Un libro che scorre nella lettura, anche su quelle pagine dove le confessioni dei 6 ragazzi sulle loro vite la rallentano un po'. Certo, a volte i riferimenti alla cultura pop di fine anni '90 sono tanti e sopratutto incentrati sulla realtà britannica, quindi alcuni possono sfuggire – ma tralasciando questo, anche se non c'è molta azione, è interessante leggere i segreti di questi 6 personaggi. Personaggi a volte un po' surreali, come la situazione in cui si trovano, certo, ma non per questo meno affascinanti (alcuni meno di altri, Bryn e Thea non han fatto molta presa su di me). La fine però è stata una mezza delusione, troppo affrettata (credo volutamente semi-aperta, ma è stata un po' un anti-climax tremendo).

Finished this one on the plane today/yesterday. I was surprised to find that I didn't mind how dated it was -- it was kind of like reading a pre-Y2K time capsule. It is also kind of the literary version of Cabin In the Woods...though less bloody and with a much different ending.

I got the feeling that the ending was supposed to be a happy one, but I didn't really read it that way. More like a weird version of companion-Stockholm Syndrome. And what will the girls do the next time someone gets their period? Seriously.

The difference between Scarlett Thomas's earlier and later works is vast. I admire the effort here, and understand it much better with the added forward, but I still wouldn't call this good. Not for me.

Unlike many other reviewers, I found the slow exploration of these characters rather enjoyable. It just kinda worked for me- the dialogue was well done and true to life, the plot intriguing, and the whole thing was just kinda interesting.

*spoiler*

6 reasonably impressive young'uns end up on an island after answering a job posting and have to figure out what the heck is going on. That's.. that's the story. And it works for the most part, it's plausible enough and it's worthwhile seeing the characters figure out one another and their surroundings. Some of the dialogue may drag a bit, some of the characters are a bit over the top, but the whole thing entertains for the most part.

It's the big reveal that bothers me. Basically some psycho was gonna torture them via their worst fears but then died of a heart attack or somethin. No explanation on who it is, why, how he got them drugged and to the island, none of it. Like, the pace/feel of the story and the big reveal just don't match up. One is a lazy river, the other is some thriller sorta thing. Then the big cliffhanger at the end (one of the characters *spoiler spoiler spoiler* is seen throwing their message to the outside world, their one chance at rescue, into the water) just leaves me frustrated.

The novel shoulda just chosen which way it wanted to go- plot twists and excitement/drama, or postmodern Paul Austere sorta circular nothingness. As it stands it leans much more towards the latter, and so you get to the end just to have these unappealing reveals forced upon you- solid writing, solid characters, just a bit.. undecided in it's direction.

Read this one pretty quickly. Even though not a lot really happens, it gets quite addictive and you get sucked into the book. It really relies on the characters, the conversations and the ideas to keep you going. There are moments throughout the book when you think she's going to get a clever exciting plot going on top of all this, but then it all kinds of fizzles out and you return to the characters. But that's not such a bad thing; there are six interesting people in this story - these bright young things.

They've all applied for a wierd vague job, gone to Edinburgh for the interview... then they wake up on this tiny island of rugged cliffs, wild seas and one house. What is going on? Why are they here? Is this an opportunity for them or someone else? And is this really heaven or hell? I found the ending a little naive and idealistic - the feeling and the ideas feel like a forerunner for Popco.

The first Scarlett Thomas book I read. I came across this book when it was new out in my local bookshop, the cover was quite eye-catching and the blurb seemed interesting enough. Now over ten years later the author is amongst my top five and I've enjoyed her later works even more. That being said this is still a good read; the characters and all diverse and interesting, the plot takes you on plenty of twists and turns.

Overall it is very readable and insightful book that was ahead of its time! Scarlett Thomas is poking fun at TV shows such as Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity not only before others did but whilst the shows themselves were still in their infancy.

A book that is still very current even though it is ten years old. I have re-read it a few times and still find myself picking up new things about the characters.

Bright Young Things opens with a newspaper add: "Bright Young Things wanted for big project." Of the applicants for the position, only six are selected for interviews: Anne, Jamie, Thea, Bryn, Emily, and Paul--three young men and three young women all living in England.

These six are our protagonists, and the story unfolds in alternating chapters told, to some degree though not entirely, from the perspective of each of the six. One voice, though, does seem to be slightly more dominant than the others: Anne's, and from having read other Scarlett Thomas novels (my favorite of which is The End of Mr. Y, which is one of the best novels published in the last decade) as well as being familiar with her personal background, it seems that Anne is, to a degree based on Thomas herself.

