a very believable narrator, but the villagers around her - particularly the rector - are fascinatingly eccentric and human.
In spite of this, though, I found it hard to believe that the novel was set in 1984 - the descriptions of village life seemed more suited to the 30s and 40s. I doubt that rural Devon was so superstitious and cut off from the 20th century as depicted here.

Good to read aloud at bedtime, 13 Jun 2000
A gentle, lyrical work, perhaps a little precious on occasions. Set in rural Devonshire in the recent past - and I can remember the political background and the hot weather. A very good bedtime book and one which reads well aloud.

Unforgettable, 24 Nov 1999
This is quite simply one of the most memorable books I have ever read. It is beatifully balanced and takes you right to the centre of the live of the main charater Alison.

You will have to stick with it for the first few chapters, but it will be a great reward when you do.

Superb, 09 Nov 2007
A near-perfect book. Excellent, not just for a debut novel, but for any novel. Some of the descriptive passages, particularly of the various characters, are incredibly beautiful while the pace, atmosphere and setting make for an unforgettable book.

Beautiful stuff, 11 Jun 2007
Nothing happens in this novel; but it happens beautifully. Populated with eccentrics, and sweltering in the hot summer of 1984 - when the teachers in Alison's school go on strike for weeks - this is a very English take on magic realism; understated, with shifts of understanding and gradual changes rather than sudden drama. At first, it reads like another of those 'coming of age' novels that revolve around some shocking revelation or terrible incident. But the deeper into the novel you go, you realise there probably isn't anything quite so crass as its centre. Instead, there's some really fine lyrical prose, driven by strange, but strangely believable characters, and with a pungent sense of place.

Despite discernible influences such as Marquez, and highly familiar aspects (hot English summer; young girl wrestling with adolescence), there's nothing else quite like this highly original and beautifully written novel. If this had been published in 1984 instead of set then, Channel Four would have made an affecting, offbeat drama out of it. As it is, we'll have to make do with Pears' stunning prose.

V good - but anachronistic!, 01 May 2002
I bought this book on the strength of the reviews.
I thought it was wonderfully written - very lyrical, wonderful descriptions. It's the kind of book that takes great pleasure in the smallest of details. Alison is a very believable narrator, but the villagers around her - particularly the rector - are fascinatingly eccentric and human.
In spite of this, though, I found it hard to believe that the novel was set in 1984 - the descriptions of village life seemed more suited to the 30s and 40s. I doubt that rural Devon was so superstitious and cut off from the 20th century as depicted here.

Good to read aloud at bedtime, 13 Jun 2000
A gentle, lyrical work, perhaps a little precious on occasions. Set in rural Devonshire in the recent past - and I can remember the political background and the hot weather. A very good bedtime book and one which reads well aloud.

Unforgettable, 24 Nov 1999
This is quite simply one of the most memorable books I have ever read. It is beatifully balanced and takes you right to the centre of the live of the main charater Alison.

You will have to stick with it for the first few chapters, but it will be a great reward when you do.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

Superb, 09 Nov 2007
A near-perfect book. Excellent, not just for a debut novel, but for any novel. Some of the descriptive passages, particularly of the various characters, are incredibly beautiful while the pace, atmosphere and setting make for an unforgettable book.

Beautiful stuff, 11 Jun 2007
Nothing happens in this novel; but it happens beautifully. Populated with eccentrics, and sweltering in the hot summer of 1984 - when the teachers in Alison's school go on strike for weeks - this is a very English take on magic realism; understated, with shifts of understanding and gradual changes rather than sudden drama. At first, it reads like another of those 'coming of age' novels that revolve around some shocking revelation or terrible incident. But the deeper into the novel you go, you realise there probably isn't anything quite so crass as its centre. Instead, there's some really fine lyrical prose, driven by strange, but strangely believable characters, and with a pungent sense of place.

Despite discernible influences such as Marquez, and highly familiar aspects (hot English summer; young girl wrestling with adolescence), there's nothing else quite like this highly original and beautifully written novel. If this had been published in 1984 instead of set then, Channel Four would have made an affecting, offbeat drama out of it. As it is, we'll have to make do with Pears' stunning prose.

V good - but anachronistic!, 01 May 2002
I bought this book on the strength of the reviews.
I thought it was wonderfully written - very lyrical, wonderful descriptions. It's the kind of book that takes great pleasure in the smallest of details. Alison is a very believable narrator, but the villagers around her - particularly the rector - are fascinatingly eccentric and human.
In spite of this, though, I found it hard to believe that the novel was set in 1984 - the descriptions of village life seemed more suited to the 30s and 40s. I doubt that rural Devon was so superstitious and cut off from the 20th century as depicted here.

Good to read aloud at bedtime, 13 Jun 2000
A gentle, lyrical work, perhaps a little precious on occasions. Set in rural Devonshire in the recent past - and I can remember the political background and the hot weather. A very good bedtime book and one which reads well aloud.

Unforgettable, 24 Nov 1999
This is quite simply one of the most memorable books I have ever read. It is beatifully balanced and takes you right to the centre of the live of the main charater Alison.

You will have to stick with it for the first few chapters, but it will be a great reward when you do.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?, 15 Oct 2008
A Forsythe Saga for the 20th Century, what could be more exciting? You have the back-drop of post-war austerity, the swinging Sixties, the winter of discontent and the Thatcher years; how could it fail? BY NOT HAVING A SINGLE INTERESTING THING HAPPEN OVER THE ENTIRE 600 PAGES! There are plenty of involving characters but each could have done with their own story, not shoe-horned together so that in order to keep the narrative linear there is no scope for interesting or involving incidents to happen in their lives. Charles, as the patriarch of the family would have made a great central character as his business thrives then fails but he is just one of a cast and so we don't learn too much about him. Laura and Robert's relationship occurs and ends while another character is the subject of the narrative so we never discover how it started or why it went so wrong, and that is the most interesting plot strand in the book! If you want a family saga try Middlemarch, if you want a "rise and fall" story try "A Man in Full", if you want to feel short-changed read this.

The Best Book I've Ever Read!, 06 Feb 2006
I had my first encounter with this story when I saw the television adaptation around 5 years ago. This inspired me to read the book. Tim Pears is a fantastic author who incorporates all of the human emotions into his books, twisting many stories together into one so that you feel part of what is happening. I really reccommend that you read this book, just to experience true love and not the slushy stuff. Be warned though...have a box of tissues right next to you at all times!

Fantastic, 11 May 2005
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a book about everyday people, that you can really get your teeth into. The characters are brilliantly described and the most central member of the Freeman family, James, is a genuinely inspiring person. It is sad what happens to him and I kept on willing him to live happily ever after with the woman of his dreams, but, as in real life, sometimes things just aren't meant to be.

