Call number
FIC HAR
Collection
Genres
Series
Publication
William Morrow Paperbacks (2006), Edition: Reprint, 422 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: The New York Times bestselling author takes a riveting new direction with this richly textured, multi-layered novel of friendship, murder, revenge, and class conflict set in an upper-crust English schoolâ??as enthralling and haunting as Ian McKewan's Atonement and Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley Audere, agere, auferre. To dare, to strive, to conquer. For generations, elite young men have attended St. Oswald's School for Boys, groomed for success by the likes of Roy Straitley, the eccentric classics teacher who has been a revered fixture for more than 30 years. But this year, things are different. Suits, paperwork, and Information Technology rule the world, and Straitley is reluctantly contemplating retirement. He is joined in this, his 99th, term by five new faculty members, including one whoâ??unknown to Straitley and everyone elseâ??holds intimate and dangerous knowledge of St. Ozzie's ways and secrets, it's comforts and conceits. Harboring dark ties to the school's past, this young teacher has arrived with one terrible goal: Destroy St. Oswald's. As the new term gets underway, a number of incidents befall students and faculty alike. Beginning as small annoyancesâ??a lost pen, a misplaced coffee mugâ??they soon escalate to the life threatening. With the school unraveling, only Straitley stands in the way of St. Ozzie's ruin. But the old man faces a formidable opponentâ??a master player with a strategy that has been meticulously planned to the final move. A harrowing tale of cat and mouse told in alternating voices, this riveting, hypnotically atmospheric novel showcases Joanne Harris's astonishing storytelling talent as… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member AMQS
This cat-and-mouse thriller is atmospheric and darkly funny. The story takes place at St. Oswald's Grammar School for Boys, an old, tradition-steeped elite private school that is imbued with so much personality and history that it could be considered a principal character. The suspenseful narrative
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is structured like a game of strategy, and alternates between Roy Straitley, the aging Classics teacher, and the vengeful child of the former school porter, now come back ostensibly as a new teacher, but actually to maliciously engineer the downfall of the entire institution. Straitley narrates staff room political manoeuvres, student "types," and pompous administrative machinations with rapier wit and sharp-tongued Latin invectives. He is the hilarious heart and soul of the book and the school, but is suffering not-so-subtle insults and indignities that are forcing him to consider retirement. The new teacher recounts a difficult childhood literally in the shadows of St. Oswald's, which was the focus of longing and awe, but absolutely inaccessible, and therefore, irresistible. This character's narrative itself alternates between flashbacks of youth -- stolen uniforms used for illicit exploration and infiltration of St. Oswald's and desperate hunger for acceptance and belonging, to the present day plot using computer viruses, hacking, and murder as tools to infiltrate the school and serve up cold revenge. I was guessing until the end, and thought the book was very well done. Show Less
LibraryThing member Smiler69
A fun and clever thriller set at St. Oswald's, a venerable exclusive private school for boys with a long history and a solid reputation. There are two narrators relating the story, the first being Roy Straitley, the Classics teacher with the heart of gold who is looking forward to his "century",
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i.e. his 100th term at the school, and the second by the now grown child of the school's former caretaker who had developed an unhealthy fixation on the institution and one of it's students in pre-pubescence, and is now out to bring down St. Oswald's in a chaos of carefully orchestrated scandals and meticulously planned murders. We know from the very beginning that people will get killed, though we don't know who, why, how nor when, nor whether Straitley will end up as the hero who saves the day, or as one of the killer's victims, or possibly both? Show Less
LibraryThing member MikeFinn
One of the best books I’ve read recently. A brilliantly executed, clever thriller, this book is also a mainstream look at love, loyalty, duty, transgression and identity.
Harris conjures up two powerful characters, an old school Latin school master that I fell in love with and the killer who is
But perhaps the most impressive character in the book is the school that consumes both master and murderer.
Technically, Harris is masterful: two points of view and regular flashbacks managed with ease, crisp clear language and a truly ingenious plot
I heartily recommend it. I look forward to reading the rest of her novels.
Harris conjures up two powerful characters, an old school Latin school master that I fell in love with and the killer who is
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brave, bright, and ruthless.But perhaps the most impressive character in the book is the school that consumes both master and murderer.
Technically, Harris is masterful: two points of view and regular flashbacks managed with ease, crisp clear language and a truly ingenious plot
I heartily recommend it. I look forward to reading the rest of her novels.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
It helps to think of this novel as a game, and you, the reader, as one of the players. There are many tipoffs that this is exactly the case. The title is one. The second is the chess metaphor for the novel’s narrative structure, starting with the opening gambit of “Pawn.”
