Customer Reviews

Intoxicated: A Novel of Money, Madness, and the Invention of the World's Favorite Soft Drink

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This is the strangest historical novel I have read. It's the story of how soda drinks were invented, set in rural victorian England (if you will...) and involving alcoholics, cocaine addiction and rhubarb (yes, you heard right). he's one of those writers who draw you in, very subtle and readable but so warm. I mean really warm. full of emotion so that you kind of gasp almost after some scenes. and he can do drama, and humor. it leaves you a bit drained of emotion. fantastic, wild writing.

This is such an amazing story. Interesting that there really is a rhubarb area in England. Towards the end of the book (and I am not there yet on the second reading)there is the story of a bank in Georgia (US) that becomes rich accumulating shares. Make that shares of CocaCola and it really happened.
There is violence,greed,drunkeness,regret,explanation enough so you can suspend your disbelief and enjoy the narrative,redemption and HILARITY.

INTOXICATED is one of those books, when you open it and start reading, you don't want to put it down.

From its evocative opening pages, the reader is drawn into a story of overindulgence and experimentation set against the backdrop of a backend-of-nowhere setting - Gomersal.

Having grown up in "The Rhubard Triangle" of West Yorkshire , it wasn't hard for me to be transported half way across the world, to a village setting which probably has changed little since the mid-nineteenth century, to a family of alcoholics and their co-dependents whose actions and reactions are also constant through the ages.

Barlow's pages reek of authenticity. But, don't get me wrong, INTOXICATED is far from a torrid story. Like the secret recipe which is added to the Rhurbarb drink, the cast of colourful characters spike the mixture and titillate the imagination.

Take Vermilion - the personification of the music hall midget - colourful by name and nature, and the weakling George who slowly emerges like the proverbial butterfly, Isaac Brookes - entrepreneur - seemingly unstoppable, and the rest of the cast of contrasting hangers-on who are unwittingly carried along in the tide of reverie.

INTOXICATED captures the reader's imagination with its drama and pathos and Barlow portrays its characters with honesty and sensitivity.

INTOXICATED is a great read and I can thoroughly recommend it.