I don't think the book is too long or a slog in places, as described by others. The book is a reflection of life in that sometimes not very much happens, and at other times your whole world can be turned upside down. All of the characters in this book become friends and you end up caring for all of them.

This book made me laugh, smile, almost cry, and made me fearful of turning the page when things turn sour for James and Laura. This book was also responsible for me spending many a day at work struggling to stay awake and concentrate after I had stayed up until the early hours of the morning unable to put it down. Read it!

amazing, loved every page...., 14 Apr 2005
Brilliant, I felt could empathise with every character, the journey of a family, affected by suicide, love, hope, dreams, acceptance and of course secrets and lies. Have re-read it. Thought the BBC production of it was good and was interesting to see it interpretated visualy. Know that some people didn't like it though, it just caught my imagination.....

A good family saga, 08 Nov 2004
All in all a good read, however I found the story speeds up and slows down through the years without warning, resulting in that i found myself fliping back through previous pages to check what had just happened.

There is a grubby, Lawrencean, earthiness about Wake Up, Tim Pears' fourth novel. Rotting vegetables, mud, urine, excrement, vomit and semen jostle for space in an invective first-person narrative. The central character John Sharp is an unnerving, unpleasant but often amusing raconteur. He's the misogynistic, misanthropic Oxford-educated brains behind Spudnik, Britain's largest potato dealers. Despite his disdain for the bulk of the word's inhabitants, he has unwavering faith in a scheme to cultivate vaccines in genetically modified spuds. The book opens with John driving to work having just learnt that two people have died in dubious trials of the prototype. Uncertain about how to break the news to Greg, his brother and (brawny) business partner; he becomes mesmerised by a ring road. As he spins relentlessly around it, in a subtle but insistent echo of the nature's own cycles, he starts to unfurl a highly questionable version of his life story. By the second page John has already confessed to lying and continually retracts, denies and reworks his own version of events, leaving the reader, as the silent, omnipresent interlocutor, to decide quite how believable any part of his story is.

Potato lore permeates his monologue--even seeping into a marvellously tuberous description of the Sharp clan's physiognomy: "We were a plug-ugly Anglo-Saxon family. Yes, we were. White and skinny or white and lumpy: that was the choice our genes offered us." Progeny, human and vegetable in John's case, is Pears' overriding theme. There's a remarkable neatness here. Pears is very adept at tidy but believable contrasts: John's scientism is marked against his wife Lily's New Ageism; Lily's adventurous cooking is in turn compared to John's mother's ability to drain food of its taste, while Greg's entrepreneurial vigour is sharply contrasted with their late father's inability to get beyond running a single fruit and veg stall. These binary motifs drive the novel; making John a robust, if sometimes obnoxious, figure and giving the whole thing a pleasing cohesion. There's a slightly annoying, final twist (Frankenspud turns out to be John's second genetic monstrosity) but this inventive and actually very funny novel asks serious questions about the responsibilities, and possible dangers, of scientific "progress". --Travis Elborough

Superb, 09 Nov 2007
A near-perfect book. Excellent, not just for a debut novel, but for any novel. Some of the descriptive passages, particularly of the various characters, are incredibly beautiful while the pace, atmosphere and setting make for an unforgettable book.

Beautiful stuff, 11 Jun 2007
Nothing happens in this novel; but it happens beautifully. Populated with eccentrics, and sweltering in the hot summer of 1984 - when the teachers in Alison's school go on strike for weeks - this is a very English take on magic realism; understated, with shifts of understanding and gradual changes rather than sudden drama. At first, it reads like another of those 'coming of age' novels that revolve around some shocking revelation or terrible incident. But the deeper into the novel you go, you realise there probably isn't anything quite so crass as its centre. Instead, there's some really fine lyrical prose, driven by strange, but strangely believable characters, and with a pungent sense of place.

Despite discernible influences such as Marquez, and highly familiar aspects (hot English summer; young girl wrestling with adolescence), there's nothing else quite like this highly original and beautifully written novel. If this had been published in 1984 instead of set then, Channel Four would have made an affecting, offbeat drama out of it. As it is, we'll have to make do with Pears' stunning prose.

V good - but anachronistic!, 01 May 2002
I bought this book on the strength of the reviews.
I thought it was wonderfully written - very lyrical, wonderful descriptions. It's the kind of book that takes great pleasure in the smallest of details. Alison is a very believable narrator, but the villagers around her - particularly the rector - are fascinatingly eccentric and human.
In spite of this, though, I found it hard to believe that the novel was set in 1984 - the descriptions of village life seemed more suited to the 30s and 40s. I doubt that rural Devon was so superstitious and cut off from the 20th century as depicted here.

Good to read aloud at bedtime, 13 Jun 2000
A gentle, lyrical work, perhaps a little precious on occasions. Set in rural Devonshire in the recent past - and I can remember the political background and the hot weather. A very good bedtime book and one which reads well aloud.

Unforgettable, 24 Nov 1999
This is quite simply one of the most memorable books I have ever read. It is beatifully balanced and takes you right to the centre of the live of the main charater Alison.

You will have to stick with it for the first few chapters, but it will be a great reward when you do.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?, 15 Oct 2008
A Forsythe Saga for the 20th Century, what could be more exciting? You have the back-drop of post-war austerity, the swinging Sixties, the winter of discontent and the Thatcher years; how could it fail? BY NOT HAVING A SINGLE INTERESTING THING HAPPEN OVER THE ENTIRE 600 PAGES! There are plenty of involving characters but each could have done with their own story, not shoe-horned together so that in order to keep the narrative linear there is no scope for interesting or involving incidents to happen in their lives. Charles, as the patriarch of the family would have made a great central character as his business thrives then fails but he is just one of a cast and so we don't learn too much about him. Laura and Robert's relationship occurs and ends while another character is the subject of the narrative so we never discover how it started or why it went so wrong, and that is the most interesting plot strand in the book! If you want a family saga try Middlemarch, if you want a "rise and fall" story try "A Man in Full", if you want to feel short-changed read this.

The Best Book I've Ever Read!, 06 Feb 2006
I had my first encounter with this story when I saw the television adaptation around 5 years ago. This inspired me to read the book. Tim Pears is a fantastic author who incorporates all of the human emotions into his books, twisting many stories together into one so that you feel part of what is happening. I really reccommend that you read this book, just to experience true love and not the slushy stuff. Be warned though...have a box of tissues right next to you at all times!

