Jonathan coe marries cold war and classic comedy to equal graham greene. Aug 23, 20 jonathan coe s tenth novel begins with historical fact. Its a pretty easy read refreshingly short actually. Thomas foley is a junior civil servant working for the governments central office of information. A highly amusing and readable novel, expo 58 features the world fair in brussels in 1958. Apr 03, 2015 described by the publisher as a comic spy caper and international love story, expo 58 is just thatand its terrific. The work was nominated to the 2015 longlist for the international dublin literary award references.
Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. He describes expo 58 however as not really a satire but a comedy. Expo 58 is an amiable, undemanding book, cartoonish in its brushstrokes, elemental in its themes. Expo 58 ebook by jonathan coe 9789023484615 rakuten kobo. Expo 58 by jonathan coe spies, girls and an englishman abroad. Unlike his other comedic novels, here the humor has a nostalgic feel, reminiscent of 1950s films like hitchcocks the lady vanishes.
Jonathan coe marries cold war and comedy to equal graham greene, writes robert mccrum. Jun 26, 2014 like many of jonathan coe s novels of which im a huge fan expo 58 has a wellmeaning, hapless protagonist trying to navigate his way through a confusing situation armed with only about a quarter of the information he really needs. Expo 58 by coe, jonathan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The climax of expo 58 brings the personal and the political into a. Expo 58 ebook by jonathan coe 9780241966914 rakuten kobo. The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of jonathan coes brilliant new comic novel expo 58, read by the actor julian rhindtutt. Jonathan coes book expo 58 is wonderfully prescient of the brexit crisis that those attitudes have now given us. Like many of jonathan coes novels of which im a huge fan expo 58 has a wellmeaning, hapless protagonist trying to navigate his way through a confusing situation armed with only about a quarter of the information he really needs. Buy expo 58 by coe, jonathan from amazons fiction books store. While researching, he learned that the soviet and american pavilions were placed sidebyside, and that. The novels of jonathan coes backlist tend to cluster around eras, events and individuals that shaped great. His work has an underlying preoccupation with political issues, although this serious engagement is often expressed comically in the form of satire. On the other side of the atlantic, franzen, lethem and safran foer form a daunting triumvirate.
British author jonathan coes marvelously funny expo 58. Buy expo 58 by jonathan coe, in very good condition. The atomium, built for the 1958 worlds fair in brussels, the setting for jonathan coe s latest book. Coe is probably best known for the rotters club and what a carve up. Expo 58 by jonathan coe overdrive rakuten overdrive. Like the best books of this kind, expo 58 is funny and smarta light, blessedly short, dry english satire.
There was indeed an expo exposition, or worlds fair in 1958, hosted by the belgian. Sep 05, 20 expo 58 goodlooking girls and sinister spies. I love the classic light comedy films of the 1930s and 40s and wanted to do. Handsome, unassuming thomas foley is an employee at the central office of information whose particular biography belgian mother.
Buy expo 58 by jonathan coe from amazons fiction books store. The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of jonathan coes brilliant new comic novel expo 58, read by the actor julian rhindtutt sample expo 58. See all books authored by jonathan coe, including the rotters club, and the winshaw legacy. Jonathan coes tenth novel begins with historical fact.
Sep 05, 20 so three cheers for jonathan coe and expo 58. It is rather more intelligent than it first appears. Expo 58 by jonathan coe used very good world of books. Jonathan coe is the author of thirteen novels, all published by penguin, which include the highly acclaimed bestsellers what a carve up. Prizewinning author jonathan coe tells danny arter about his new novel expo 58. In 1958 a vast international trade fair was held just outside brussels.
His first surviving story, a detective thriller called the castle of mystery, was written at the age of eight. Sep 07, 20 jonathan coe marries cold war and comedy to equal graham greene, writes robert mccrum. There can be no other writer in the english language or in any other language come to that who would plot a novel with a corn. Expo 58 book charlotte mecklenburg library bibliocommons.
A comic spy caper and international love story, set in europe in the middle of the last century, expo 58 is the latest sublime creation by jonathan coe, hailed by nick hornby as probably the best english novelist of his generation. Expo 58 by by jonathan coe went on sale september 2nd, 2014. Expo 58, also known as the brussels worlds fair, was held from april 17 to october 19, 1958. Jonathan coe discusses expo 58, really one of the most british books i have written the novels of jonathan coes backlist tend to cluster around eras, events and individuals that shaped great. First published by viking in 20, much of the novels action centres around the british pavilion at the brussels. Booklist expo 58 is coe at his funnyserious best, offering idiosyncratic mixture of slapstick and profundity in a loveandspies story set at the height of the cold warpure enjoyment. Handsome, unassuming thomas foley is an employee at the central office of information whose particular biography belgian mother, pubowning father makes. Expo 58 novel expo 58 is the tenth novel by jonathan coe. There was indeed an expo exposition, or worlds fair in 1958, hosted by the belgian government on the heysel plateau just north of brussels. Like many of jonathan coe s novels of which im a huge fan expo 58 has a wellmeaning, hapless protagonist trying to navigate his way through a confusing situation armed with only about a quarter of the information he really needs. Jonathan coe was born on 19 august 1961 in lickey, a suburb of southwest birmingham.
Expo 58 by jonathan coe a veritable legion, these literary jonathans. Oct 23, 2014 british author jonathan coe s marvelously funny expo 58. Like many of jonathan coes novels of which im a huge fan expo 58 has a wellmeaning. A novel new harvest little a takes us to the 1958 brussels worlds fair, the first following wwii.
For fans of jonathan coes classic comic bestsellers what a carve up. Review of expo 58 by jonathan coe meghan rose allen. Expo 58 is a charming, refreshing, and breezy take on 1950s cold war politics and espionage. Jonathan coe audio books, best sellers, author bio. As well as being a showcase for industry, expo 58 gave each country the chance to present something of their own national. The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of jonathan coe s brilliant new comic novel expo 58, read by the actor julian rhindtutt. Nearly 15,000 workers spent three years building the 2 km2 490 acres site on the. First published by viking in 20, much of the novels action centres around the british pavilion at the brussels worlds fair. British attitudes to europe have always been ones of antipathy and ambivalence. The accidental woman, a touch of love, the dwarves of death, what a carve up. Coe has always enjoyed playing with different forms, but there is a sense here of the author shrinking from something more ambitious. There was indeed an expo exposition, or worlds fair in 1958, hosted by the belgian government on. James lasdun is mystified by coes period piece about a young englishman abroad.
His novels include the rotters club, the accidental woman, a touch of love, the dwarves. Our cheap used books come with free delivery in the uk. Although expo 58 was written as a standalone novel, its hero thomas will be recognised by any readers who paid special attention to the rain before it falls. The work was nominated to the 2015 longlist for the international dublin literary award. The first few pages of this story appear in his novel what a carve up. Sep 27, 20 coe has always enjoyed playing with different forms, but there is a sense here of the author shrinking from something more ambitious. In it, jonathan coe explores the british attitudes to europe at the time and even today, through the eyes of thomas foley, who is selected from the central office of information to oversee the britannia pub which is a major par of the british exhibit. Jonathan coe effortlessly combines a kafkaesque sense of dread and futility with a lighthearted, practical, jollyoldchap british sensibility. Jonathan coe books list of books by author jonathan coe. In expo 58, thomas foley is a minion in the central office of information.
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