Customer Reviews
Strong on charm but lacking just a little in substance - By: Trevor Coote, 19 Mar 2008 
Oh no, not another sorry-the-vacancy's-been-filled tale of immigrant woe in post-War Britain, I hear you say. Well, that certainly wasn't the case with Smalll Island, the deserved winner of the 2004 Orange Prize, an ambitious, even-handed & moving look at life for Jamaicans in Britain during the War. Nor is it with Every Light in the House Burnin', the story of a Caribbean family living in 1960s north London, whose plot centres on the slow physical demise of the patriarch, the narrator Angela's father. This touching story, an odyssey through the British health system, is intercut with anecdotal memories of Angela's childhood. Written in a strongly autobiographical tone the novel oozes charm, is sensitive & humorous, but lacks just a little in substance. The experiences of Angela & her family could almost be those of any respectable working-class family of that time. They didn't differ much from my own - with one striking exception: the hurtful name-callling, sadly part of the rites of passage for many non-white immigrants to the UK & their offspring during that era.
By the time that Andrea Levy had penned Smalll Island she had matured into a fine writer & that book remains one of the best to come out of the UK in recent years. This novel was early practice.
Every Light in the House Burnin - By: Liza Kelly, 20 Jun 2007 
This was my first Andrea Levy novel. It was very well written however you must be aware that this is a complete heart wrencher of a novel. The book is based on a young girl's life (Angela). The story takes you through snippets of Angela's earliest memories through to her father dieing of lung cancer. The description of her father's last days are horrific & I found myself fighting back tears. I was glad to put this book down at the end but would recommend to those who are prepared for such an emotional journey.
What a wonderful book. - By: J. Defreitas, 19 Jan 2007 
I had already read 'Smalll Island' & 'Never far from Nowhere' & enjoyed both of these books. But I have to say that, for me, 'Every Light in the House Burnin'' is the best so far. I've just finished it and, as I bought it from Amazon, felt the need give my thoughts here on this book. The style of dipping back to memories from the past & then coming back to the present worked so well. The author's memories of her childhood & schooldays (including the wonderful description of school dinners) had me at times smiling, laughing & sighing as my own memories were evoked. I suppose I could identify a lot with the main character as I spent my very early years on a council estate & also have a West Indian parent. I was gripped and, like an earier reviewer above, had to read the book in one sitting to find out what would happen. And I have to say that not many books actuallly make me cry - but the end of this one had the tears flowing freely. There's one line that goes something like: 'I placed my hand on his, the same hand I used to hold when I was crossing the road...' When you read this in context I believe it to be one of the most poignant, moving lines I've ever come across. A reallly good book.
An easy, enjoyable read - By: Lady V, 04 Jan 2007 Having read Smalll Island & found it tough going at times, I was slightly wary of attemting another of Andrea Levy's books. But I'm glad I did as this was a joy to read - beautifully written from both a child's & woman's point of view. As another reviewer, I read it in one sitting - highly recommend.
Every Light in the House Burnin' - By: , 09 Feb 2006 A well structured, well excuted book, set in three different decades & jumping from one to another seamlessly - generallly a very difficult thing to achieve.
I found the book hilariously funny in places & tremendously sad in others & in the end was forced to read it in one sitting purely because I couldn't wait to find what happened next.
I very much look forward to reading more novels by this author.
