The Lesser Bohemians

'McBride writes in a stream of consciousness style that's as accessible as it is startling. It can make the world new at the same time as evoking its timeless fundamentals.' Independent 'Without ever passing judgment, The Lesser Bohemians situates itself at that point of moral, sexual and grammatical uncertainty where, in Eily's words again, pure is indivisible from its reverse . For me it is the ability to delve so deeply into all of this, more or less regardless, that makes for the unique talent-the wilful, sensuous generosity-of Eimear McBride.' Jacqueline Rose, London Review of Books 'A dazzling, affecting and stimulating read. We can imagine it as Samuel Beckett fused with Henry Miller. Far better, though, to appreciate it for what it really is: the work of one of the most exciting voices in fiction today.' Australian 'The Lesser Bohemians confirms McBride's status as one of our major novelists. She writes with beauty, wisdom and humour and she is uniquely sensitive to what is being communicated with every look or jerk of the body. If, in DH Lawrence's formulation, the novel is the one bright book of life , then the life here radiates through the pages and illuminates ours.' Guardian 'In both books, language alternately delights and devastates, twisting without turning into a gimmick; instead, the beauty of grammatical function is on display...McBride's second novel is often about excitement and possibility...I found myself almost embarrassed to be devouring it, hoping for the happy ending I was not expecting of McBride or either of these characters.' Vice [A] magnificent, sex-soused, innocence-to-experience rollercoaster...Having put both her characters' and readers' hearts through the wringer, the sweetness that McBride ultimately grants feels earned.' Daily Mail 'McBride is one of the most exciting literary talents to emerge in the last few years.' Financial Times 'McBride is always brilliant on her central theme-the paradox that it is shame that makes us behave shamefully.' Irish Times 'If you rush McBride's sentences, you'll trip...The rewards for adopting a slower pace are linguistic joys and surprises on every page...this extraordinary novel deserves all the success of McBride's first.' New Statesman 'Without ever passing judgment, The Lesser Bohemians situates itself at that point of moral, sexual and grammatical uncertainty where, in Eily's words again, pure is indivisible from its reverse . For me it is the ability to delve so deeply into all of this, more or less regardless, that makes for the unique talent-the wilful, sensuous generosity-of Eimear McBride.' London Review of Books 'McBride has a rare gift as a writer: she combines high modernism, page-turning plot and melodrama into a narrative that will appeal to mainstream audiences and fans of literary avant garde.' Irish Independent 'This is viscera-bared, blood-to-the-elbows fiction, and that's why it's so effective: like real life, it doesn't stop at the easy breaks.' Bookmunch 'It's a mark of McBride's magic-her genius if you like-that she trusts that readers are perfectly able to knit a coherent sensibility out the non-linearity of thought.' Adelaide Review 'A brilliant balancing act...The mixture of sensory impressions and inner commentary successfully captures the inchoate nature of thought while remaining comprehensible.' Otago Daily Times 'The chopped up words, slammed together sentences and neologisms act with the potency of poetry' Big Issue 'If you like your fiction dark with shocking shards of brilliant illumination, and your characters flawed, sometimes unlikeable but utterly human; and a style that can pull you through a hedge with just about every sentence, this is a book for you.' Booksellers New Zealand