Fantastic, 11 May 2005
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a book about everyday people, that you can really get your teeth into. The characters are brilliantly described and the most central member of the Freeman family, James, is a genuinely inspiring person. It is sad what happens to him and I kept on willing him to live happily ever after with the woman of his dreams, but, as in real life, sometimes things just aren't meant to be.

I don't think the book is too long or a slog in places, as described by others. The book is a reflection of life in that sometimes not very much happens, and at other times your whole world can be turned upside down. All of the characters in this book become friends and you end up caring for all of them.

This book made me laugh, smile, almost cry, and made me fearful of turning the page when things turn sour for James and Laura. This book was also responsible for me spending many a day at work struggling to stay awake and concentrate after I had stayed up until the early hours of the morning unable to put it down. Read it!

amazing, loved every page...., 14 Apr 2005
Brilliant, I felt could empathise with every character, the journey of a family, affected by suicide, love, hope, dreams, acceptance and of course secrets and lies. Have re-read it. Thought the BBC production of it was good and was interesting to see it interpretated visualy. Know that some people didn't like it though, it just caught my imagination.....

A good family saga, 08 Nov 2004
All in all a good read, however I found the story speeds up and slows down through the years without warning, resulting in that i found myself fliping back through previous pages to check what had just happened.

A disturbing read, but well worth the discomfort, 15 Dec 2002
I've read all of Tim Pear's books and this one does not disappoint, although it is very different to his previous novels. John and his brother Greg run a successful potato processing and distribution business. Life has been good to them in recent years, but John has persuaded Greg to branch out into genetically-modified produce and has set up trials in Venezuela. Despite the best of intentions the trials have gone terribly wrong and two people have died.

The book is written in the first person from John's perspective, as he drives repetetively round their town's ring road, in a state of complete indecision - how can he tell Greg of this new development? As he drives, he remininsices on their life story, and as the book develops, we learn more and more about John's character. By the end of the book the reader is left with no illusions about John, and yet, there is a revelation waiting for us which shows how far he has gone in his quest to achieve perfect produce.

The book is quite easy to read, and the reader's interest is maintained throughout. John turns out to be a complex character with some unusual tastes. The psyche of the male is stripped bare and although the result is shocking, many men will relate to John's honesty about his inmost feelings. Whether women will like what is revealed is another matter.

I finished this book in about three days and realise that although it was in some senses an easy read, there is actually much in there to think about and it would be an excellent choice for a reading group or for the solitary reader who likes being challenged rather than comforted.

Superb, 09 Nov 2007
A near-perfect book. Excellent, not just for a debut novel, but for any novel. Some of the descriptive passages, particularly of the various characters, are incredibly beautiful while the pace, atmosphere and setting make for an unforgettable book.

Beautiful stuff, 11 Jun 2007
Nothing happens in this novel; but it happens beautifully. Populated with eccentrics, and sweltering in the hot summer of 1984 - when the teachers in Alison's school go on strike for weeks - this is a very English take on magic realism; understated, with shifts of understanding and gradual changes rather than sudden drama. At first, it reads like another of those 'coming of age' novels that revolve around some shocking revelation or terrible incident. But the deeper into the novel you go, you realise there probably isn't anything quite so crass as its centre. Instead, there's some really fine lyrical prose, driven by strange, but strangely believable characters, and with a pungent sense of place.

Despite discernible influences such as Marquez, and highly familiar aspects (hot English summer; young girl wrestling with adolescence), there's nothing else quite like this highly original and beautifully written novel. If this had been published in 1984 instead of set then, Channel Four would have made an affecting, offbeat drama out of it. As it is, we'll have to make do with Pears' stunning prose.

V good - but anachronistic!, 01 May 2002
I bought this book on the strength of the reviews.
I thought it was wonderfully written - very lyrical, wonderful descriptions. It's the kind of book that takes great pleasure in the smallest of details. Alison is a very believable narrator, but the villagers around her - particularly the rector - are fascinatingly eccentric and human.
In spite of this, though, I found it hard to believe that the novel was set in 1984 - the descriptions of village life seemed more suited to the 30s and 40s. I doubt that rural Devon was so superstitious and cut off from the 20th century as depicted here.

Good to read aloud at bedtime, 13 Jun 2000
A gentle, lyrical work, perhaps a little precious on occasions. Set in rural Devonshire in the recent past - and I can remember the political background and the hot weather. A very good bedtime book and one which reads well aloud.

Unforgettable, 24 Nov 1999
This is quite simply one of the most memorable books I have ever read. It is beatifully balanced and takes you right to the centre of the live of the main charater Alison.

You will have to stick with it for the first few chapters, but it will be a great reward when you do.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?, 15 Oct 2008
A Forsythe Saga for the 20th Century, what could be more exciting? You have the back-drop of post-war austerity, the swinging Sixties, the winter of discontent and the Thatcher years; how could it fail? BY NOT HAVING A SINGLE INTERESTING THING HAPPEN OVER THE ENTIRE 600 PAGES! There are plenty of involving characters but each could have done with their own story, not shoe-horned together so that in order to keep the narrative linear there is no scope for interesting or involving incidents to happen in their lives. Charles, as the patriarch of the family would have made a great central character as his business thrives then fails but he is just one of a cast and so we don't learn too much about him. Laura and Robert's relationship occurs and ends while another character is the subject of the narrative so we never discover how it started or why it went so wrong, and that is the most interesting plot strand in the book! If you want a family saga try Middlemarch, if you want a "rise and fall" story try "A Man in Full", if you want to feel short-changed read this.

The Best Book I've Ever Read!, 06 Feb 2006
I had my first encounter with this story when I saw the television adaptation around 5 years ago. This inspired me to read the book. Tim Pears is a fantastic author who incorporates all of the human emotions into his books, twisting many stories together into one so that you feel part of what is happening. I really reccommend that you read this book, just to experience true love and not the slushy stuff. Be warned though...have a box of tissues right next to you at all times!

Fantastic, 11 May 2005
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a book about everyday people, that you can really get your teeth into. The characters are brilliantly described and the most central member of the Freeman family, James, is a genuinely inspiring person. It is sad what happens to him and I kept on willing him to live happily ever after with the woman of his dreams, but, as in real life, sometimes things just aren't meant to be.

I don't think the book is too long or a slog in places, as described by others. The book is a reflection of life in that sometimes not very much happens, and at other times your whole world can be turned upside down. All of the characters in this book become friends and you end up caring for all of them.

