Bodies Electric: 1

Bodies Electric follows the story of Jack Whitman, a New York executive who rakes in 400K a year. His life is, on the surface, seemingly perfect. Then, one day he spots a hot girl on the train with her little daughter, and instantly falls for her in that lust-is-love way of men. He offers her his card and a job (if she wants one), and pretty soon she's HIS problem, she's entered his life, and he realises she's on the run from her husband, and the husband will not stop until he finds her.It's a simple concept, but Colin Harrison manages to stretch it and breathe a realness into it, making it about the characters not just the situation. The great thing about Harrison is that he doesn't over moralise his characters like Dean Koontz might. He'll happily plumb the depths of depravity, make his main character a horrible person with disgusting personal traits and habits, with maybe just a vein of consciousness behind his wall of evil. And the character will be likeable for that same reason; because he's real--and it's easier to relate to a genuine character than something that was obviously concocted as a fantasy.For instance, the main girl is gradually unwrapped as the novel goes by, and as each layer is revealed, her character becomes darker. She recounts sordid stories of her past, which include orgies partaken in whilst she was still married to her wife-beater husband. Colin Harrison doesn't stop and think: Hey, waitaminute: if I write this people might not like her--he just writes it. He goes with the truth.On top of his characters, Harrison's prose is poetic and lovely to read, as always. His dialogue is strong, too. However, if you can't handle a novel that doesn't zip to the point, or that isn't spare, stripped to its bones, then you might find this a little tedious. But if you enjoy good writing, a normal pace, and don't mind actually savouring the words, then this is for you.This is one you won't want to end.

This is a well-written novel which activates and keeps your interest.Jack Whitman, a New York executive, in a lust-inspired move, invites a troubled woman and her daughter into his life while on the subway. This creates all manner of problems for him because she soon moves in with him, initially as a guest - but with a lot of baggage, figuratively speaking. At the same time, his high-powered job is providing him with challenges as he is used as a pawn by both the company's Chairman and CEO who are trying to get rid of each other as they plan a corporate takeover. So the threads become can he win the girl and will he remain safe in his job?I read the annoying small-print version of 380 pages (why do they publish these?) which made it hard-going with Harrison's many very long paragraphs and too much detail. Nonetheless, a good and interesting plot and some stylish writing combined to make this an enjoyable read. 9/10

This story is about high finance and a take-over bid in the media world. It must have been hard to write because the world of business is usually pretty dull to an outsider's eye, and often pretty dull for the insiders too. But Harrison manages to make the take-over battle really interesting.Alongside the business story is a gripping love story: man sees beautiful girl, tries to help her in a chivalrous way, runs into troubles with her estranged husband and the relationship ends in disaster.The two stories - business and romance - have twists and turns in their own strands plus cross-links to each other. The characters are convincing and evoke a strange mixture of sympathy and disquiet. The twists and turns are surprising and handled with skill. The novel explores the violent clash between the mega-rich and the working class. There are people in both camps who are barely keeping their heads above water.The picture of where the IT/Media world is going is rather over-blown, but it is presented cleverly. It is over-ambitious (said with the hindsight of 20 years since it was written) but the excitement of building products that change how we see and understand the world is real and electrifying.

Very dated now.

A tale of boardroom v. bedroom, work life v. family life, profit v. loss. You sympathise with the main character Jack instantly, when you hear his pregnant wife, an innocent victim, was murdered in a drive-by shooting. Then he gets used as a top-level pawn in the corporation's business battles and you sympathise a bit more, so that when he gets another chance at love you can't blame him if he gets a bit obsessive about finding out about his new partner's past... Although a thick novel, I sprinted through this quickly and enjoyed it thoroughly.

This is a brilliant piece of writing. A morality tale of corporate greed and personal lust told by a damaged man who leads you with him pace by pace along the slippery slope that leads to his dreadful fate.Harrison's writing is superb: dry, controlled and elegantly paced. Jack Whitman is an empathetic character whose fate you really begin to care about very soon into the book. I devoured this book in three sittings and the ending was so absolutely right that I felt immense satisfaction when I reached the final page. This book leaves you wanting to read more -- immediately -- of Harrison's exquisite story-telling. It is a magnificently structured and chilling story that achieved a very rare thing, for me, at least. So great is the skill of Harrison's story-telling, told in the first person like a conversation or a confession, that he accomplishes the rare feat of totally involving you in the fate of his main character. Mawkish though it may sound, I felt somehow changed by the knowledge of the mistakes that Whitman committed. Read it and weep all over your spreadsheets, you corporate warriors.