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Any Human Heart

A BBC Two Between the Covers pick
By William Boyd
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4.28 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 26,356 ratings, 2,427 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
Any Human Heart by William Boyd is a profound exploration of 20th-century life through the diary of Logan Mountstuart, an art lover and writer. The novel chronicles his personal and professional experiences, from youthful aspirations to the complexities of his relationships, set against the backdrop of historical events spanning several decades. Boyd skilfully captures the human condition, blending humour and tragedy in this sweeping narrative.
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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 appreciate immersive tales of personal discovery set against the backdrop of 20th-century historical events. The story offers a rich tapestry of human experiences, chronicling a man's journey through love, friendship and the unpredictable turns of life. Fans of deeply introspective and emotionally resonant narratives may find this captivating.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Every life is both ordinary and extraordinary, but Logan Mountstuart's - lived from the beginning to the end of the twentieth century - contains more than its fair share of both. As a writer who finds inspiration with Hemingway in Paris and Virginia Woolf in London, as a spy recruited by Ian Fleming and betrayed in the war.

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

On publication of William Boyd's new hardback, a fresh new look for his classic novel spanning every decade of the 20th century.

Every life is both ordinary and extraordinary, but Logan Mountstuart's—lived from the beginning to the end of the twentieth century—contains more than its fair share of both. As a writer who finds inspiration with Hemingway in Paris and Virginia Woolf in London, as a spy recruited by Ian Fleming and betrayed in the war, and as an art-dealer in '60s New York, Logan mixes with the movers and shakers of his times.

But as a son, friend, lover, and husband, he makes the same mistakes we all do in our search for happiness. Here, then, is the story of a life lived to the full—and a journey deep into a very human heart.

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?

Any Human Heart by William Boyd is widely praised for its entertaining and engaging journey through the twentieth century. Critics highlight its profound and moving narrative that encourages readers to reflect on their own lives, noting its superb storytelling and vivid evocation of a past era. The novel is often described as brilliant, humourous, and one of Boyd's most significant works.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141044170

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 October 2009

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 31.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 362g

Pages: 528

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books William Boyd

About the Author

William Boyd was born in 1952 in Accra, Ghana and grew up there and in Nigeria. His first novel, A Good Man in Africa (1981), won the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Somerset Maugham Prize. His other novels are An Ice Cream War (1982, shortlisted for the 1982 Booker Prize and winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize), Stars and Bars (1984), The New Confessions (1987), Brazzaville Beach (1990, winner of the McVitie Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize), The Blue Afternoon (1993, winner of the 1993 Sunday Express Book of the Year Award), Armadillo (1998), Any Human Heart (2002, winner of the Prix Jean Monnet) and Restless (2006, winner of the Costa Novel of the Year Award). His latest novel is Ordinary Thunderstorms (2009). Some thirteen of his screenplays have been filmed, including The Trench (1999), which he also directed, and he is also the author of four collections of short stories: On the Yankee Station (1981), The Destiny of Nathalie 'X' (1995), Fascination (2004) and The Dream Lover (2008). He is married and divides his time between London and South West France.

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