This book made me laugh, smile, almost cry, and made me fearful of turning the page when things turn sour for James and Laura. This book was also responsible for me spending many a day at work struggling to stay awake and concentrate after I had stayed up until the early hours of the morning unable to put it down. Read it!

amazing, loved every page...., 14 Apr 2005
Brilliant, I felt could empathise with every character, the journey of a family, affected by suicide, love, hope, dreams, acceptance and of course secrets and lies. Have re-read it. Thought the BBC production of it was good and was interesting to see it interpretated visualy. Know that some people didn't like it though, it just caught my imagination.....

A good family saga, 08 Nov 2004
All in all a good read, however I found the story speeds up and slows down through the years without warning, resulting in that i found myself fliping back through previous pages to check what had just happened.

A disturbing read, but well worth the discomfort, 15 Dec 2002
I've read all of Tim Pear's books and this one does not disappoint, although it is very different to his previous novels. John and his brother Greg run a successful potato processing and distribution business. Life has been good to them in recent years, but John has persuaded Greg to branch out into genetically-modified produce and has set up trials in Venezuela. Despite the best of intentions the trials have gone terribly wrong and two people have died.

The book is written in the first person from John's perspective, as he drives repetetively round their town's ring road, in a state of complete indecision - how can he tell Greg of this new development? As he drives, he remininsices on their life story, and as the book develops, we learn more and more about John's character. By the end of the book the reader is left with no illusions about John, and yet, there is a revelation waiting for us which shows how far he has gone in his quest to achieve perfect produce.

The book is quite easy to read, and the reader's interest is maintained throughout. John turns out to be a complex character with some unusual tastes. The psyche of the male is stripped bare and although the result is shocking, many men will relate to John's honesty about his inmost feelings. Whether women will like what is revealed is another matter.

I finished this book in about three days and realise that although it was in some senses an easy read, there is actually much in there to think about and it would be an excellent choice for a reading group or for the solitary reader who likes being challenged rather than comforted.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

In A Revolution of the Sun, Amnesiac Sam Caine loses his diary, his only hold on memory, in a greasy spoon. Rebecca Menotti takes a brief respite from her party-drugged life in London to visit her widowed father in Bristol. Hyper-intelligent dropout Joe Snow does his menial job in Mr Bone's Oxford laboratory, financed by the Al-Shalir twins. Tory MP Roderick Pastille (born Roderigo Pastile) fights gay rights at a Cabinet meeting while fantasising about transvestites. Cat burglar Martha Polkinghorne remembers her wrestling-obsessed upbringing. Solo O'Brien tries to raise his paraplegic child Ben on a Manchester housing estate, while the kids at Ben's school try to tattoo his head. Jack Knighton lives in thrall to his wife Miranda's demands. Slowly, as they move through 1997, their stories start to overlap and intersect.

Coming after In The Place of Fallen Leaves and In A Land of Plenty, Tim Pears' new novel is large, ambitious and potentially unwieldy. The opening pages, as he frantically introduces all his stories in the first hours of New Year's Day 1997, are (perhaps inevitably) forced. However, as he gives himself the space to develop each story--and each has its own tone, its own pace, its own obsessions--Pears convinces that he can indeed carry off his ambition. Veering wildly between tongue-in-cheek satire (Pastile / Pastille), near-whimsy (Martha's wrestling-obsessed father), standard TV drama fare (the amnesiac) and the truly moving (Ben O'Brien), Pears nonetheless makes them all necessary parts of the whole. His plot lines are all ultimately about individuals, most of them loners, but in their attempts to make contact through the book there is a hope of something beyond individualism, beyond loneliness. --Alan Stewart

Superb, 09 Nov 2007
A near-perfect book. Excellent, not just for a debut novel, but for any novel. Some of the descriptive passages, particularly of the various characters, are incredibly beautiful while the pace, atmosphere and setting make for an unforgettable book.

Beautiful stuff, 11 Jun 2007
Nothing happens in this novel; but it happens beautifully. Populated with eccentrics, and sweltering in the hot summer of 1984 - when the teachers in Alison's school go on strike for weeks - this is a very English take on magic realism; understated, with shifts of understanding and gradual changes rather than sudden drama. At first, it reads like another of those 'coming of age' novels that revolve around some shocking revelation or terrible incident. But the deeper into the novel you go, you realise there probably isn't anything quite so crass as its centre. Instead, there's some really fine lyrical prose, driven by strange, but strangely believable characters, and with a pungent sense of place.

Despite discernible influences such as Marquez, and highly familiar aspects (hot English summer; young girl wrestling with adolescence), there's nothing else quite like this highly original and beautifully written novel. If this had been published in 1984 instead of set then, Channel Four would have made an affecting, offbeat drama out of it. As it is, we'll have to make do with Pears' stunning prose.

V good - but anachronistic!, 01 May 2002
I bought this book on the strength of the reviews.
I thought it was wonderfully written - very lyrical, wonderful descriptions. It's the kind of book that takes great pleasure in the smallest of details. Alison is a very believable narrator, but the villagers around her - particularly the rector - are fascinatingly eccentric and human.
In spite of this, though, I found it hard to believe that the novel was set in 1984 - the descriptions of village life seemed more suited to the 30s and 40s. I doubt that rural Devon was so superstitious and cut off from the 20th century as depicted here.

Good to read aloud at bedtime, 13 Jun 2000
A gentle, lyrical work, perhaps a little precious on occasions. Set in rural Devonshire in the recent past - and I can remember the political background and the hot weather. A very good bedtime book and one which reads well aloud.

Unforgettable, 24 Nov 1999
This is quite simply one of the most memorable books I have ever read. It is beatifully balanced and takes you right to the centre of the live of the main charater Alison.

You will have to stick with it for the first few chapters, but it will be a great reward when you do.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?, 15 Oct 2008
A Forsythe Saga for the 20th Century, what could be more exciting? You have the back-drop of post-war austerity, the swinging Sixties, the winter of discontent and the Thatcher years; how could it fail? BY NOT HAVING A SINGLE INTERESTING THING HAPPEN OVER THE ENTIRE 600 PAGES! There are plenty of involving characters but each could have done with their own story, not shoe-horned together so that in order to keep the narrative linear there is no scope for interesting or involving incidents to happen in their lives. Charles, as the patriarch of the family would have made a great central character as his business thrives then fails but he is just one of a cast and so we don't learn too much about him. Laura and Robert's relationship occurs and ends while another character is the subject of the narrative so we never discover how it started or why it went so wrong, and that is the most interesting plot strand in the book! If you want a family saga try Middlemarch, if you want a "rise and fall" story try "A Man in Full", if you want to feel short-changed read this.

