Anna North

Gripping and provocative, The Life and Death of Sophie Stark tells a story of fame, love, and legacy through the propulsive rise of an iconoclastic artist.

The Life and Death of Sophie Stark

I picked this up to take on holiday. The blurb sounded interesting and the quotes on the cover were from a lot of people whose opinions I respected - something I’ve discovered is a good gauge when buying an unknown book.

The story has an interesting literary framing device in Sophie’s story being told by the six people who knew her best. The synopsis says “loved” her, but I don’t believe they all did. Whilst this was an interesting way to structure the story, I felt all the characters had the same voice; they all described things the same way, spoke the same way, had the same kind of sadness. The latter I think was part of the point - this shared sadness was something they all had in common - but it didn’t feel distinct enough and began to feel repetitive.

I found some elements of Sophie’s story a little unbelievable and unrealistic, which made it hard to get fully immersed in the story.

Having said all that, I did enjoy the author’s writing style, and I did think generally the story was interesting. I also devoured this book in a week, which never happens! So that counts for something.

Laura Hurst

I picked this up to take on holiday. The blurb sounded interesting and the quotes on the cover were from a lot of people whose opinions I respected - something I’ve discovered is a good gauge when buying an unknown book.

The story has an interesting literary framing device in Sophie’s story being told by the six people who knew her best. The synopsis says “loved” her, but I don’t believe they all did. Whilst this was an interesting way to structure the story, I felt all the characters had the same voice; they all described things the same way, spoke the same way, had the same kind of sadness. The latter I think was part of the point - this shared sadness was something they all had in common - but it didn’t feel distinct enough and began to feel repetitive.

I found some elements of Sophie’s story a little unbelievable and unrealistic, which made it hard to get fully immersed in the story.

Having said all that, I did enjoy the author’s writing style, and I did think generally the story was interesting. I also devoured this book in a week, which never happens! So that counts for something.

Trever

I'm torn about this one. It's certainly intriguing, at the least, but I was reluctant to pick it up and read it each day. I'm not sure why, since I genuinely liked much of it.

I think most of the problems come from the narrative mode. It's written from multiple first-person perspectives, but they all write like the same person. But the larger issue is that it almost felt like the characters were doing that "I knew [x celebrity] in high school!" thing, even though it becomes apparent that's definitely not what's happening.

That said, the polyphonic narrative did make Sophie a more developed character, but this comes at the risk of not developing the other characters enough.

So I'm a little ambivalent. But if it sounds good to you I'd try it.

Also: I'd like to see, if North writes another novel, what it will be.

'If The Girl on the Train was the woman of 2015, then Sophie Stark is this year's model. Anna North's novel, The Life and Death of Sophie Stark, has been a hit in America, with Lena Dunham describing its protagonist as a "totally unforgettable female antihero". Out now - soon every girl on every train will be reading it' Sunday Times Who is the real Sophie Stark? The Life and Death of Sophie Stark is the story of an enigmatic film director, told by the six people who loved her most. Brilliant, infuriating, all-seeing and unknowable, Sophie Stark makes films said to be 'more like life than life itself'. But her genius comes at a terrible cost: to her husband, to the brother she left behind, and to an actress who knows too much. With shades of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, A Visit from the Goon Squad and Where'd You Go, Bernadette, it combines a uniquely appealing sensibility with a compulsively page-turning plot. 'Thriller-paced, with mysteries revealed at every turn. The great mystery at the centre is Sophie Stark, a totally unforgettable female anti-hero who conforms to absolutely none of our expectations and suffers deeply for it' Lena Dunham 'North is a natural, butter-smooth storyteller' Maggie Shipstead, author of SEATING ARRANGEMENTS 'I read THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SOPHIE STARK with my heart in my mouth. Not only a dissection of genius and the havoc it can wreak, but also a thunderously good story' Emma Donoghue, author of ROME 'Jennifer Egan, eat your heart out' Sam Baker 'A captivating portrait of the artist as a young woman. It's a story that examines the notion of artistic legacy and meditates on the ethics involved in film-making and storytelling' THE INDEPENDENT 'Gripping and graceful' THE GUARDIAN 'The year's must read' GLAMOUR

Lauren Attaway

Loved This

I have been meaning to read this book since it was first published. It didn't disappoint. Anna North really tapped into the cost of art on the artist, and the way strangers take ownership of someone else's work. I've been guilty of reading a book or seeing a film and thinking I've learned something about the people attached to it. I really liked the idea that Sophie could see everyone better than they saw themselves and was repeatedly punished for it. There's always this idea of artists pulling from the lives of others, but I don't think enough thought it given to the isolation that can cause, when people are afraid to be close to you or resent you because they believe you're using them for material. This was such an interesting book.

Sien Van de Wouwer

this book is not something i have read before ... in the best way possible

Zoe Smolen

I liked the premise of this book, but didn't like it as much as I hoped that I would. The chapters were a little long for my tastes.

Emily Burns

The story of an enigmatic film director, told by the six people who loved her most. Brilliant, infuriating, all-seeing and unknowable, Sophie Stark makes films said to be 'more like life than life itself'. But her genius comes at a terrible cost: to her husband, to the brother she left behind, and to an actress who knows too much

The Life and Death of Sophie Stark

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