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Notting Hell

Author: Rachel Johnson
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Category: Book

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

20 reviews
Sales Rank: 26079

Media: Paperback
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 4.9 x 1

ISBN: 0141020830
EAN: 9780141020839
ASIN: 0141020830

Publication Date: January 18, 2007
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Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...

1 out of 5 stars

A hellish read June 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Johnson's stated aim is to mock the super-rich, super-elite West London social sect she belongs to. Instead, with every celebrity name check and description of their absurdly extravagant lifestyles she only appears more and more smug about being a part of it herself.
In contrast to a writer like Tom Wolfe who takes his readers into a world of penthouse suites and six figure salaries and with them marvels, grimaces and despairs at its astonishing luxuries, waste and arrogance, Johnson appears to rub her readers faces in the vulgar wonders of it all which, of course, only she can enjoy.
Add in endless cliches and a daft plot and you get a very unpleasant read.

2 out of 5 stars

Thought I was going to love it, but it let me down! October 18, 2007
I loved the beginning and middle of this book - it's a sharp, accurate and satisfying satire about the 'haves and the have yachts' of London's most exclusive district. However, I expected the characters to branch beyond satire and superficiality as we got to know them better, and this never happened. I ended up feelign quite angry with the book. Even people in NOtting Hill have feelings, presumably, and the writer skirted over serious plot issues like infertility, adultery etc as if they didnt' matter to the protagonists, as if the author didn't care two hoots about her characters. Ultimately, this led to a lack of depth. This book is a real missed opportunity.

1 out of 5 stars

A big disappointment... September 17, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Sorry guys, I really wanted to like this book and best thing about it actually is the title, which I found great. It simply does not live up to its hype or the blurb on the back. The two main characters - Mimi and Clare - leave me completely indifferent. Mimi is so self-centred, it's bordering on the unrealistic, and Clare just remains very bland and one-dimensional. Throughout the whole book I was waiting for it to get better, for some kind of "oomph" to get into the story, but was hoping in vain. Even for the world of Notting Hill, the story-line is very far-fetched, but not in a tongue-in-cheek, satirical way - it's just a constant list of name and brand dropping - I wonder if any money was made via product placement... Cannot recommend this and in fact regret the money spent on it.

1 out of 5 stars

Terrible... September 11, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

I cannot begin to describe how ghastly this book is - words genuinely fail me. Rachel Johnson is a freelance writer/housewife who lives in a large house in Notting Hill with several children, a dog, and a charming old Etonian, former journalist husband. Her neighbours are a combination of super rich Americans and uber trendy, uber wealthy Brits. Notting Hell, her debut novel, features a freelance writer/housewife who lives in a large house in Notting Hill - I think you can guess the rest. Johnson's awful characters - proof in black and white of the dangers of having more money than sense - break from their hectic lives of extra marital affairs, shopping and feng shui to dine at E&O with Kate Moss and spot Stella Macartney on the way to Fresh and Wild. So knowingly self-referential is the plot that Johnson even name-checks the afore mentioned old Etonian husband, Ivo Dawnay.

Nothing much happens - certainly nothing that's remotely realistic - but I've read badly plotted novels in the past. What really irritated me about this book is its smugness. Johnson has clearly conferred outsider status upon herself for not being quite as rich or quite as well-groomed as the other yummy mummys on the block - a dubious standpoint to take when the proceeds from the sale of your house could probably feed a starving African nation quite comfortably for a good few years. In fact, here's an idea - if you were thinking of buying this book, why not take the money and give it to Oxfam instead? Then you might spare yourself this faintly dirty feeling I've had ever since I finished this book...

4 out of 5 stars

Brilliant March 18, 2007
3 out of 6 found this review helpful

What a joy. What a giggle. Rachel Johnson had me totally hooked on her rolicking tale of West London Yummy Mummies, whilst simultaneously stiring my bread sauce over Xmas; I couldn't put it down. It was our book club choice and all of us thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.