Capital, by John Lanchester

[BOF]

It's only 20p, and it is great, a thoroughly enjoyable read. It covers the lives of a diverse cast of Londoners on one street, over the period of the financial bubble bursting from 2007. Extraordinarily vivid, at times funny and then thought-provoking. I really recommend it as an absorbing and fascinating read: you haven't seen me on here for a couple of days, have you?

i downloaded this the other day, tempted by the 20p price tag, glad it's worth it

I bought it some months ago (cheap but not 20p) and agree that it is a great read.

Thanks for this, I picked it up in a shop the other day and thought it looked good, had no idea it was that cheap on Kindle, just downloaded it.

I downloaded it a couple of weeks ago for 20p as well but haven't read it yet. I'm still working my way through my kindle Christmas sale downloads plus I'm in two book clubs. Must. Stop. Downloading.

I really enjoyed it too - bought it when it came out, so it wasn't 20p! It's currently featured in The Guardian book club discussions - there's a piece by John Lanchester about it in today's (Saturday's) Guardian.

Great read. Sulking a bit now at you lot gettingit for 20p though Is that on a kindle I'm assuming?

Yes, kindle.

Hackmum, thanks

I also really enjoyed it - much to my surprise as I read The Debt to Pleasure when that first came out and hated it! (I may give it another go now that I've enjoyed Capital so much, though.) However, I did feel (with Capital that, although JL wove all the stories together very skilfully and gave a good account of London's diversity ... I'd somehow heard it all before. I mean, the characters were all very well written and not at all two-dimensional, but it still felt as if they were all types - as if JL was ticking them off a list of People You Find In Twenty-First Century London (the Polish builder, the Asian family with the militant tearaway son, the YBA Banksy-type...) Anyone else find that?

Yes, that's true. I still felt fascinated by how he brought them to life though. It was very Dickensian like that: stereotypes, but so vividly drawn...I adored Arabella- I can just see her on MN

Ooh yes, "AIBU to think DH doesn't appreciate me and I need some me time?" - cries of "LTB" and "go away for a few days so he can see how much you contribute"

Dickensian is just right as a description, and very apt given the subject matter is London.

I LOVED this book, especially as I used to live where it was set so it seemed very 'real' to me.

I did like it but I found it written in rather a 'journalistic way'. Head-hopping from one POV to another, and quite a bit of telling rather than showing. That said, it is an ambitious book and needed writing.

I'm finding it a little dull so far, but these comments are encouraging me to carry on

I've temporarily lost my kindle (I left it on a bus and have still to pick it up) so I ended up buying it in Waterstones for £7.99 as I needed something to read.
And now you're saying it's 20p on the kindle.

I'm half way through at the moment and thouroughly enjoying it though.

I loved it and have passed it on to DH, my Dad and am recommending to anyone who will listen. Agree that there are lots of types...but they are so recognisable!!! I live in SW London (the wrong side of Balham High Road) and perhaps that's one reason why I have enjoyed it so much.

Disclaimer - I am not an Arabella type!!!

It might be some comfort to you LadyBeagle that it isn't 20p any more on kindle. It's gone up to £3.66. The 20p deal came to an end a few days ago.

I bought it a while back. Are you enjoying it? I'm going to save it for when I go on holiday.