Understanding that
This is a fun read, an entertaining read, a good book for when you’re sick or have a long plane ride ahead of you. It is not necessarily great literature, but then it doesn’t aspire to be, as the cutesy character names that underline the character’s personality (such as the teachers Meek, Keane and Dare) should alert you. If you approach the book as if it is a game, then you should get along fine.
Understanding that
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this is a game, and that there are secrets and strategies to be figured out, I won’t reveal too much plot. I will only say that the story is set in an English boy’s school that is erupting with scandal upon scandal, and that there are two opposing players, two narrators, although one of them – Roy Straitley, a Latin teacher – isn’t aware of the game until play is well under way.This is a fun read, an entertaining read, a good book for when you’re sick or have a long plane ride ahead of you. It is not necessarily great literature, but then it doesn’t aspire to be, as the cutesy character names that underline the character’s personality (such as the teachers Meek, Keane and Dare) should alert you. If you approach the book as if it is a game, then you should get along fine.
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LibraryThing member Brianna_H
Set in all-boys school, St. Oswald’s, Gentlemen & Players is narrated by the school’s oldest and most beloved Classics professor, Roy Straightly, by the former caretaker’s child, and by a mysterious and nefarious troublemaker out to destroy St. Oswald’s. This malevolent narrator’s
Roy Straightly loves the school and his students and hates to see tradition supplanted by more modern means of education such as the dreaded computer. A foreboding feeling permeates the air of St. Oswald’s as Mr. Straightly begins his 99th term at the school. To start with, Mr. Straightly has lost his office to the ever-invading German department; there are a slew of new teachers that don’t quite sit well with Mr. Straightly; and an odd series of mishaps and scandals begin to rip apart St. Oswald’s at the seams. Something sinister is happening at St. Oswald’s and Mr. Straightly must try to figure it out before his beloved institution is decimated by whatever evil forces are working against it.
Gentlemen & Players is a suspenseful mystery that will leave you shocked with it’s stunning resolution. Joanne Harris’ writing is deft and masterful. As a narrator, Mr. Straightly is intensely observant and immensely entertaining. This novel is steeped in academia and will be a sure hit amongst those who count Donna Tartt’s The Secret History as a favorite novel.
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identity is kept secret until the staggering ending. Roy Straightly loves the school and his students and hates to see tradition supplanted by more modern means of education such as the dreaded computer. A foreboding feeling permeates the air of St. Oswald’s as Mr. Straightly begins his 99th term at the school. To start with, Mr. Straightly has lost his office to the ever-invading German department; there are a slew of new teachers that don’t quite sit well with Mr. Straightly; and an odd series of mishaps and scandals begin to rip apart St. Oswald’s at the seams. Something sinister is happening at St. Oswald’s and Mr. Straightly must try to figure it out before his beloved institution is decimated by whatever evil forces are working against it.
Gentlemen & Players is a suspenseful mystery that will leave you shocked with it’s stunning resolution. Joanne Harris’ writing is deft and masterful. As a narrator, Mr. Straightly is intensely observant and immensely entertaining. This novel is steeped in academia and will be a sure hit amongst those who count Donna Tartt’s The Secret History as a favorite novel.
