Ralph's Party - Lisa Jewell

Ralph's Party is the second book I have read by Lisa Jewell, the first one being 31 Dream Street, which I adored. This one was actually her debut novel, released back in 1999. ~The Plot~ The story revolves around the residents of 31 Almanac Road. This is a building in Battersea, London, which is separated into three flats. In the basement flat live Ralph, Smith and Jem. Ralph and Smith have been best friends since they went to school together as teenagers. Now in their early thirties, they have been flatmates for several years. Smith has a city job, whereas Ralph is an artist -although he hasn't painted for months. When Smith advertises ...  Read the complete review

Another one of my g/f's favourites that I was told I must read, and I must say our lassie has good tatse. Well she has been going out with me for three years. As some of you may know I'm a painter and decorater, for the past few weeks I've been decorating a nursing home,I've been working during the night so as not to disturbe their routine, as the residents there are in bed, I can't watch T.v or listen to music. So on my breaks I've been reading this book, and now the time has come to let you all in on the story. ?Ralph?s Party? is a novel about the lives of the residents of 31 Almanac Road. On three different floors ...  Read the complete review

Welcome to Alamanac Road. It’s an ordinary London Street with three storey Edwardian Villas, there is nothing else really to say about it. There are many other London streets the same. However, Alamanac road has rather more going on. There are infidelities, both real and imagined, there is obsessive love as a person watches someone from afar knowing that one day they will be together. There are friendships tested as one friend falls for the others partner. There is a woman aborting a married man’s babies. There is the radio DJ who ends up a celebrity. One man tries to hide his jealousy of his best friend as his own life is in tatters. Then there are the ...  Read the complete review

Ralph's Party is the second book I have read by Lisa Jewell, although it was actually her first novel. As the first one was quite a few years ago, I didn't really remember much about it and therefore did not really know what to expect from this book. I was glad that I did pick it up though as it is a thoroughly enjoyable read that hooked me in from the very beginning. The story centres on the people who live at 31 Almanac Road where each of the three floors is a separate flat. Ralph and Smith share the basement and rub along quite comfortably until they advertise for a new flatmate and Jemima (Jem) moves in. Karl and Siobhan share the middle floor having been ...  Read the complete review

This is the first ever time I have read Lisa Jewell's book and normally I am not so much a modern fiction's fan - but this one is quite different to other ones. The plot is quite a strong one and it is able to grab your attention from the beginning. This is a book describing the daily lives of 31 Almanac Road. There are three flats very different owners - the basement with Ralph and Smith, and their new flat mate Jemima; the ground floor with Karl the DJ and Siobhan, his intelligent girlfriend who had been happily unmarried for fifteen years; and the top flat with femme fatale Cheri. Jemima, a typical city girl in London, who came to look for a ...  Read the complete review