Bar None [Paperback]

Tim Lebbon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 19, 2009

Six months have passed since the end of the world, leaving a handful of survivors holed up in a Welsh manor with little to do but survive. They've made the best of things, planting food, drinking their way through the cellar's wine and ale, and reminiscing about the way life used to be. But with supplies running thin, everything is about to change. The arrival of a stranger named Michael sheds new light on their circumstances. If the survivors can reach Cornwall, a few days' journey north, they will find a safe haven, called Bar None, quite possibly the last bar on earth!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Six months after a plague wipes out most of the world's population, several survivors follow the advice of a mysterious stranger and leave their mansion hideout to seek Bar None, the last bar on Earth, in this brief but enjoyable horror-fantasy tale. The travelers face a hard journey, dodging strange creatures and hostile survivors in an ever-changing natural environment unfettered by humankind. Lebbon (Dawn) indulges in almost laughable, flowery descriptions of numerous beers and ales (Marston's Double Drop, a golden ale with a fruity malt aroma, a bright and yeasty taste with a bitter, caramel finish, cool going down and calm as it dulled my senses) that take up more than their share of space, but this is nevertheless a fun, engaging, exceptionally strange and refreshingly original tale for fans of postapocalyptic fiction. (Sept.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 193 pages
• Publisher: Night Shade Books; 1st edition (June 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159780097X
• ISBN-13: 978-1597800976
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,810,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've been published for ten years now, and you can find out loads about me at my website www.timlebbon.net. I'm the author of over thirty books, including the Noreela series of fantasy books (Dusk, Dawn, Fallen and The Island), the NY Times Bestselling novelisation of the movie 30 Days of Night, and several books with Christopher Golden, including The Map of Moments and the forthcoming Secret Journeys of Jack London for Harper. I've also written several screenplays and some TV proposals. I've won several prestigious awards, and some of my work has been optioned for the big screen.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Average post-apoc novel... Satisfying like just stale beer, August 18, 2009

By 

Robert Rynski "Robair" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bar None (Paperback)

I thought the beer-per-chapter thing was a bit too much. It felt pushed. But, I suppose it was not that big a deal. In the end, I thought the payoff was very disappointing. I don't think this rises to any important level of post-apoc lit. Fair read, but, in the end it felt empty. Would not really recommend.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars GOOD CONCEPT NOT FULL FLESHED OUT, May 31, 2010

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bar None (Paperback)

Set in a post-apocalyptic England, where basically the world has ended, Lebbon's Bar None unfolds an exquisitely layered tale of five survivors. The five eke out an existence in a stately English manor, attempting to grow food and capping off what little alcohol remains to drink. Lebbon names his chapters after various brands of beers and ales, although it's not to be cute. The names all relate to one of the characters past experiences with this brand and how their back stories eventually flesh out the book.

A stranger arrives one day, causing some paranoid curiosity among the five as they had not seen another live soul, not human anyway, in a very long time. He tells the group that there is a place, a bar where they can all be safe and where the beer never runs out. I know, this sounds like it might be a humorous plot but it's not, all eventually makes sense. The stranger calls himself Michael, but admits that's just his name for today. He meets with each of the group and gives them the same warning about getting out of the manor. With much trepidation, the group sets out on the bizarre quest, through a world they no longer recognize, to find the Holy Grail of pubs.

Bar None is a strange book that doesn't give up its secrets too easily. It's told in the first person which I've never been crazy about but Lebbon makes it work here, due in part to the main character's name never being revealed. Bar None is dark and dreary...nature has reclaimed the world quickly. At under 200 pages it's a short read, somewhat slow in parts but Lebbon manages to keep the readers attention with the quirky world he's fashioned.

3.0 out of 5 stars An easy, enjoyable afternoon read, May 29, 2011

By 

chrisdd (southside of Chicago, IL US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bar None (Paperback)

I would give it an extra 1/2 star if I could.

This is post apocalyptic book about 5 strangers holed up in a pub in England. They are visited by a stranger named Michael who warns them to leave and find another pub far way in Cornwall. It's called Bar None, which is also the name of the book.

It is a not an intellectual read that will cause you to question your moral beliefs or faith. It's not a great, thought provoking toothsome book like The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It *is* an enjoyable, easy read that you can probably finish in a weekend.

I recommend that you enjoy it from your local library.