253: the Journey of 253 Lifetimes - Softcover

Ryman, Geoff

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312182953 ISBN 13: 9780312182953

Publisher: St Martin's Press, 1998

Synopsis

A London tube train, with all seats occupied, carries 252 passengers. The driver makes 253. Each one has a secret history, thoughts about themselves and the world. And each one's story takes one page (comprised of exactly 253 words) in this novel.
Meet Estelle, who has fallen madly in love with Saddam Hussein; James, who anesthetizes sick gorillas for a living; and Who? a character who doesn't know where, or what, on earth he is.
Perhaps you'll see a bit of yourself in some or all of them.
This seven-and-a-half-minute ride between Embankment and Elephant & Castle is highly original. And enjoyable. And unpredictable.
And full of marvels.

About this title

Review:

‘A triumph of imagination, interlaced with considerable wit’
New Statesman

‘Innovative and engrossing’
Independent

‘Astonishingly vibrant portraits of each person on the train... A disturbing, melancholy work, but also lyrical and totally engaging’
Los Angeles Times

Synopsis:

Describes the 253 people (including the driver) riding on a train from London on January 11, 1995, and the connections between them.

About this edition

• Publisher: St Martin's Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0312182953
• ISBN 13: 9780312182953
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384