The six protagonists journey from their homes in England to Edinburgh, Scotland, where they are set to be interviewed for the mysterious "big project." When they arrive at the interview site, they are given a cup of coffee. The next thing they know, they all wake up on a very small deserted island with no idea how they arrived there, who brought them, or what they are doing there. There is a house on the island fully furnished for six and stocked with ample food; there are also sources of renewable power that serve to electrify the house. Alas, however, they have no cell service on this island.

To say much more about the plot would be to spoil it. But I will say that this is more a story about the characters themselves than it is about how they came to the island, why they were brought there, at whose behest they were brought there, and whether they will be able to escape. Thomas's characters are crafted beautifully, skillfully, and, for a rather short novel (342 pages), are extremely well developed and very differentiated--none of the characters are shallow or interchangeable with any of the others: these are real people (fictional, yes, but still real--of course, you know what I mean) whose lives we are entering, whose mystery we are joining. We readers come to know our six friends (for that is what they become) intimately, and we are fascinated and entertained by their incessant dialogue (one of the things I most loved about this novel is the brilliant back-and-forth between the characters) and by their personal stories.

Bright Young Things has an absolutely entrancing premise with an ending that will likely be unexpected for most readers but which is foreseeable, to some degree, as the novel advances and which makes complete narrative sense. Bright Young Things is an absolute delight.

To my surprise and delight, this turned out to be my favorite of the Scarlett Thomas novels I’ve read so far. It follows six young Britons—three women and three men—who apply for a job only to find themselves drugged and dumped on a (seemingly) deserted island for some unknown reason. The plot never really comes together, but this book is really all about character, and Thomas has created six complex and interesting ones here. They’re not all entirely likeable all of the time, but they feel real and honestly representative of a certain pop culture-soaked, purpose-deprived portion of my generation (or perhaps more accurately, the one right before mine, but close enough). I found them all at least somewhat relatable, often painfully so, and I also felt real affection for them, especially Anne, who easily earns a spot on the list of my favorite female characters. So despite being a book in which very little actually happens—mostly the six main characters just talk to each other—I couldn’t put it down.

Unfortunately, I think it’s out of print, but if you can find it (thank you, Friends of the Beverly Hills Library!) I definitely recommend it.

...meh?
Potrei chiudere qui la mia recensione, credo possa esprimere a fondo la perplessità una volta arrivata alla fine.
In realtà, la scrittura della Thomas a me è piaciuta, difatti il mio voto è solo per quello, perché se avessi dovuto dare un voto esclusivamente per la trama, lo svolgimento e il finale sarebbe stata 1 stellina scarsa. Forse mezza.
Interessante l'idea di base: sei personaggi che finiscono non si sa come su di un'isola sperduta non si sa dove a fare non si sa che, né perché. Okay? Inizio intrigante: tutti rispondono a uno stesso annuncio di lavoro e poi si risvegliano lì dopo il colloquio. Figo.
Poi però... il nulla che non sia discorrere della vita di questi come se nemmeno fossero stati rapiti, ma siano tipo lì in vacanza e cianciano delle loro vite, si conoscono, giocano a obbligo o verità e nessuno che si fa prendere subito dal fuoco sacro del: "Porcoca**o, siamo stati rapiti, vediamo di capire come andarcene".
Fino al 70% la storia è interamente formata da chiacchiere. Chiacchiere anche piuttosto inutili ai fini della trama, ma che avrebbero funzionato se fossero stati solo uno studio sul "come far conoscere i personaggi e come caratterizzarli". Perché la caratterizzazione è davvero ben fatta, i personaggi hanno tutti una loro voce che si riconosce e, oggettivamente, non ce n'è uno sano di mente (ma dettagli). Un intero capitolo è dedicato ai VIDEOGAMES, con tanto di riassunto di non ricordo quale Final Fantasy che, okay, per me che sono amante dei videogames è anche molto figo, ma che oggettivamente... A CHE E' SERVITO?
Spoiler: a niente.
Arrivati al 70% finalmente ci si anima, qualcosa si muove, la storia inizia a prendere dinamismo e ti fa ben sperare fino a che intorno al 90% non inizi ad avere la certezza di quale sia la sonata e quindi resti con un "uh" nel leggere l'ultima frase. Con tanto di "Lo sapevo" che passa per la testa assieme al volo di una cornacchia in stile City Hunter (visto che sto libro è pieno di citazioni, ecco il mio contributo).

Sul serio, il voto è dettato solo dalla scrittura della Thomas, ma per il resto è piuttosto meh.