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Take Nothing With You

A richly absorbing novel of boyhood, coming of age, confusion and desire
By Patrick Gale
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Check link for latest rating. ( 3,238 ratings, 379 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
Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale is an evocative novel about Eustace, a man confronting his past during a pivotal moment in his life. While receiving treatment in hospital, the narrative explores his journey of self-discovery, reflecting on his childhood, his complex relationship with music and its profound impact on his identity. Set against a beautifully crafted emotional backdrop, the story delves into memory, love, and the trials of personal growth.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$9500

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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?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy beautifully written narratives that explore themes of music, personal discovery, and emotional complexity. Fans of character-driven stories that capture the intricacies of life and love in both humourous and poignant ways will likely find this novel captivating. If you appreciate stories that delve into the past to illuminate the present, this could be a delightful read for you.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A stunning, compassionate and funny novel from the author of the Costa Shortlisted A PLACE CALLED WINTER

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
'Absolutely one of his best - a wonderful, wonderful read' Stephen Fry 'Funny and heartfelt' Spectator From the bestselling author of A Place Called Winter comes a compassionate, compelling new novel of boyhood, coming of age, and the confusions of desire and reality. 'An incredibly beautiful story told with compassion. Nothing is wasted. Each sentence is beautifully crafted' Joanna Cannon 1970s Weston-Super-Mare and ten-year-old oddball Eustace, an only child, has life transformed by his mother's quixotic decision to sign him up for cello lessons. Music-making brings release for a boy who is discovering he is an emotional volcano. He laps up lessons from his young teacher, not noticing how her brand of glamour is casting a damaging spell over his frustrated and controlling mother. When he is enrolled in holiday courses in the Scottish borders, lessons in love, rejection, and humility are added to daily practice. Drawing in part on his own boyhood, Patrick Gale's new novel explores a collision between childish hero worship and extremely messy adult love lives. 'It's delicious, it's dear, it's heart-breaking and very funny' Rachel Joyce 'Suffused with the joy and wisdom of Gale's mid-life reconnection with music' Guardian 'Gale is excellent on the hot, messy nature of self-discovery and sexual awakening' Daily Mail 'Generously optimistic. It shows how our past shapes us, but suggests that we can make something from the emotional burdens that we bear' Telegraph What readers love about Take Nothing With You: 'This is a beautifully written novel, simple to read but so humane and warm' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'As with all his books you feel you are reading about someone you know intimately such is his amazing characterisation. Read this book and feel totally fulfilled' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'This is a warming tale of a younger and later an old man overcoming adversity through his innate goodness, humour and optimism' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Gale is a wonderful writer. His description of the Schubert string quintet rehearsals perfectly described the slow movement. I'd been searching for that music for a few years. This story is brilliant on so many fronts' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'A very beautiful novel of love, friendship and the cello' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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?

Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale is praised for its seamless blending of social comedy with deeper, more serious themes. Reviewers describe it as a joyous, tender, and beautifully written novel that balances humour with heartfelt moments. The book is lauded for its exquisite storytelling and is considered an insightful and empathetic exploration of human experiences.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781472205353

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 April 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Tinder Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 259g

Pages: 368

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Patrick Gale

About the Author

Patrick Gale was born on the Isle of Wight. He spent his infancy at Wandsworth Prison, which his father governed, then grew up in Winchester before going to Oxford University. He now lives on a farm near Land's End. One of this country's best-loved novelists, his most recent works are A Perfectly Good Man, the Richard and Judy bestseller Notes From An Exhibition, the Costa-shortlisted A Place Called Winter and Mother's Boy. His original BBC television drama, Man In An Orange Shirt, was shown to great acclaim in 2017 as part of the BBC's Queer Britannia series, leading viewers around the world to discover his novels.

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    'Tender, evocative' TLS 'Richly engaging' Spectator A Radio 4 Serial Fiction Book of the Week 'A characteristically tender novel about a young man growing up in the shadow of one war and the whispers of the next' Observer 'A wonderful novel about relationships, particularly between a mother and son. A compelling read, beautifully crafted and sensitively written' Irish Examiner Laura,...
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  • A Perfectly Good Man
    Devastatingly moving and full of psychological insight, A Perfectly Good Man is a warm, humane Cornish novel from the bestselling author of A Place Called Winter. 'A convincing, moving account of man's struggle with faith, marriage and morality' Sunday Times On a clear, crisp summer's day in Cornwall, a young man carefully prepares to take his own life and asks...
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  • Notes from an Exhibition
    A bestselling 'Cornish' novel, Notes from an Exhibition is a moving, intuitive novel of artistic compulsion, marriage, and the secrets left behind. It was a Richard & Judy bestseller. 'Poised and pitch-perfect throughout' Mail on Sunday Celebrated artist Rachel Kelly dies alone in her Penzance studio, after decades of struggling with the creative highs and devastating lows that have coloured...
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  • Rough Music
    Truly compelling and rich with emotional insight, Patrick Gale's Cornish novel, Rough Music, is a beautiful story of a marriage and the secrets a family holds. 'Sparkling with emotional intelligence. A gripping portrait of a marriage and the quiet, devastating fall-out of family life' Independent Julian is a contented if naive only child, and a holiday on the coast of...
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    With Love Lane, Gale gets right to the secret joys and hidden heartbreaks of ordinary, flawed family life. A tender, delicately devastating novel. Sarah Waters Love Lane moved me greatly. The novel has a great sweep, in its story, and in the richness and vividness of each of its characters. This is a book about secrets and lies, yet Gale...
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  • A Place Called Winter: Costa Shortlisted 2015
    A Place Called Winter: Costa Shortlisted 2015
    In the golden 1900s, Harry Cane, a shy, eligible gentleman of leisure, is drawn from a life of quiet routine into courting and marrying Winnie, the eldest daughter of the fatherless Wells clan, who are not quite as respectable as they would appear. They settle by the sea and have a daughter, and conventional marriage does not seem such a...
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