Do you run a website? Want to compare book prices within it and earn money doing it? Click here to find out how.

Best Debut Novel

You can't not get totally absorbed in this story about 1950's middle class prejudice and hypocrisy. The story kept me completely hooked and I read it in just 2 evenings (and nights!!!). Lewis's (main character) journey takes you through all emotions possible, from sadness and despair to anger and even complacency. An excellant read that portrays the real bare bones of human nature and relationships. You ceratinly won't regret this read! Enjoy.

I read this book in 1.5 days much to my wife's irritation since I was supposed to be helping look after the children while on holiday! Other reviewers have referred to the clautrophobia of the 1950s which I would entirely concur with, there is a fawning sense of hierarchy and keeping up appearances regardless of underlying realities.
A great novel dealing with hypocrisy, failed communication between father and son, failure of articulation of great distress and possible resolution.
I strongly recommend reading it.

I really wanted to like this after all the hype but to be honest I found it a bit boring and melodramatic. The central idea was good but I never really got inside Lewis's head and towards the end the fact that every female character in the book found him irresistible got a bit silly. The final scenes in the church and at the railway station beggared my belief, you could see the book was written with a movie deal in mind. I found myself skipping large chunks and was a bit bored.

A beautiful, beautiful, beautiful piece of fiction. This is the book I wished I had written and the friends to whom I've lent my copy say the same. I sincerely hope that this isn't the one and only book Sadie Jones has in her, but what a read The Outcast is; fan-blooming-tastic!

I can sort of see why a lot of people like this. All the ingrediants are there, but Sadie Jones is no Delia when it comes to getting the right result. A good story is ruined by too many viewpoints that switch without reason (sometimes mid-paragraph) leaving you to wonder who's the real main character. It's meant to be Lewis, but we see the action from at least 7 other characters that it all gets a bit jumbled and lost. Where was Ms Jones' editor? Asleep, I guess. And the prose - far from being elegant and beautiful as some reviewers would have you believe, it's childish and uninspiring. How did this get onto the Orange shortlist? I'm only glad Rose Tremain won.