Jerusalem (3 Vol. Slipcased Paperback Edition) (3 Vol Slipcased Paperback Edtn) Paperback – 13 Sept. 2016

Moore's epic 'Jerusalem' actually shares many similarities with his earlier novel 'Voice of the Fire', with the first and third 'books' that make up the whole (literally, if you've bought the three volume paperback version), consisting of distinct yet interlinked narratives set throughout Northampton's history, each told in its own unique voice or style (including chapters told in verse; in the format of a play; and in Joycean experimental language). Unlike the strictly chronological progress of 'Voice of the Fire', here the time scales flits backwards and forwards, and amongst these sections I found the most enjoyment - the first 'book' in particular contains several stunning short pieces. Undoubtedly the most difficult however, is the James Joyce inspired 'Round the Bend', which will test the patience of all but the most committed reader. Told in a nearly impenetrable word soup mixing phonetic language and puns, I could barely get through more than a couple of pages a day without getting a headache. And yet - for all that it is frustrating, it is also rewarding, as Moore's compacted language allows for multiple meanings of practically every other word - the result is heady stuff, and offers more than can be found by simply looking up a translated version online (of which there are more than one).Where the novel most resembles a conventional narrative, is with its second 'book', as we follow the linear journey of Michael Warren - a young boy who has choked to death on a sweet, and his adventures in the afterlife. However, despite much wild invention, this is also the section where the pace slows to a crawl, as Moore devotes page after page on his theory of the workings of the universe, and the ongoing story creeps forward in a series of overlapping waves as each chapter spends the first dozen pages recapping the events of the last from a different angle.At it's best, 'Jerusalem' offers some great rewards, but it is by no means perfect. It's overlong, the Joycean obsession with detailing every street the character's walk down in minute detail will have you tiring of constantly flipping back to the map, and the faint whiff of 'old man moaning about how things were better in the old days' does hang heavy at times. But still - the highs are very high - and for something as wildly over-ambitious as this, the occasional stumble is a small price to pay. If you are unsure however, I would still have to recommend 'Voice of the Fire' over this - in the final analysis it does a similar thing with far less pages.

....the best book i have ever read! is it? let's see,it's a mystery bookit's a history bookit's a geography bookit's a tour guideit's a science fiction bookit's a children's adventure bookit's a ghost storyit's a life or death thrillerit's a love storyit's a family treeit's a tearjerkerit's a comedyit's a hard lessonit's a theoretical physics bookit's a biographyit's an autobiographyit's a memoirit's a true storyit's all liesit's an operator's manualit's a gift catalogueit's a book of judgementit's all booksit's a best book in the world bookit's a lifelong live in my memory book.......and no, i'm not on the mad apples! nor do i have the vocabulary to review this magnificent work!

A true experience - I found myself wandering the streets 'The Boroughs' on google maps - and might even visit there - is someone doing a walking tour? It was sad to see how little remains. It will be impossible to be there, after having read this book, without looking up and expecting to see Mansoul above. There is Justice Above the Streets!

my son wanted this for Christmas and is quite a purist when it comes to books; has to be perfect. So I went for a very good copy, but when it came it had coffee stains on the pages, the film covering the outside was lifting, and the box had some damage. It is mostly the state of the book that upset us.

Incredible. I will have to read it again but this time in book form!

Excellent

This is the edition to buy. Readable, with no textual bleeding and the flip back facility that you don't get on a Kindle.

That was without a whisp of doubt the greatest novel I've read. It's very big, and very funny, and horrible and gorgeous and fascinating and exciting and mind-blowing, but most of all it's funny. A magnificent, transformative and delightful epic 💚