My Life as a Man [Import] [Paperback]

Frederic Lindsay (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: POLYGON (April 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904598722
• ISBN-13: 978-1904598725
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,905,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars thrilling coming of age tale, April 17, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Life as a Man (Hardcover)

In Glasgow, working at a factory job for a week, eighteen year old Harry Glass is fired. That occurs after he is tossed out of the house by the hairy ex boyfriend of his runaway mother. Without giving it a second thought, Harry takes the car keys of his ex-boss Bernard Morton and drives away in the man's car. However, he is not alone as the boss' wife Eileen is also in the vehicle.

Eileen and Harry begin an affair though she is almost two decades older than him. As they drive to Edinburgh and Aberdeen, violent men chase after them though neither Harry nor Eileen know why. The thugs believe a valise containing a small fortune is hidden in the boot. The pair of runaways makes it to a farm owned by menacing August and Beate. A frightened Harry sneaks away returning to Glasgow to enlist the aid of Morton and his brother.

Though tension is high especially with thugs chasing the lead couple, the entertaining MY LIFE AS A MAN is more a coming of age character study than a straight thriller due to the opening chapter occurring in the future and Harry's first person point of view. The story line grips readers from the moment Harry has had it and takes the keys and the wife on a joy ride. This tale is driven by Harry who learns life is filled with errors and sometimes redemption and second chances, but not always. Fans will enjoy his first escapades as a man.

Harriet Klausner

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Every bargain has its price.", April 14, 2009

By 

Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Life as a Man (Hardcover)

Beginning with an impulsive action, this unusual Scottish novel veers into dark territory, the unpredictable landscape of strangers and an unplanned future where menace lurks unabated. Leaving his factory job after being fired by his boss, Bernard Morton, nineteen-year-old Harry Glass gets into Morton's car and drives off. As Harry is aware, Morton's wife is sitting in that car, waiting for her husband as she does everyday. With few words exchanged, the impromptu road trip continues through winding and unfamiliar roads, far from the factory and Mr. Morton. The two have little money between them, Mrs. Morton acquiescing to Harry's leadership through the next day. When they spot a clumsy, hand-lettered sign advertising snacks on an obscure country road, they stop, at a dead end.

Mrs. Morton is ill. A couple at a house and the end of the road offers sandwiches, a bed for Mrs. Morton as well. Meanwhile, Harry makes an important discovery, one that ensures Bernard and his brother, Norman, will be on their trail. The story turns from simple runaway to a more sinister landscape, where the helpful couple, August and Beate absorb Harry and Mrs. Morton into their home, Harry helping with the chores, albeit with an uncomfortable sense that August is watching his every move. Bonding with Beate, Mrs. Morton is unavailable to Harry; and he is unwilling to share his recently discovered secret with anyone else around. It seems that Hansel and Gretel have found themselves lost in the forest, a friendly witch welcoming them, either a refuge or a trap. What appeared a happy coincidence, shelter from their pursuers may be danger in disguise.

Lindsay writes a deceptively simple tale fueled by vague menace, an analogy of love lost and redeemed, a final desperate action resulting in a deadly confrontation. A web of deceit unfolds, the easy evil of two men thwarted by one more clever and more sinister. Another story unfolds, a relationship born of circumstance and unexpected threat, of misplaced intentions and opportunity. With a subtle twist of fate and unerring plot, a bond bridges age and reason, a dark psychological study that skirts the realm of nightmare and of hope. Luan Gaines/2009.