The Best Book I've Ever Read!, 06 Feb 2006
I had my first encounter with this story when I saw the television adaptation around 5 years ago. This inspired me to read the book. Tim Pears is a fantastic author who incorporates all of the human emotions into his books, twisting many stories together into one so that you feel part of what is happening. I really reccommend that you read this book, just to experience true love and not the slushy stuff. Be warned though...have a box of tissues right next to you at all times!

Fantastic, 11 May 2005
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a book about everyday people, that you can really get your teeth into. The characters are brilliantly described and the most central member of the Freeman family, James, is a genuinely inspiring person. It is sad what happens to him and I kept on willing him to live happily ever after with the woman of his dreams, but, as in real life, sometimes things just aren't meant to be.

I don't think the book is too long or a slog in places, as described by others. The book is a reflection of life in that sometimes not very much happens, and at other times your whole world can be turned upside down. All of the characters in this book become friends and you end up caring for all of them.

This book made me laugh, smile, almost cry, and made me fearful of turning the page when things turn sour for James and Laura. This book was also responsible for me spending many a day at work struggling to stay awake and concentrate after I had stayed up until the early hours of the morning unable to put it down. Read it!

amazing, loved every page...., 14 Apr 2005
Brilliant, I felt could empathise with every character, the journey of a family, affected by suicide, love, hope, dreams, acceptance and of course secrets and lies. Have re-read it. Thought the BBC production of it was good and was interesting to see it interpretated visualy. Know that some people didn't like it though, it just caught my imagination.....

A good family saga, 08 Nov 2004
All in all a good read, however I found the story speeds up and slows down through the years without warning, resulting in that i found myself fliping back through previous pages to check what had just happened.

A disturbing read, but well worth the discomfort, 15 Dec 2002
I've read all of Tim Pear's books and this one does not disappoint, although it is very different to his previous novels. John and his brother Greg run a successful potato processing and distribution business. Life has been good to them in recent years, but John has persuaded Greg to branch out into genetically-modified produce and has set up trials in Venezuela. Despite the best of intentions the trials have gone terribly wrong and two people have died.

The book is written in the first person from John's perspective, as he drives repetetively round their town's ring road, in a state of complete indecision - how can he tell Greg of this new development? As he drives, he remininsices on their life story, and as the book develops, we learn more and more about John's character. By the end of the book the reader is left with no illusions about John, and yet, there is a revelation waiting for us which shows how far he has gone in his quest to achieve perfect produce.

The book is quite easy to read, and the reader's interest is maintained throughout. John turns out to be a complex character with some unusual tastes. The psyche of the male is stripped bare and although the result is shocking, many men will relate to John's honesty about his inmost feelings. Whether women will like what is revealed is another matter.

I finished this book in about three days and realise that although it was in some senses an easy read, there is actually much in there to think about and it would be an excellent choice for a reading group or for the solitary reader who likes being challenged rather than comforted.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

Dull, 02 Oct 2003
There are very few books I have given up on (Captain Corelli's Mandolin was one of them - you love it or hate it, and I hated it) but I just couldn't summon up the enthusiam to get further than half way with this book. In a Land of Plenty was wonderful but this was bland, uninteresting and in the end I decided I had better things to do than persevere. Its in the pile for the jumble sale right now.

Incredibly tedious, 09 Apr 2002
Mr. Pears has tried to create a novel of greater philosophical and mystical scope than "In a Land of Plenty". For me, unfortunately, it didn't work. I became annoyed with the confusing style, and found the stories uninteresting. I especially despised the lengthy sections devoted to the University of Oxford. Some of the characters are intriguing but the supposed depth of the story just made me laugh. I give the book two stars for its ambition, but nothing more.

Disappointment after greatness, 26 Sep 2000
If this was a first novel I probably would have loved it, but coming after "In a Land of Plenty" which is easily one of the five best books I have ever read this is a BIG disappointment. The stories clunk, the characters are just too stereotypical or too way-out. There are nice passages but that's about it. IALOP made me laugh and cry, this book just passed the time.

A beguiling read, challenging and entertaining, 05 Jul 2000
This is the first Tim Pears book I have read and I now want to devour his other offerings too. This book grabs the attention from page one and continues to fascinate throughout.

It follows the stories of half a dozen assorted people through various events in their lives, weaving their stories together and gradually introducing co-incidences, leading to a grand resolution.

The book is both entertaining and literate - making me both *laugh* at Tom Sharp-like passages set around a university, and also *think* around Pears' unique turns of phrase. The book challenges prejudices, enabling one to see the point of view of people you would not normally agree with.

One theme running through the book is loss of memory (amnesia) and the effect that can have on romantic relationships. This raises philopsophical questions about the nature of relationships which run on in the mind long after you have finished the book.

Altogether a facinating read, leaving a sense of regret when it is finished.

There is a grubby, Lawrencean, earthiness about Wake Up, Tim Pears' fourth novel. Rotting vegetables, mud, urine, excrement, vomit and semen jostle for space in an invective first-person narrative. The central character John Sharp is an unnerving, unpleasant but often amusing raconteur. He's the misogynistic, misanthropic Oxford-educated brains behind Spudnik, Britain's largest potato dealers. Despite his disdain for the bulk of the word's inhabitants, he has unwavering faith in a scheme to cultivate vaccines in genetically modified spuds. The book opens with John driving to work having just learnt that two people have died in dubious trials of the prototype. Uncertain about how to break the news to Greg, his brother and (brawny) business partner; he becomes mesmerised by a ring road. As he spins relentlessly around it, in a subtle but insistent echo of the nature's own cycles, he starts to unfurl a highly questionable version of his life story. By the second page John has already confessed to lying and continually retracts, denies and reworks his own version of events, leaving the reader, as the silent, omnipresent interlocutor, to decide quite how believable any part of his story is.

Potato lore permeates his monologue--even seeping into a marvellously tuberous description of the Sharp clan's physiognomy: "We were a plug-ugly Anglo-Saxon family. Yes, we were. White and skinny or white and lumpy: that was the choice our genes offered us." Progeny, human and vegetable in John's case, is Pears' overriding theme. There's a remarkable neatness here. Pears is very adept at tidy but believable contrasts: John's scientism is marked against his wife Lily's New Ageism; Lily's adventurous cooking is in turn compared to John's mother's ability to drain food of its taste, while Greg's entrepreneurial vigour is sharply contrasted with their late father's inability to get beyond running a single fruit and veg stall. These binary motifs drive the novel; making John a robust, if sometimes obnoxious, figure and giving the whole thing a pleasing cohesion. There's a slightly annoying, final twist (Frankenspud turns out to be John's second genetic monstrosity) but this inventive and actually very funny novel asks serious questions about the responsibilities, and possible dangers, of scientific "progress". --Travis Elborough

Superb, 09 Nov 2007
A near-perfect book. Excellent, not just for a debut novel, but for any novel. Some of the descriptive passages, particularly of the various characters, are incredibly beautiful while the pace, atmosphere and setting make for an unforgettable book.

