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1982, Janine

Series: Canons
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( 1,272 ratings, 130 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
1982, Janine by Alasdair Gray delves into the mind of Jock McLeish, a middle-aged, divorced, and disillusioned man. Spending a solitary night in a hotel room, he grapples with his failures, desires, and fantasies through internal monologues and imagined scenarios. The novel is a profound examination of identity, loneliness, and the interplay between reality and imagination.
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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?

You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by a deeply introspective narrative that combines gritty realism with surreal, imaginative elements. The story provides a unique exploration of the protagonist's mind, revealing insights into societal issues and personal struggles. Its innovative style and complex character development offer a rewarding read for those who appreciate literary experimentation and psychological depth.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The unforgettable, challenging and experimental second novel from the author of Lanark. Introduced by Will Self.

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

Jock McLeish, failed husband, lover and businessman, is alone in a hotel room, drinking whisky, fantasising about sex and contemplating suicide. As he tries to distance himself from reality, his lonely, alcohol-fuelled fantasies are interrupted by a flood of memories, reminding him of his own shortcomings.

An unforgettably imaginative book, deeply experimental in its form and charged with a dark humour, 1982, Janine is a searing portrait of male need and inadequacy. Gray's exploration of politics, religion, powerlessness, and pornography has lost none of its power to shock and entertain.

Series: Canons

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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?

Alasdair Gray's 1982, Janine is celebrated for its tumultuous and inventive narrative style, drawing comparisons to the vision and energy found in the works of D.H. Lawrence. It combines rich language and experimental storytelling to explore the themes of loneliness and exploitation, avoiding depression through its wit and dynamic prose. The novel is appreciated for energising contemporary fiction, influencing authors like Jonathan Coe with its vivid depiction of the human predicament.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781786893963

Publisher: Canongate Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 February 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Canongate Canons

Edition: Main - Canons

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Will Self
  • Introduction by Will Self

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 253g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Born in 1934, Alasdair Gray graduated in design and mural painting from the Glasgow School of Art. Since 1981, when Lanark was published by Canongate, he has written, designed and illustrated seven novels, several books of short stories, a collection of his stage, radio and TV plays and a book of his visual art, A Life in Pictures.

In his own words, 'Alasdair Gray is a fat, spectacled, balding, old Glaswegian pedestrian who has mainly lived by writing and designing books, most of them fiction.'

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