About this title: Alison Hart is a psychic who is tormented by her spirit guide, a nasty, clownish little creature named Morris who is visible only to Alison. Her life is enlivened, however, by her assistant, Colette, a divorcée who's been through the mill and who now manages the money Al earns from her career as a successful but mostly bogus psychic. Together, the ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Date Published: 05/2005
ISBN-13:9780805073560ISBN:0805073566
Description: Good in good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 384 p. Ex-Library expected imperfections. read more
Description: Good. Purchasing this DVD supports the North Central Regional Library. Thriftbooks and NCRL have partnered to help raise additional funds for the library system. Library ID found on DVD and case. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Book has appearance of light use with no easily noticeable wear. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Very Good. Former Library book. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Book shows minor use. Cover and Binding have minimal wear and the pages have only minimal creases. A tradition of southern quality and service. All books guaranteed at the Atlanta Book Company. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780805073560ISBN:0805073566
Description: Very Good. First Edition. First Edition. Very nice ex-library copy with dust jacket. Like new except for library markings. Some books may be ex-library books. read more
Description: Good. 2006-Paperback----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Picador
Date Published: 2006-04-18
ISBN-13:9780312426057ISBN:0312426054
Description: Like New. May be shiny, in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, no damage to binding, may have a remainder mark. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HarperPerennial
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780007157761ISBN:0007157762
Description: Very Good. Paperback, Very Good, clean, tight, unmarked, edge wear Alison is a medium. She hears voices from the other side. But the messages are sometimes too dark to pass on so she tells her clients-drawn from the outer reaches of London-what they want to hear. Alison is 'a girl of unfeasible size, with plump creamy shoulders, rounded calves, thighs and hips that overflow her chair'. But put some make-up on her beige features and she glows. Colette, her manager and side-kick, makes the ... read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Fourth Estate Ltd, London, United Kingdom
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780007157754ISBN:0007157754
Description: As New in As New jacket. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. Clean, tight, with no spine or cover creases. No marks, notes, inscriptions or dogears. Cover is clean with no tears or chips, no stamps or stickers. read more
Description: Might have minor reminder mark or minor shelf ware. Brand New! *Fast Delivery from our Canadian or American warehouses*. SATIFACTION GURANTEED! Might have minor reminder mark or minor shelf ware. Brand New! *Fast Delivery from our Canadian or American warehouses*. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780805073560ISBN:0805073566
Description: Fine in LIKE NEW jacket. Different cover art than shown, same content. LIKE NEW-NEVER READ! Book is an overstock and may show minor wear or have marker line (remainder mark) on edge. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780805073560ISBN:0805073566
Description: New in new dust jacket. Excellent Condition! Small Dot Remainder Mark, No Damage, 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Glued binding. Cloth over boards. 384 p. John MacRae Books (Hardcover). Audience: General/trade. read more
Edition: Later Printing
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Harper Perennial, London
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780007157761ISBN:0007157762
Description: Very Good. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. (UK) No markings, there is drip of clear liqid to the bottom corner of age 27 making it slightly wave at the edge, hint of spine slant, VG. Wraps, 451pp. This has been called "one of the greatest ghost stories in the language". (1.4 Jm FO 42B/1. read more
"There's a lot to recommend in this novel about a professional psychic--who really does see ghosts--plying her trade in the working class suburbs of London. The profession itself becomes an excellent metaphor for writing: the spirits though genuine are often difficult to discern, and even then they do not always appear, and so the medium often is forced to make do with psychology manipulation, theatrical effects, and charlatanry. The relationship between Alison the psychic and her manager Collete is effectively presented, the character of Morris the spirit guide--an obscene, dwarfish bookmaker--is entertainingly vile, and the hints concerning Alison's childhood are predictably dark and deftly placed with the narrative. Where Mantel really excels, however, is in descriptions of threadbare London neighborhoods, the mediocrity of British food, and descriptions of a spirit world equally threadbare and mediocre. The biographical revelations that end the novel are suitably shocking, but I have to admit that by that time I barely cared. The novel is, however, vivid in language and stylistically impressive. It is definitely worth a read."
"This was my first go at Mantel, on Grace's recommendation, and I think she is a great writer. I found myself admiring more than enjoying though - the book itself is for the most part cruel, nasty, unrelenting and depressing. The ending reinforces the idea that there is a system of justice at work (bad things happen to bad people, and good things happen to good people) which is reassuring and welcome, but I felt that I was kept distant from the characters throughout.
Some highlights include a tense negotiation for a new home; a trip to a garden centre to buy a shed; and a dog nearly eating a young child's head. So if you like homes or sheds or dogs, this one's for you."
"The priggish Collette constantly attempts to categorize, label and compartmentalize the psychic phenomena her colleague encounters on a daily basis. She does this to find ways for her business partner Allison to become more financially viable. Allison, the stories' lead, is an overweight woman with a good heart that battles years of psychic baggage, both literally and figuratively. In a very real sense, Allison is haunted by ghosts from her childhood. The mischievous spirits did not have their fill harassing everyone when they were alive and have kept at it postmortem. Being my second Mantel novel, this was not the book I expected it to be. The previous book (Flud) had used poetry-like prose to turn what appeared to be every day events into a hyper-real fantasy. 'Beyond Black 'did the opposite. Mantel made the supernatural seem completely mundane. After returning the book to the nightstand for the evening I was convinced of the existence of the spirit world. (Which is saying a lot, I don't really believe in anything). 'Beyond Black' is emotionally intense and not always a pleasant read. Living through the horrific past of the protagonist is discomforting. Throughout the whole book (and this is really the only thing I found it to be similar in tone to Flud) you are pretty sure something bad is about to go down. Of course, that may just be me."
"One of my all-time favorite books. I love Hilary Mantel's plain-spoken but off-kilter, original style, and the plot is simultaneously sinister and comforting. I re-read it a couple of times a year."
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