Juno & Juliet: Juno & Juliet: A Novel

by Julian Gough

Book Overview

With this irresistibly fresh debut about a set of twins in their first year of college in Ireland, Julian Gough ("Roddy Doyle in an extremely good mood." -- The Washington Post Book World ) has established himself as Ireland's most delightful new voice in fiction. Juno and Juliet Taylor are both beautiful blondes, but Juliet is convinced that Juno is the more beautiful, as well as the more intelligent, charming, worldly, and wise. Yet neither feels...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385721617
• ISBN13: 9780385721615
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

For anyone who's gone to school & found themselves in love.

Such a lovely book! Delicate and extremely powerful for such a small little package. Reminds me a lot of Gail Tsukiyama's work, with a rather spartan literary style that just blows you away. I can't wait to read more!

Lovely Book, Lovely Place

Julian Gough has created a sympathetic and charming female narrator who although beautiful, is not a cookie cut model but a thinking and intelligent woman. Galway is much of a character as any of the people who populate this unique setting. Bravo, Mr. Gough, and I hope to read a sequel.

These reviews are underrated

I read constantly, and this book was an unexpected delight. It is chock full of sympathetic, well-drawn characters. (I believe his female voice is as authentic as any written by a male writer, and that's not a criticism.) It is also very literate-the discussions in the tutorial alone are worth many hours of mulling in and of themselves. The book also has a certain charm all too lacking in contemporary fiction, which has to be "ironic" to be credible. And it is hilarious!

Witty, Insightful, Literate

Picked this up to have something to read over the holidays and was hooked from the first page. Juno and Juliet chronicles twin sisters' (Juno and Juliet) first year at university. The story is told from the perspective of Juliet, a precocious and somewhat cynical eighteen year-old. In the 270 pages we follow her through a mad crush on a student teacher, note taking in boring lectures, and a mid year holiday break spent with her hopelessly working class parents. Yes, we have seen all of these things before--and some would say too often--yet Gough's sentsitive portrayal of characters, eye for detail, humor, and literacy make them new again. In Gough's hands the now all too familiar coming-of-age-in-an-academic-setting plot is given new life. My guess is that those who have posted negative reviews are either lacking a sense of humor and/or cannot appreciate writing that is driven by attention to detail as opposed to constant action.

Intriguing

This book is certainly one of the best that I have had the pleasure and priveledge to read this year. Captivating, entertaining, and beautiful, Julian Gough is like an artist working with clay, sculpting his art to perfection. The novel left me crying with laughter, happiness, and pity, and will remain in a place of honor on my bookshelf for a long time to come.