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LibraryThing member CarolynSchroeder
This book started so strong and the character of Roy Straightly is just wonderful (same doesn't go for the other protagonist "Julian Pinchbeck"). I loved the catty gossip and reflections on both the administration and staff of the school. The book is well written, good, funny dialogue and some keen
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observations. I was fairly intriqued wondering who/how/what in regards to the mystery, but how it all "comes together" is absolutely ridiculous and unbelievable. It took such quanum leaps of faith, plus would have to rendered most of the (rather astute) characters dumb, deaf AND blind. In fact, when the big twist was revealed, I actually groaned. Ah well, what can you do. Goofy ending, but sort of entertaining most of the way. Show Less
LibraryThing member 23eris
I really enjoyed listening to this book! The twists and turns of the plot keep you guessing, and you wonder what horrible thing will the narrator think of next. Harris writes from two points of view, and you grow to like both narrators, even though they are on opposite sides of the fence so to
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speak. Although I did figure out the ending a little before, it honestly did take me most of the book to puzzle out the pieces. I would heartily recommend this novel to anyone. Show Less
LibraryThing member Vidalia
It's a new school year at St Oswald's Grammar School for Boys, bringing with it the annual batch of new teachers, one of whom is a relentless psychopath intent on destroying this bastion of upperclass education. Roy Straitley - eccentric, intelligent, beloved Classics instructor - has been a
Straitley
the malicious, vengeful and cunning new arrival
Snyde, the child that the once was our villain
Gentlemen & Players underscores the class differences inherent in the British social system - differences that the young Snyde felt acutely and that produced the monster plotting the utter annihilation of St Oswald's and those who love it. Snyde's story is particularly riveting, and the mystery as to the identity of the grown-up evil-doer is maintained until the very end. Straitley's voice is truly a treat to read - he's a witty, stubborn old luddite with a soft heart. Harris' writing really brings him to life. I could hear his accent and inflections as I read the words on the page. Gentlemen is beautifully composed. Characterization is excellent, the plot is compelling and if you're not really, really attentive to detail, the end is quite surprising
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fixture at St Oswald's for almost thirty years. Devoted to the school and to his boys, Straitley eventually is the only obstacle preventing the ultimate ruin of the school, staff and students. The story unfolds through three voices:Straitley
the malicious, vengeful and cunning new arrival
Snyde, the child that the once was our villain
Gentlemen & Players underscores the class differences inherent in the British social system - differences that the young Snyde felt acutely and that produced the monster plotting the utter annihilation of St Oswald's and those who love it. Snyde's story is particularly riveting, and the mystery as to the identity of the grown-up evil-doer is maintained until the very end. Straitley's voice is truly a treat to read - he's a witty, stubborn old luddite with a soft heart. Harris' writing really brings him to life. I could hear his accent and inflections as I read the words on the page. Gentlemen is beautifully composed. Characterization is excellent, the plot is compelling and if you're not really, really attentive to detail, the end is quite surprising
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LibraryThing member kalliope
I listened to the audiobook, and I swear half the reason I liked this so much was the narrator.
LibraryThing member stonelinda
Murders plague an English boarding school, with no apparent link between victims. Hair-raising in scope, with a stunning surprise ending which leaves the reader turning back to locate the over-looked clues.
LibraryThing member sailornate82
A very witty and entertaining book, in the vein of a whodunnit?, amidst suspense and humor. Very good.
LibraryThing member sfeggers
I found the voices a little confusing to begin with. It took me several chapters to figure out the device of the alternating narrators. Good plot twist though and interesting and compelling writing style. The clever character names were fun to think about.
LibraryThing member extrajoker
Gentlemen and Players is another thoroughly enjoyable story by Joanne Harris. (I think I want to have her babies....) Her villain is diabolical but still sympathetic to no small degree. And the unlikely hero is Roy Straitley, a classics teacher reminiscent of Mr. Chips with a dash of Rumpole of the
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Bailey. Show Less
LibraryThing member franoscar
I read it. This book isn't as good as the author thinks it is. It is wordy & contains lazy writing that seems poetic or portentous but doesn't really make sense.
LibraryThing member emhromp2
This is a very nasty thriller, but in a good way. Harris kept my attention throughout. The story is about a child growing up near a boarding school and develops an intense hatred for those at the school. Later, the child has become a teacher at the same school, and starts demolishing ancient
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structures and even murders one of the pupils. All the while, the reader has no idea who does this. It is written from the "I"-perspective. The ending, no one can predict. I literally fell off my chair. Brilliant! Show Less
LibraryThing member catsears
This novel kept me thinking throughout. A few times I thought I had it figured out but turned out to be wrong. I was still thinking about the novel a few days after I was finished with it.
LibraryThing member smik
The new academic year is beginning at St. Oswald’s expensive and exclusive school for boys. Roy Straitley, Classics master, is fighting to survive in a world that sees French and German more relevant than the Latin he has taught for the last 33 years. The new year brings with it new students and
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new teachers including one that has got the job on the basis of false credentials. This teacher is dedicated not to the advancement of education at St. Oswald’s, but to bringing St. Oswald’s down. Little things begin to go wrong, a boy nearly dies, Straitley has a heart scare a few weeks before his 65th birthday, and then the stage is set for major catastrophe. It seems very probable Roy will not achieve his “century” and that St. Oswald’s will not survive a series of crises. The plotting in this novel is intricate, the author is determined not to reveal who the pretender is, and then all climaxes on Roy’s birthday. And look out for the little hints: the chapter headings, the chess icons, and the clever play on words. Show Less
LibraryThing member karieh
I liked it - I love the snarkiness of the poor vs. the rich...but she kind of hits you over head with "subtle" clues about the main character.
LibraryThing member neverlistless
This story takes us into the hallowed halls of St. Oswalds - a private boys school that is everything that one thinks of when those words are said - stately, old, and steeped in tradition.
