Rating: 
Summary: So good, and so much fun...
Review: I relish the experience of reading. There is nothing about it that I dislike -- from the discovery of a book that might interest me, to finding and buying it, appreciating (perhaps) the cover art, to reading each word, including the pages of the dust jacket -- even the copyright page. This means a book seldom disappoints me, as there is something about each book that satisfies in some manner. Every once in a while, however, I luck into a book that is so damned good that it compels me to read that author's complete oeuvre. That was the case after reading Simon Mawer's GOSPEL OF JUDAS and Salley Vickers' MISS GARNET'S ANGEL. Five months ago, I had the pleasure of reading Edward Docx's THE CALLIGRAPHER. WOW! THE CALLIGRAPHER is so good (despite two misconceived story 'twists' near the novel's dénouement) -- and so much fun -- that I dare you to sample its opening pages, and then resist its seductive charms by shutting the book, never to return. Moreover, frighteningly and maddeningly, this novel is Docx's first! If you love to read like I love to read, then read THE CALLIGRAPHER. Buy the book, read it, and smile and smile and smile. BTW, THE CALLIGRAPHER makes excellent fodder for reading groups...
Rating: 
Summary: Not The Best Read Of My Life; And No Doubt Yours, Too
Review: If you're like me and you're a little tired of reading glowing reviews of every mediocre book out there, I offer you an honest opinion from an avid book reader. The Calligrapher is classic first-time-novelist fare, with all the puffed-up language (especially at the beginning) that new novelists like to impress on their audiences, coupled with in-depth knowledge of an original and creative subject (in this instance, the art of calligraphy). There's no doubt Docx has creative vision and real skill as a author, but that doesn't mean much when I'm curling up in bed and all I want is a book I look forward to opening and can't stop reading - which this isn't. If you've bought it or have been given it as a gift, it's worth getting through, but in that I-need-something-to-get-me-through-this-airplane-ride kind of way.
Rating: 
Summary: Overly Verbose
Review: London Lothario thinks he can construct his love life as carefully and meticulously as he does his calligraphy. Needless to, he's in for a big surprise. The real fun of this novel is the writing and the lovable arrogance of the character who believes he can charm a local beauty by carefully orchestrating all of his interactions with her. As other reviewers have noted, the analysis of Donne's poems and the weaving of the content of each poem at the outset of a chapter into that chapters' plot developments is remarkably clever. Reading this book is a joy ride. If you like it, I strongly recommend David Nicholls' A Quiet Attraction -- it's a marvelous read as well.
Rating:
Summary: This guy can write!
Review: Sometimes when I finish a book that has been particularly engrossing and rewarding, I feel a deep void. I don't want it to end, ever. I could roll along, lost in the wit and harmony of the writing, the plot, the thinking going on. The Calligrapher was just such a book: witty, elegant in its description of the thoughtful outsider who poses as a trendy insider, archaic yet modern, the man/woman obsessed with sex who falls in love, the ambiguity of love, sex, the possibility of a developing relationship. I keep thinking about the characters. I laughed, sometimes out loud, I empathized, I felt a kindred soul in the mix even though I'm a female. Jasper, a man, was the narrator but I connected--I like to cook, choose fine wines, look at great art, travel, enjoy my friends, and learn about life, too--and it's all much more fun when infused with good company and great sex. John Donne knew all about these things and wrote about them, eloquently. But life is a puzzle. So is Donne's poetry. And The Calligrapher falls right in line. Things haven't changed much in the intervening centuries. The basics are still the same and able to turn, upside-down, inside-out, on a dime, depending on the perspective. A page turner, The Calligrapher is extremely well written with very funny observations about the way we live today and think about love, art and relationships. I was reminded of Nick Hornsby--the writing was quick, irreverent, sociological in its focus on one quirky individual. So much of the time, the world does seem totally run by our perceptions of who and what are sexy. And such superficiality (or are these reallly deep, necessary feelings?)can often get turned inside out in a hurry. Great reflection, indeed illustration, of the multiple levels of Donne's insights, poetry and the complexity of life itself. I loved this book. Docx can write! I can't wait for more.
Rating: 
Summary: No charm.
Review: The characters in this novel lack both charm and warmth, and it is after all a comedy. Obviously, most readers (14 of 14 reviewers) felt this was a small price to pay for the wit and literary by-play, and occasional funny scenes. For me, the main character, Jasper, was a one-dimensional bore.
