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Alms For Oblivion Volume III

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( 59 ratings, 5 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Alms For Oblivion Volume III, Simon Raven continues his exploration of post-war British society through sharp wit and intricate narratives. This volume delves into the ambitions, moral ambiguities, and personal entanglements of a diverse cast of characters. Raven masterfully weaves together the various threads of societal and personal upheaval, capturing the complexities of ambition and consequence with his signature style.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you enjoy sharp and satirical depictions of British society, filled with complex characters and intertwining stories, you might find this book particularly appealing. Simon Raven's work is renowned for its wit, clever dialogue, and insightful exploration of human behaviour, making it a compelling read for those who appreciate a sophisticated narrative.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Presents an extraordinary series of murders, suicides, affairs, fighting, fires and at least one explosion, blackmail, gambling, illness, madness, lots of parties and plenty of sex. This title includes "Bring Forth the Body" and "The Survivors".

A dazzling sequence of novels about the English misbehaving at home and abroad

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A dazzling sequence of novels about the English misbehaving at home and abroad.

'Brisk, bawdy and reckless' - Evening Standard

'A freak writer, he defies classification. In wilder moments he suggests a loose, lunatic collaboration of Trollope, Ouida and Waugh' - Observer

The Alms for Oblivion sequence is an extraordinary series of murders, suicides, affairs, fighting, fires and at least one explosion, blackmail, gambling, illness, madness, lots of parties and plenty of sex. This series draws to a close with two novels about death and retribution. However, Simon Raven's achievement and the conflicted, colourful or uniquely vile characters he created are not easily forgotten after the last page is turned.

Volume III includes Bring Forth the Body and The Survivors.

'There are some people who consider the greatest cycle of twentieth-century novels to be Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time. These people are wrong. Widmerpool and his joyless accomplices are as nothing compared to the characters in Simon Raven's majestic, scurrilous and scabrous Alms for Oblivion cycle' - Guardian

Series: Alms for Oblivion

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  • Alms For Oblivion Volume I
    A dazzling sequence of novels about the English misbehaving at home and abroad. Cracking entertainment... Dangerously, deliciously addictive - Daily Telegraph Raven is a freak writer, he defies classification. In wilder moments he suggests a loose, lunatic collaboration of Trollope, Ouida and Waugh - Observer Enter Alms for Oblivion, Simon Raven's dazzling cycle of ten novels, all telling separate stories...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Alms For Oblivion Volume II
    A dazzling sequence of novels about the English misbehaving at home and abroad. Each of the novels in Alms for Oblivion is an elegant morality tale, beautifully composed, sparkling with appreciation of the sheer limitless variety of human wickedness — TLS Simon Raven's sequence of colourful and funny novels about the English upper-class misbehaving continues against a backdrop of intrigue...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Alms For Oblivion Volume III
    A dazzling sequence of novels about the English misbehaving at home and abroad. 'Brisk, bawdy and reckless' - Evening Standard 'A freak writer, he defies classification. In wilder moments he suggests a loose, lunatic collaboration of Trollope, Ouida and Waugh' - Observer The Alms for Oblivion sequence is an extraordinary series of murders, suicides, affairs, fighting, fires and at least...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Alms For Oblivion Volume III by Simon Raven is praised for its vibrant characterisation, wit, and exploration of societal dynamics within the upper middle and upper classes. The series is noted for its mix of humour and corruption, offering a powerful critique that transcends mere entertainment. The book is also commended for its surreal and original narrative style, drawing comparisons to the works of P. G. Wodehouse.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099561347

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 May 2012

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 373g

Pages: 544

About the Author

Author Simon Raven was perhaps known as much for his controversial behaviour as for his writing. He grew up reading and studying the classics, translating them from Greek and Latin into English and vice-versa. He was expelled from Charterhouse School in 1945 for homosexual activities, having first been seduced at the age of nine by the games master (an experience he described as giving 'immediate and unalloyed pleasure") and went on to join the army. Following his National Service, Raven attended King's College, Cambridge to read English. Raven later returned to the army but was asked to resign rather than face a court-martial for 'conduct unbecoming.' It was at this point that he turned his focus to writing. The publisher Anthony Blond paid Raven to write and to move away from London to Deal, Kent. His works span a multitude of genres including fiction, drama, essays, memoirs and screenplays. Simon Raven died in May 2001, having written his own epitaph- "He shared his bottle - and, when still young and appetising, his bed."

Also by Simon Raven

View all
  • Alms For Oblivion Volume I
    A dazzling sequence of novels about the English misbehaving at home and abroad. Cracking entertainment... Dangerously, deliciously addictive - Daily Telegraph Raven is a freak writer, he defies classification. In wilder moments he suggests a loose, lunatic collaboration of Trollope, Ouida and Waugh - Observer Enter Alms for Oblivion, Simon Raven's dazzling cycle of ten novels, all telling separate stories...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Alms For Oblivion Volume II
    A dazzling sequence of novels about the English misbehaving at home and abroad. Each of the novels in Alms for Oblivion is an elegant morality tale, beautifully composed, sparkling with appreciation of the sheer limitless variety of human wickedness — TLS Simon Raven's sequence of colourful and funny novels about the English upper-class misbehaving continues against a backdrop of intrigue...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

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