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Poppy Shakespeare Clare Allan

Poppy Shakespeare By Clare Allan

Poppy Shakespeare by Clare Allan


£3.80
New RRP £12.99
Condition - Very Good
5 in stock

Summary

Who is mad? Who is sane? Who decides? Welcome to the Dorothy Fish, a day hospital in North London! N has been a patient here for thirteen years. Then in walks Poppy Shakespeare in her six-inch skirt and twelve-inch heels. She is certain she isn't mentally ill and desperate to return to her life outside. Together they plot to gain Poppy's freedom.

Poppy Shakespeare Summary

Poppy Shakespeare by Clare Allan

Who is mad? Who is sane? Who decides? Welcome to the Dorothy Fish, a day hospital in North London! N has been a patient here for thirteen years. Day after day she sits smoking in the common room, swapping medication and comparing MAD money rates. Like all the patients at the Dorothy Fish, N's chief ambition is never to get discharged. Each year when her annual assessment comes round, she is relieved to learn that she hasn't got any better. Then in walks Poppy Shakespeare in her six-inch skirt and twelve-inch heels. She is certain she isn't mentally ill and desperate to return to her life outside. Though baffled by Poppy's attitude, N agrees to help. Together they plot to gain Poppy's freedom. But in a world where everything's upside-down, are they crazy enough to upset the system?Funny, brilliant and moving, Poppy Shakespeare looks at madness from the inside, questioning our mental health system and the borders we place between sanity and insanity. Written in high-voltage prose, original and troubling, it is a stunning debut.

Poppy Shakespeare Reviews

'Here is a serious novel which portrays the mentally ill with both raucous humour and with an empathy altogether lacking in sentimentality. The pitch of the narrative voice is perfect, and the characters, in all their bravado, pathos and absurdity, feel utterly true to life. It is a brave and original piece of work.' Patrick McGrath 'Catch 22 meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in a North London day hospital - Clare Allan's Poppy Shakespeare is an electrifying debut, written after 10 years as a psychiatric patient, which bursts on to the page with a wholly original voice: surreal, raucous, infuriating and very funny.' Guardian

About Clare Allan

Clare Allan was the winner of the first Orange/Harpers short story prize. She lives in London. This is her first novel.

Additional information

GOR001077308
9780747580461
0747580464
Poppy Shakespeare by Clare Allan
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
20060403
352
Short-listed for BT Mind Awards Book of the Year 2007
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Poppy Shakespeare