Rating:
Summary: a passionate, delightful exploration of writing and art
Review: The conflict between the classic and the contemporary has long raged among literati; rarely is it resolved so eloquently as in "The Calligrapher", which combines the love poems of John Donne with Docx's modern characters and plot. Jasper, a present-day British calligrapher and womanizer, is transcribing Donne's poems for a client. His adventures with the women in his life, particularly his love affair with the beautiful and devastatingly casual Madeleine, parallel his work on the poems. Docx writes an absorbing plot, and the interplay between the narrative and the poems is well-constructed. However, the most enjoyable component of the books is Jasper's thoughts on love, poetry, calligraphy, and contemporary society. "The Calligrapher" is an intensely modern book: clearly turn-of-the-21st-century, post-9/11, post-Fight-Club. Docx is not afraid to tie his book to a particular cultural locale (in time, place, and class), and his references work marvelously well, making the book feel sassy, immediate, and shockingly intelligent.
Rating:
Summary: Jasper Is Quite a Character
Review: There is no secret here: fundamentally, this book is a Master's thesis on John Donne disguised as a novel. As we read the Songs & Sonnets that head each chapter (and are often interspersed) and we listen to Jasper's speech in the final chapter we fully realize this--something we should have known all along. Still, it's a very good disguise. What ultimately makes this novel so successful is the character of Jasper, through whom we see the story unfold. He is the calligrapher of the title, a man currently making his living copying out a selection of Donne's poetry for a rich patron to give as a gift to his girlfriend. He is also an incredibly smooth womanizer whose thoughts on the subject of how to deal with women are vivid and honest. Jasper is one of the most alive characters I have read in awhile. In my mind, Jasper is at his best in the opening chapters of the book when he is unrepentant in his dealings with women. However, he only loses a bit when he encounters Madeline and we realize love is going to change this man. And we realize where this story is ultimately going: payback. Jasper is going to learn lessons about his dissolute life the hard way. Still, Jasper is so engaging as he goes through his trials that I kept reading and didn't even have to stifle a groan as the "secrets" were revealed in the book's final chapters. And what serious reader would regret spending some time learning about calligraphy and John Donne in the process of being told such a story? Mr. Docx has written an excellent first novel and shown that he possesses the skills to become a major talent. If Jasper, Madeline, Lucy, Will and Jasper's grandmother are any indication, his ability to create character is better than most. I am interested to see who peoples his next creation.
Rating:
Summary: Jasper Is Quite a Character
Review: There is no secret here: fundamentally, this book is a Master's thesis on John Donne disguised as a novel. As we read the Songs & Sonnets that head each chapter (and are often interspersed) and we listen to Jasper's speech in the final chapter we fully realize this--something we should have known all along. Still, it's a very good disguise. What ultimately makes this novel so successful is the character of Jasper, through whom we see the story unfold. He is the calligrapher of the title, a man currently making his living copying out a selection of Donne's poetry for a rich patron to give as a gift to his girlfriend. He is also an incredibly smooth womanizer whose thoughts on the subject of how to deal with women are vivid and honest. Jasper is one of the most alive characters I have read in awhile. In my mind, Jasper is at his best in the opening chapters of the book when he is unrepentant in his dealings with women. However, he only loses a bit when he encounters Madeline and we realize love is going to change this man. And we realize where this story is ultimately going: payback. Jasper is going to learn lessons about his dissolute life the hard way. Still, Jasper is so engaging as he goes through his trials that I kept reading and didn't even have to stifle a groan as the "secrets" were revealed in the book's final chapters. And what serious reader would regret spending some time learning about calligraphy and John Donne in the process of being told such a story? Mr. Docx has written an excellent first novel and shown that he possesses the skills to become a major talent. If Jasper, Madeline, Lucy, Will and Jasper's grandmother are any indication, his ability to create character is better than most. I am interested to see who peoples his next creation.
Rating:
Summary: A Good First Novel
Review: There's no doubt that Edward Docx is a skilled and creative author, and The Calligrapher is an excellent debut novel by any measure. Yet in his effort to win over his new readers, Docx sometimes falls victim to the vices of many young authors these days: over-stylized language, too-cool characters, thickly-written prose. He's trying too hard. That said, there are some very clever and witty bits in this book and anyone looking for a good read will not be disappointed. Spellbinding? No. Worth reading? For sure.
Rating:
Summary: Overly Verbose
Review: This author basically spends the entire novel writing to "hear" himself write. There would be PAGES of babbling that had nothing to do with the plot in the middle of a chapter, which I would simply skip because they bored me so much. After I got about 200 pages into it, I had found that my mind wandered throughout the entire book and I decided to just put it away and not finish it.
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