Beautiful stuff, 11 Jun 2007
Nothing happens in this novel; but it happens beautifully. Populated with eccentrics, and sweltering in the hot summer of 1984 - when the teachers in Alison's school go on strike for weeks - this is a very English take on magic realism; understated, with shifts of understanding and gradual changes rather than sudden drama. At first, it reads like another of those 'coming of age' novels that revolve around some shocking revelation or terrible incident. But the deeper into the novel you go, you realise there probably isn't anything quite so crass as its centre. Instead, there's some really fine lyrical prose, driven by strange, but strangely believable characters, and with a pungent sense of place.

Despite discernible influences such as Marquez, and highly familiar aspects (hot English summer; young girl wrestling with adolescence), there's nothing else quite like this highly original and beautifully written novel. If this had been published in 1984 instead of set then, Channel Four would have made an affecting, offbeat drama out of it. As it is, we'll have to make do with Pears' stunning prose.

V good - but anachronistic!, 01 May 2002
I bought this book on the strength of the reviews.
I thought it was wonderfully written - very lyrical, wonderful descriptions. It's the kind of book that takes great pleasure in the smallest of details. Alison is a very believable narrator, but the villagers around her - particularly the rector - are fascinatingly eccentric and human.
In spite of this, though, I found it hard to believe that the novel was set in 1984 - the descriptions of village life seemed more suited to the 30s and 40s. I doubt that rural Devon was so superstitious and cut off from the 20th century as depicted here.

Good to read aloud at bedtime, 13 Jun 2000
A gentle, lyrical work, perhaps a little precious on occasions. Set in rural Devonshire in the recent past - and I can remember the political background and the hot weather. A very good bedtime book and one which reads well aloud.

Unforgettable, 24 Nov 1999
This is quite simply one of the most memorable books I have ever read. It is beatifully balanced and takes you right to the centre of the live of the main charater Alison.

You will have to stick with it for the first few chapters, but it will be a great reward when you do.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?, 15 Oct 2008
A Forsythe Saga for the 20th Century, what could be more exciting? You have the back-drop of post-war austerity, the swinging Sixties, the winter of discontent and the Thatcher years; how could it fail? BY NOT HAVING A SINGLE INTERESTING THING HAPPEN OVER THE ENTIRE 600 PAGES! There are plenty of involving characters but each could have done with their own story, not shoe-horned together so that in order to keep the narrative linear there is no scope for interesting or involving incidents to happen in their lives. Charles, as the patriarch of the family would have made a great central character as his business thrives then fails but he is just one of a cast and so we don't learn too much about him. Laura and Robert's relationship occurs and ends while another character is the subject of the narrative so we never discover how it started or why it went so wrong, and that is the most interesting plot strand in the book! If you want a family saga try Middlemarch, if you want a "rise and fall" story try "A Man in Full", if you want to feel short-changed read this.

The Best Book I've Ever Read!, 06 Feb 2006
I had my first encounter with this story when I saw the television adaptation around 5 years ago. This inspired me to read the book. Tim Pears is a fantastic author who incorporates all of the human emotions into his books, twisting many stories together into one so that you feel part of what is happening. I really reccommend that you read this book, just to experience true love and not the slushy stuff. Be warned though...have a box of tissues right next to you at all times!

Fantastic, 11 May 2005
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a book about everyday people, that you can really get your teeth into. The characters are brilliantly described and the most central member of the Freeman family, James, is a genuinely inspiring person. It is sad what happens to him and I kept on willing him to live happily ever after with the woman of his dreams, but, as in real life, sometimes things just aren't meant to be.

I don't think the book is too long or a slog in places, as described by others. The book is a reflection of life in that sometimes not very much happens, and at other times your whole world can be turned upside down. All of the characters in this book become friends and you end up caring for all of them.

This book made me laugh, smile, almost cry, and made me fearful of turning the page when things turn sour for James and Laura. This book was also responsible for me spending many a day at work struggling to stay awake and concentrate after I had stayed up until the early hours of the morning unable to put it down. Read it!

amazing, loved every page...., 14 Apr 2005
Brilliant, I felt could empathise with every character, the journey of a family, affected by suicide, love, hope, dreams, acceptance and of course secrets and lies. Have re-read it. Thought the BBC production of it was good and was interesting to see it interpretated visualy. Know that some people didn't like it though, it just caught my imagination.....

A good family saga, 08 Nov 2004
All in all a good read, however I found the story speeds up and slows down through the years without warning, resulting in that i found myself fliping back through previous pages to check what had just happened.

A disturbing read, but well worth the discomfort, 15 Dec 2002
I've read all of Tim Pear's books and this one does not disappoint, although it is very different to his previous novels. John and his brother Greg run a successful potato processing and distribution business. Life has been good to them in recent years, but John has persuaded Greg to branch out into genetically-modified produce and has set up trials in Venezuela. Despite the best of intentions the trials have gone terribly wrong and two people have died.

The book is written in the first person from John's perspective, as he drives repetetively round their town's ring road, in a state of complete indecision - how can he tell Greg of this new development? As he drives, he remininsices on their life story, and as the book develops, we learn more and more about John's character. By the end of the book the reader is left with no illusions about John, and yet, there is a revelation waiting for us which shows how far he has gone in his quest to achieve perfect produce.

The book is quite easy to read, and the reader's interest is maintained throughout. John turns out to be a complex character with some unusual tastes. The psyche of the male is stripped bare and although the result is shocking, many men will relate to John's honesty about his inmost feelings. Whether women will like what is revealed is another matter.

I finished this book in about three days and realise that although it was in some senses an easy read, there is actually much in there to think about and it would be an excellent choice for a reading group or for the solitary reader who likes being challenged rather than comforted.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

Dull, 02 Oct 2003
There are very few books I have given up on (Captain Corelli's Mandolin was one of them - you love it or hate it, and I hated it) but I just couldn't summon up the enthusiam to get further than half way with this book. In a Land of Plenty was wonderful but this was bland, uninteresting and in the end I decided I had better things to do than persevere. Its in the pile for the jumble sale right now.

Incredibly tedious, 09 Apr 2002
Mr. Pears has tried to create a novel of greater philosophical and mystical scope than "In a Land of Plenty". For me, unfortunately, it didn't work. I became annoyed with the confusing style, and found the stories uninteresting. I especially despised the lengthy sections devoted to the University of Oxford. Some of the characters are intriguing but the supposed depth of the story just made me laugh. I give the book two stars for its ambition, but nothing more.