We have two main characters. The first is Roy Straitley, a Latin teacher who has been teaching at Oswalds for
And boy, is the revenge serious. It starts out simply: missing pens, tea mugs. And then it becomes more and more serious as the story evolves.
I really enjoyed this book - reading about St. Oswalds made me feel cozy and the mystery and suspense of the story really drew me in. I'd definitely suggest this book to anyone who is interested in the life of private schools and the traditions they entail or anyone who likes twisted-types of mysteries.
We have two main characters. The first is Roy Straitley, a Latin teacher who has been teaching at Oswalds for
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33 years. He is the epitome of tradition - begrudges the technology changes and doesn't do email; teaches a dying language that is mocked by other instructors and is constantly trying to be pushed aside and ended by the school; and fiercely loves his boys and what he teaches. The second is a new teacher with a vendetta. This new teacher was actually the child of a past Porter (groundskeeper, basically) and longed to be a student at St. Oswalds. A tragic incident in the past causes this new teacher to seek revenge.And boy, is the revenge serious. It starts out simply: missing pens, tea mugs. And then it becomes more and more serious as the story evolves.
I really enjoyed this book - reading about St. Oswalds made me feel cozy and the mystery and suspense of the story really drew me in. I'd definitely suggest this book to anyone who is interested in the life of private schools and the traditions they entail or anyone who likes twisted-types of mysteries.
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LibraryThing member irishwasherwoman
Any book that gives you an ending that you just don't expect has to rate five stars! Joanne Harris is a favorite author and this book certainly didn't disappoint. A townie gets involved with the local boarding school scene. A somewhat dark story with a jolly old don who bumbles along. Great
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suspense read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gary10
A bit slow to set up but ultimately fascinating account of a British public school and the poisonous environment it created. One of the most surprising mystery novels Ive read in awhile.
LibraryThing member Matke
The narrator, a bitter soul, has come back to wreak a little vengeance for an unhappy childhood. Somewhat derivative from Ruth Rendell and Patricia Highsmith, but Harris does a very good job with two alternative voices and a sort of stunt-like plot resolution. A good read for a cold night.
LibraryThing member murraymint11
Loved this book. One of those cases of reading the 'right book at the right time'. Set in a traditional Boys Grammar School in the north of England, there's plenty of mystery, and it's nicely written. Never saw the twist coming!
LibraryThing member markatread
One of six books nominated for best novel by the Edgar Awards in 2007. It did not win but for me it was a very close call between this one and the book that did win, The Janissary Tree.
Gentlemen and Players has a lot going for it and is acturally put together better and has a more likable main
Gentlemen and Players has a lot going for it and is acturally put together better and has a more likable main
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character in Roy Straitley than the Janissary Tree which is cluttered and messy. The main character is less well defined in The Janissary Tree, and has a very chaotic story in which to try and find out what is going on. Roy Straitley is trying to solve his mystery inside a school, an enviroment that the author of Gentlemen And Players knows well and uses extremely well throughout the book. The conflicts between the teachers ring very true as does the interactions between the teachers and the students. There are dual narrators, one is Straitley and the other is the unknown killer. At times this is an advantage for the story but at other times it is confusing and somewhat frustrating since the narrative by Straitley is so focused. His narrations advance the story and our understanding of the school and the character of Straitley. The killers narration is not as good. By necessity it is more clouded and less revealing so the reader can't guess who the killer is, unfortunatntly it doesn't read as well as the Straitley narration and in fact is a distraction at times. Another confusing segment is the chess references that occur throughout. But the strengths outweigh the weaknesses in this story. In fact, Gentleman and Players has more strengths than The Janissary Tree does. It also has fewer weaknesses than The Janissary Tree does. It is only by a small margin that I liked one more than the other. In the end I liked The Janissary Tree better because the messy, cluttered structure of the book mirrored the story that it was telling. The confusion within the structure of the book was very close to the confusion of the times being described, in short one of the weaknesses of the book (in some ways) is also one of the reasons why I liked the whole of the book as much as I did. The confusion in Gentleman and Players is necessary for the story to be told but is frustrating in some ways while the confusion and messiness in The Janissary Tree actually add to the enjoyment of the book. Other readers may not agree but by a slim margin I agree with The Janissary Tree winning for best novel in 2007. Show Less
LibraryThing member rachelfroude
I found this slow to start with, and then couldn't put it down until the last gripping moment.
Awards
Edgar Award (Nominee — Novel — 2007)
Pages
422
ISBN
006088813X / 9780060888138