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Summary: Top 8 Reasons List (for getting this book)
Review: Top 8 reasons to purchase/read SPEAKING WITH THE ANGEL: 1. It's a theme album featuring first person narrative fiction by 10 of Britain's lit hip novelists and 2 Americans. It resembles "A Chorus Line," sort of, if a book could. 2. You've actually read Helen Fielding (BRIDGET JONES DIARY) but you only know Hornby and Doyle from movies based on their novels (HIGHFIDELITY and THE COMMITMENTS, respectively), Colin Firth from his acting ("Pride and Prejudice," "Shakespeare In Love"), Dave Eggers and Melissa Bank, the Americans, from all the talk about their books which you may have purchased but haven't read yet. This is a chance to say at the next soiree, "Ah, yes, I really have read them all." 3. You, being American, never heard of Paul Harris, Patrick Marber, John O'Farrell,Giles Smith,Zadie Smith and Irvine Welsh and here's a painless way to spread your wings a little. Otherwise, you being something other than American, here's a chance to find out who Dave Eggers and Melissa Bank are. 4. You've had your nose in American writing of late and could use some of that Bristish Isles irony. 5. You feel the need to catch up on current English, Irish and Scottish slang. 6. Most of the stories are very, very good. A few may not be to your liking, but you'll get past them soon enough. You don't want to miss the Hornby, Doyle or O'Farrell pieces, especially. Eggers' story is a lesson in rhythm. Firth is a surprise: Mr. Darcy writes! 7. SPEAKING WITH THE ANGEL is for a good cause: proceeds benefit a London school for autistic children, one of them Hornby's son. 8. You've been casting about for an idea for a fundraiser project yourself and this, if you know some writers, is a fantastic template to steal.
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Summary: A great introduction to some of the best modern writers.
Review: I bought this book mainly because I was a fan of Nick Hornby's novels. The only other writer i was familiar with was Roddy Doyle. While Hornby's and Doyle' s stories were as good as I expected them to be, I was pleasantly surprised by many of the other writers. The stories by Dave Eggers and Giles Smith and Helen Fielding (proves she can write more than just Bridget Jones). This book is a great way to find new writers to explore and enjoy.And its all for a good cause - Schools for autistic children -as if the sheer quality of the work is not reason enough to buy and enjoy the book. highly recommended to all readers especially for someone looking to discover some of the best modern writers around.
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Summary: Touching and Entertaining
Review: This is the first time that I've felt compelled to write areview on Amazon. Speaking with the Angel is truly wonderful. Thestories are filled with characters that I cared about instantly anddrama that nearly made me miss my subway stop because I was soengaged. There is a heart wrenching story told from the perspective alittle dog with a strong lust for life. Another story hilariouslydetails the arrival and destruction of a controversial work of art andthe switch from being a bouncer at a club to being a guard at amuseum...
Rating: 
Summary: Good for a commuter...
Review: Buying this book contributes to helping autistic children. For that reason alone, I'm glad I made the purchase. I enjoyed some of the stories in this short story collection (especially Nick Hornby's own, NippleJesus), but most of them bored me. I recommend Speaking With The Angel to anyone who commutes daily on public transportation, because the stories are short.
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Summary: the crown jewels of uk literature
Review: The only thing rarer than a dozen good short stories collected in one book is a dozen that you know will never be forgotten. Such is the case here. Each and every story moves with the natural flow of its characters. The irony is that the book's central themes of isolation, dispair, lost hopes and impossible dreams somehow fill you completely up. While I found the stories very easy to read, it's also true a lot of time was spent processing what had so effortlessly jumped off every page. It's been said that great literature is equipment for living, thus by that measure I'm comfortable standing behind my assessment. In the years ahead, don't be surprised when you regularly notice these writers' names featured on the best-seller lists. The authors could become the new crown jewels of UK literature.
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Summary: A Great Cause and A Fantastic Read
Review: These are short stories for those who ususally skip them. Hip, funny, unique and fresh, this consistently clever collection will grab you and won't let go. I particularly enjoyed Dave Eggers' "After I Was Thrown in the River and Before I Drowned" and Nick Hornby's own "NippleJesus". Proceeds from this book go to two schools--one in the U.S, the other in the U.K.--for children with autism. Definitely a worthwhile purchase!
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Summary: Dead on
Review: really good mixture of really good stories. hysterical, and sad and really good. just good good stuff, hands down. dead on, these stories were the dogs bollocks.
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Summary: A Great Sampler for A Great Cause
Review: This quick-reading collection of twelve original (ie. unpublished elsewhere) short stories was compiled by editor Hornby (High Fidelity, About A Boy, Fever Pitch) as a benefit book (proceeds going to schools specializing in the needs of autistic children), but don't let that stop you from enjoying it. It's an excellent introduction to a number of the more popular younger writers coming out of the UK and a few from the US. Not surprisingly, my favorite stories were those by authors I already knew and liked, and were very representative of their styles. Editor Hornby's story of a bouncer turned museum guard dealing with a provocative piece of art pokes a stick in the eye of pretentious Saatchi collection art types. Irvine Welsh's "Catholic Guilt" starts as a very basic "two mates and a bar" story, with his usual command of dialogue, only to veer into something totally unexpected. Roddy Doyle's "The Slave," is an understated tale of a man who has a minor mid-life crisis sparked by discovery of a dead rat in his kitchen, and it fits in with all his Barrytown novels. Playwright Patrick Marber's "Peter Shelly" is a great little story about teenage love, and I hope to see some more fiction by him soon. Robert Harris's "PMQ" is a very droll statement before Parliament by a Prime Minister trying to account for one bizarre night. I'd only read his thriller "Archangel," which this is completely different from. I wasn't as taken with the rest of the stories, particularly actor Colin Firth's story "The Department of Nothing" or the Helen Fielding (Bridget Jones's Diary) and Melissa Bank (The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing) pieces. But then again, I suspect that women may find more to connect with in the latter two than I did. All the stories are written from first-person perspective, and none is excessively long, so you're not making a huge investment. If you like the authors, you won't be disappointed, and if you haven't read any of them, this is a great sampler.
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Summary: what a blast!
Review: What a fun book by some of my favorite authors and some new favorites. I love the premise of the collection: the authors must've been given the title and allowed to run with it. The variety of the resulting stories are fantastic, one from a dog's point of view, one from a mime's p.o.v., a teenager, and older woman. All with a contemporary edge as well. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: So far so good
Review: I must confess that I've only read the Nick Hornby piece so far -- but that in itself is worth purchasing the book for -- plus you help out autistic kids and that aint so bad, is it?
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