Chris Cleave’s debut novel Incendiary—winner of the Book-of-the-Month Club’s First Fiction Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize—is sure to captivate the same people who made Little Bee one of the most talked-about novels of the last decade.
Written as an open letter to Osama bin Laden from a distraught woman whose husband and son were killed in a massive suicide bombing, Incendiary was published in the UK on July 7, 2005— eerily, the day of the London underground bombings. It went on to win the 2006 Somerset Maugham Award; was shortlisted for the 2006 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize; won the United States’ Book-of-the-Month Club’s First Fiction Award; and won the Prix Special du Jury at the French Prix des Lecteurs 2007.
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"Creative premise and style in that the entire book was written as one long correspondence. Also unusual to never learn the name of the main character/narrator or that of her child who is a major component of the story. Eye-opening political scenario without overly obvious political messages."
— Linda (4 out of 5 stars)
“An audacious, provocative voice…[Cleave] has a clear and disturbing vision of the psychological effects of an attack on a city population.”
— New York Times Book Review“Incendiary suggests that even amid the rubble of a terrorist attack, we can gain a glimpse of hope for a better future, stay open to hidden gifts in one’s life, and perhaps even discover that we are capable of forgiveness of our own fragility and carelessness as well as that of others.”
— Boston Globe“Fiction can be a highly effective way of depicting terror…because fine writing—and Incendiary is a very fine example—is such an eloquent human instrument.”
— Economist“Sensitive, artful, and deft…Cleave’s Orwellian look at the way we live is hyper-realistic, his narrator true to the point where one can almost hear her ragged breathing, smell the gin and tears on her breath…A near-perfect debut that will give the reader nightmares that may seem far too real on waking.”
— Baltimore Sun“Cleave…has a phenomenal talent for melodrama, a dishy, vicious sense of humor, and a sprinter’s force as a writer.”
— New York Observer" It's hard to know how to classify this book. Written in the form of a letter to Osama Bin Laden, it tells the story of how a British working-class woman who loses her son and husband in a terrorist bombing deals with her grief and the madness of society around her. Typically, someone like that would be portrayed as a saint, but she is a real human being, flaws and all. While the story does have some flashes of humor, in all, it is grief-ridden book. "
— Jonelle, 2/18/2014" A little too all over the place. "
— Regan, 1/11/2014" Cleave blew me away with his recent novel, Little Bee. I was excited to read the older Incendiary, yet I was deeply disappointed and disgusted. Yes, I finished the entire novel but only because I kept hoping that it was going to turn around and improve. It did not. With a promising beginning, I was immediately intrigued with the heroine of the story writing a letter to Osama Bin Laden blaming him for the deaths of her husband and son in a terrorist attack at a soccer match. However, as it went on, I became less and less thrilled with this woman who was cheating on her husband while he was being killed and then loses her grip on reality and life. This was the biggest sob story I have ever read with the most ridciulous characters and scenarios... I cannot begin to describe, and I won't. All I can do is urge other readers to not even try with this one. I wasted a a couple weeks on this... not because I'm a slow reader but because it was so miserable to read. Cleaves, I was really let down. "
— Brittany, 12/25/2013" Yeah, terrorism, yeah, good way to approach the subject, yeah, well written. Just not really my cup of tea. "
— Robert, 12/14/2013" It took me a while to get into this book, but I liked it. "
— Judy, 12/10/2013" A letter to Osama bin Laden, from an East-London mother. Robin Van Persie also makes a cameo showing :) Sparking controversy on the aftermath of terrorism. The movie doesn't do it justice. "
— Stephen, 12/9/2013" Raw, first person fictional account of a terrorist attack on London. Read it in two sittings. "
— Sean, 12/8/2013" Grave disappointment after loving Little Bee so much. So depressing without much to redeem it. "
— Phoebejones4, 12/1/2013" Page turner in many ways. Main character straight forward lower class woman who speaks her mind! If you like the book - DONT bother with the movie. Thy cut a major character and changed 50% of the plot. Ticked me off! "
— Phyllis, 11/28/2013" Not a good time in my life to have read this book. Depressing, depressing, depressing. "
— Lee, 9/22/2013" I enjoyed this book, but it just wasn't as good as Little Bee. "
— Laura, 4/27/2013Chris Cleave is the author of Incendiary and the #1 New York Times bestseller Little Bee. He is also a columnist for the Guardian.