Disappointment after greatness, 26 Sep 2000
If this was a first novel I probably would have loved it, but coming after "In a Land of Plenty" which is easily one of the five best books I have ever read this is a BIG disappointment. The stories clunk, the characters are just too stereotypical or too way-out. There are nice passages but that's about it. IALOP made me laugh and cry, this book just passed the time.

A beguiling read, challenging and entertaining, 05 Jul 2000
This is the first Tim Pears book I have read and I now want to devour his other offerings too. This book grabs the attention from page one and continues to fascinate throughout.

It follows the stories of half a dozen assorted people through various events in their lives, weaving their stories together and gradually introducing co-incidences, leading to a grand resolution.

The book is both entertaining and literate - making me both *laugh* at Tom Sharp-like passages set around a university, and also *think* around Pears' unique turns of phrase. The book challenges prejudices, enabling one to see the point of view of people you would not normally agree with.

One theme running through the book is loss of memory (amnesia) and the effect that can have on romantic relationships. This raises philopsophical questions about the nature of relationships which run on in the mind long after you have finished the book.

Altogether a facinating read, leaving a sense of regret when it is finished.

A disturbing read, but well worth the discomfort, 15 Dec 2002
I've read all of Tim Pear's books and this one does not disappoint, although it is very different to his previous novels. John and his brother Greg run a successful potato processing and distribution business. Life has been good to them in recent years, but John has persuaded Greg to branch out into genetically-modified produce and has set up trials in Venezuela. Despite the best of intentions the trials have gone terribly wrong and two people have died.

The book is written in the first person from John's perspective, as he drives repetetively round their town's ring road, in a state of complete indecision - how can he tell Greg of this new development? As he drives, he remininsices on their life story, and as the book develops, we learn more and more about John's character. By the end of the book the reader is left with no illusions about John, and yet, there is a revelation waiting for us which shows how far he has gone in his quest to achieve perfect produce.

The book is quite easy to read, and the reader's interest is maintained throughout. John turns out to be a complex character with some unusual tastes. The psyche of the male is stripped bare and although the result is shocking, many men will relate to John's honesty about his inmost feelings. Whether women will like what is revealed is another matter.

I finished this book in about three days and realise that although it was in some senses an easy read, there is actually much in there to think about and it would be an excellent choice for a reading group or for the solitary reader who likes being challenged rather than comforted.

Superb, 09 Nov 2007
A near-perfect book. Excellent, not just for a debut novel, but for any novel. Some of the descriptive passages, particularly of the various characters, are incredibly beautiful while the pace, atmosphere and setting make for an unforgettable book.

Beautiful stuff, 11 Jun 2007
Nothing happens in this novel; but it happens beautifully. Populated with eccentrics, and sweltering in the hot summer of 1984 - when the teachers in Alison's school go on strike for weeks - this is a very English take on magic realism; understated, with shifts of understanding and gradual changes rather than sudden drama. At first, it reads like another of those 'coming of age' novels that revolve around some shocking revelation or terrible incident. But the deeper into the novel you go, you realise there probably isn't anything quite so crass as its centre. Instead, there's some really fine lyrical prose, driven by strange, but strangely believable characters, and with a pungent sense of place.

Despite discernible influences such as Marquez, and highly familiar aspects (hot English summer; young girl wrestling with adolescence), there's nothing else quite like this highly original and beautifully written novel. If this had been published in 1984 instead of set then, Channel Four would have made an affecting, offbeat drama out of it. As it is, we'll have to make do with Pears' stunning prose.

V good - but anachronistic!, 01 May 2002
I bought this book on the strength of the reviews.
I thought it was wonderfully written - very lyrical, wonderful descriptions. It's the kind of book that takes great pleasure in the smallest of details. Alison is a very believable narrator, but the villagers around her - particularly the rector - are fascinatingly eccentric and human.
In spite of this, though, I found it hard to believe that the novel was set in 1984 - the descriptions of village life seemed more suited to the 30s and 40s. I doubt that rural Devon was so superstitious and cut off from the 20th century as depicted here.

Good to read aloud at bedtime, 13 Jun 2000
A gentle, lyrical work, perhaps a little precious on occasions. Set in rural Devonshire in the recent past - and I can remember the political background and the hot weather. A very good bedtime book and one which reads well aloud.

Unforgettable, 24 Nov 1999
This is quite simply one of the most memorable books I have ever read. It is beatifully balanced and takes you right to the centre of the live of the main charater Alison.

You will have to stick with it for the first few chapters, but it will be a great reward when you do.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?, 15 Oct 2008
A Forsythe Saga for the 20th Century, what could be more exciting? You have the back-drop of post-war austerity, the swinging Sixties, the winter of discontent and the Thatcher years; how could it fail? BY NOT HAVING A SINGLE INTERESTING THING HAPPEN OVER THE ENTIRE 600 PAGES! There are plenty of involving characters but each could have done with their own story, not shoe-horned together so that in order to keep the narrative linear there is no scope for interesting or involving incidents to happen in their lives. Charles, as the patriarch of the family would have made a great central character as his business thrives then fails but he is just one of a cast and so we don't learn too much about him. Laura and Robert's relationship occurs and ends while another character is the subject of the narrative so we never discover how it started or why it went so wrong, and that is the most interesting plot strand in the book! If you want a family saga try Middlemarch, if you want a "rise and fall" story try "A Man in Full", if you want to feel short-changed read this.

The Best Book I've Ever Read!, 06 Feb 2006
I had my first encounter with this story when I saw the television adaptation around 5 years ago. This inspired me to read the book. Tim Pears is a fantastic author who incorporates all of the human emotions into his books, twisting many stories together into one so that you feel part of what is happening. I really reccommend that you read this book, just to experience true love and not the slushy stuff. Be warned though...have a box of tissues right next to you at all times!

Fantastic, 11 May 2005
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a book about everyday people, that you can really get your teeth into. The characters are brilliantly described and the most central member of the Freeman family, James, is a genuinely inspiring person. It is sad what happens to him and I kept on willing him to live happily ever after with the woman of his dreams, but, as in real life, sometimes things just aren't meant to be.

I don't think the book is too long or a slog in places, as described by others. The book is a reflection of life in that sometimes not very much happens, and at other times your whole world can be turned upside down. All of the characters in this book become friends and you end up caring for all of them.

