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The Empathy Problem
On sale
14th June 2018
Price: £9.99
‘You can’t put it down . . . precise and propulsive . . . a real page-turner’ Janice Forsyth Show, BBC Radio Scotland
‘It’s so good it’ll leave you wanting to change your own life’ Independent
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So far in his life, Gabriel – selfish, arrogant and happy to be so – has only ever thought about two things: money and himself. When he’s diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, he doesn’t see why anything should change.
But as the tumour grows, something strange starts happening. Whether Gabriel likes it or not, he’s becoming . . . nicer. Kinder. A better person.
And then he meets Caitlin. Before, he wouldn’t even have glanced at her; now he’s entranced. But real change takes time – and time is something Gabriel just doesn’t have.
As each day brings him closer to his last, has the one opportunity for a second chance passed him by?
‘It’s so good it’ll leave you wanting to change your own life’ Independent
******************
So far in his life, Gabriel – selfish, arrogant and happy to be so – has only ever thought about two things: money and himself. When he’s diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, he doesn’t see why anything should change.
But as the tumour grows, something strange starts happening. Whether Gabriel likes it or not, he’s becoming . . . nicer. Kinder. A better person.
And then he meets Caitlin. Before, he wouldn’t even have glanced at her; now he’s entranced. But real change takes time – and time is something Gabriel just doesn’t have.
As each day brings him closer to his last, has the one opportunity for a second chance passed him by?
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Reviews
Emotional porn for lefties . . . You can't put it down . . . precise and propulsive . . . a real page-turner
A gripping look at an unlikeable character.
A very personal, compassionate and intimate read. Gavin Extence is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, he constantly surprises, challenges and stimulates with his barbed, so beautifully readable books. I sat up reading for most of the night, and even when I had turned the last page, I didn't want to put it down.
Extence keeps the twists and turns coming, full of mordant wit, until the bitter end.
It's funny, well observed and heartfelt without being sentimental... a lovely, engaging read that'll leave you resolving to change your own life for the better.
The Empathy Problem is delightful, written in a warm, engaging voice and composed of short chapters that rattle along . . . An accessible read but one that prompts you to think about what it means to live a moral life. It's so good it 'll leave you wanting to change your own life, to be a better person.
Extence's quick wit and smart use of dialogue, deployed throughout an eventful plot with a varied cast of distinct characters, add a degree of levity you'd find more often in a Hollywood screenplay . . . a healthy dose of Dickens . . . Extence piles on delight after delight . . . The Empathy Problem finds a way to make us smile through our tears.
This book is never sentimental and Extence doesn't make the mistake of having Gabriel suddenly becoming perfect but by the end he is someone you'd have as a friend. Along the way we learn the value of honesty, love, music and loyalty. As well as the joy of perfectly aimed revenge . . .
Another stand-out book from this outstanding author
Extence's novel is an absolute triumph, once again reiterating his skill for characterisation and voice.
Witty, insightful and tender, The Empathy Problem is a triumph. I loved it.
I absolutely loved this story... Extence has such a dry, witty style of writing.
A brilliant book about second chances in life by Gavin Extence. I am looking forward to what he is coming up with next!
Witty and sincere . . . very clever