The Post-birthday World

Critics

• 'The Post-Birthday World' by Lionel Shriver

  In her long-awaited follow-up, The Post-Birthday World, Shriver treads less controversial ground but doesn't shy away from exploring a theme that is likely to generate a similar amount of discussion: is life pre-ordained or do we need to take respons ... (read full critics)

  readingmatters published on Tue, 28 Sep 2010

• Oh dear, she's snookered now

  The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver HarperCollins £15, pp600 Like most people, I only became aware of Lionel Shriver when her novel, We Need to Talk About Kevin, was shortlisted for - and then won - the 2005 Orange Prize. Even then, I tried to ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

6 Reviews

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  I loved this book! How do the choices you make affect your life? The possibilities are endless... Lionel Shriver offers us two possible story lines in this well constructed and heartwarming novel. Intelligent, compassionate - all I can say is :
  Read it!

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  Linda Wilke said on Jan 7, 2009 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  COuldn't finish it, the device didn't work and it was over-written and needed a good edit. Didn't care how it ended or what happened to any of the characters. And it gave me an earworm of 'Snooker Loopy', to boot.

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  cina said on Mar 17, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  admire the authur lionel shriver's writing skill and ability. a woman and two men's worlds together and apart in diff scenario. and the indepth of love/desire/indecision/decision.

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  helyip said on Jul 9, 2009 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

• *** This comment contains spoilers! ***

  

  Interesting concept

  I quite enjoyed the concept of two worlds existing simultaneously, but found the main character, Irina, to be so immature and bad at communicating that it was hard to enjoy the plot! It felt like watching a tv show where you just want to yell, "tell him!" or "be honest!" If, in fact, this book is i ... (continue)

  I quite enjoyed the concept of two worlds existing simultaneously, but found the main character, Irina, to be so immature and bad at communicating that it was hard to enjoy the plot! It felt like watching a tv show where you just want to yell, "tell him!" or "be honest!" If, in fact, this book is intended to be didactic, that was lost on me. Her choice, to kiss or not to kiss another man, did not actually decide her happiness in the end. She chose that by not communicating her needs in either "world" and by being incessantly dissatisfied. I was glad when it ended and I didn't have to spend any more time in her self-absorbed universe.

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  Tisha808 said on Mar 12, 2009 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

• 

  Very interesting concept (telling two different fates side by side) and very interesting characters. Still, I didn't enjoy reading this very much. Depressed me too much, and every now and then it was difficult to follow the plot. But good. Maybe very good.

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  berserkasfuck said on Dec 9, 2008 | Add your feedback

• Tops of the Entertainment Weekly Best of 2007 list.

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  Neighbors said on Jan 27, 2008 | Add your feedback

Book Details

• Rating:
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• English Books
• Hardcover
• ISBN-10: 0007243413
• ISBN-13: 9780007243419
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
• Pub date: May 01, 2007
• Also available as: Paperback, Others and eBook
• In other languages: other languages Livres Français, Deutsche Bücher, Libros en Español, Libri Italiani, Svenska böcker

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