This book made me laugh, smile, almost cry, and made me fearful of turning the page when things turn sour for James and Laura. This book was also responsible for me spending many a day at work struggling to stay awake and concentrate after I had stayed up until the early hours of the morning unable to put it down. Read it!

amazing, loved every page...., 14 Apr 2005
Brilliant, I felt could empathise with every character, the journey of a family, affected by suicide, love, hope, dreams, acceptance and of course secrets and lies. Have re-read it. Thought the BBC production of it was good and was interesting to see it interpretated visualy. Know that some people didn't like it though, it just caught my imagination.....

A good family saga, 08 Nov 2004
All in all a good read, however I found the story speeds up and slows down through the years without warning, resulting in that i found myself fliping back through previous pages to check what had just happened.

A disturbing read, but well worth the discomfort, 15 Dec 2002
I've read all of Tim Pear's books and this one does not disappoint, although it is very different to his previous novels. John and his brother Greg run a successful potato processing and distribution business. Life has been good to them in recent years, but John has persuaded Greg to branch out into genetically-modified produce and has set up trials in Venezuela. Despite the best of intentions the trials have gone terribly wrong and two people have died.

The book is written in the first person from John's perspective, as he drives repetetively round their town's ring road, in a state of complete indecision - how can he tell Greg of this new development? As he drives, he remininsices on their life story, and as the book develops, we learn more and more about John's character. By the end of the book the reader is left with no illusions about John, and yet, there is a revelation waiting for us which shows how far he has gone in his quest to achieve perfect produce.

The book is quite easy to read, and the reader's interest is maintained throughout. John turns out to be a complex character with some unusual tastes. The psyche of the male is stripped bare and although the result is shocking, many men will relate to John's honesty about his inmost feelings. Whether women will like what is revealed is another matter.

I finished this book in about three days and realise that although it was in some senses an easy read, there is actually much in there to think about and it would be an excellent choice for a reading group or for the solitary reader who likes being challenged rather than comforted.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our lives while remaining sane.

This family are articulate and highly educated, and it is amusing to see Ezra and Sheena try to maintain their sense of "specialness" while teenage Blaise blows holes through so many of their pretensions and fake values. The failings of both parents are exposed from time to time, but this book is not an attack on the Peppins, but compassionately describes their struggle to live authentic lives among the cultural changes and work pressures of modern life.

This is a book which draws you in to the Peppins' world, so that when you put it down you find yourself wondering what will happen next. It's a book you read quickly but also want to make last a few days - a difficult task for this reader. I have recently read Gerard Woodward's "A Curious Earth", another exploration of family life, and would say that these two books are the best I have read this year. This one is highly recommended and if I could award five and a half stars I would do so.


Subtle brilliance, 06 Apr 2007
Having read everything Tim Pears has written and noting that this book hasn't been trumpeted to the skies by the publisher, I just have to say it is staggeringly good. On the surface a simple story of a middle class family in Oxford over the course of the summer of 2003, it is, in fact, a devastating critique on our society and its moral vacuity as well as being an entertaining pageturner. The sense of impending disaster is palpable and I was utterly gripped from the first page to the last. Buy it, read it and then read his other books. The man is an unsung genius.

Dull, 02 Oct 2003
There are very few books I have given up on (Captain Corelli's Mandolin was one of them - you love it or hate it, and I hated it) but I just couldn't summon up the enthusiam to get further than half way with this book. In a Land of Plenty was wonderful but this was bland, uninteresting and in the end I decided I had better things to do than persevere. Its in the pile for the jumble sale right now.

Incredibly tedious, 09 Apr 2002
Mr. Pears has tried to create a novel of greater philosophical and mystical scope than "In a Land of Plenty". For me, unfortunately, it didn't work. I became annoyed with the confusing style, and found the stories uninteresting. I especially despised the lengthy sections devoted to the University of Oxford. Some of the characters are intriguing but the supposed depth of the story just made me laugh. I give the book two stars for its ambition, but nothing more.

Disappointment after greatness, 26 Sep 2000
If this was a first novel I probably would have loved it, but coming after "In a Land of Plenty" which is easily one of the five best books I have ever read this is a BIG disappointment. The stories clunk, the characters are just too stereotypical or too way-out. There are nice passages but that's about it. IALOP made me laugh and cry, this book just passed the time.

A beguiling read, challenging and entertaining, 05 Jul 2000
This is the first Tim Pears book I have read and I now want to devour his other offerings too. This book grabs the attention from page one and continues to fascinate throughout.

It follows the stories of half a dozen assorted people through various events in their lives, weaving their stories together and gradually introducing co-incidences, leading to a grand resolution.

The book is both entertaining and literate - making me both *laugh* at Tom Sharp-like passages set around a university, and also *think* around Pears' unique turns of phrase. The book challenges prejudices, enabling one to see the point of view of people you would not normally agree with.

One theme running through the book is loss of memory (amnesia) and the effect that can have on romantic relationships. This raises philopsophical questions about the nature of relationships which run on in the mind long after you have finished the book.

Altogether a facinating read, leaving a sense of regret when it is finished.

A disturbing read, but well worth the discomfort, 15 Dec 2002
I've read all of Tim Pear's books and this one does not disappoint, although it is very different to his previous novels. John and his brother Greg run a successful potato processing and distribution business. Life has been good to them in recent years, but John has persuaded Greg to branch out into genetically-modified produce and has set up trials in Venezuela. Despite the best of intentions the trials have gone terribly wrong and two people have died.

The book is written in the first person from John's perspective, as he drives repetetively round their town's ring road, in a state of complete indecision - how can he tell Greg of this new development? As he drives, he remininsices on their life story, and as the book develops, we learn more and more about John's character. By the end of the book the reader is left with no illusions about John, and yet, there is a revelation waiting for us which shows how far he has gone in his quest to achieve perfect produce.

The book is quite easy to read, and the reader's interest is maintained throughout. John turns out to be a complex character with some unusual tastes. The psyche of the male is stripped bare and although the result is shocking, many men will relate to John's honesty about his inmost feelings. Whether women will like what is revealed is another matter.

I finished this book in about three days and realise that although it was in some senses an easy read, there is actually much in there to think about and it would be an excellent choice for a reading group or for the solitary reader who likes being challenged rather than comforted.

If only all books were this good, 10 May 2007
A rare treat - another book from the marvellous Tim Pears. It is hard to find superlatives to describe this novel, so I will limit myself to words which may persuade others to read it. On the face of it, Blenheim Orchard follows an Oxford family through a few months of their lives in 2003. But this is no sentimental family saga. Ezra and Sheena Peppin have three children, and the book deals with themes of middle-age and parenthood, while adolescence disturbs well-established family structures. It deals with friendship and work relationships, and the struggle we all have to come to terms with the circumstances of our