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Polly Samson
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Lying In Bed Paperback – November 4, 2010

by Polly Samson (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 59 ratings
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Do you cover up or reveal it all; seek revenge or just reassurance; let the truth be naked as the day or cloaked in a night-time story? The men and women of Polly Samson's debut fiction all have stories to tell, pasts to forget, futures to forge. Manipulative or meek, used or using, all are aware of the power of truth, deception and little white lies to get what they want or sometimes what they deserve. Some are concerned with the economies of speech, those little 'kindnesses' which protect our loved ones but really ourselves; some investigate the warped logic which adults serve out to children to keep them 'innocent'; all are concerned with the beds we make and the lies we tell in them. . .
Previous page
  1. Print length
    213 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Virago
  4. Publication date
    November 4, 2010
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    5.06 x 0.51 x 7.81 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1844087085
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1844087082
  9. See all details
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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Astutely observed linked stories reveal the pleasures, temptations, secrets, and disappointments of lovers, parents and children in an English seaside town."  —O magazine, on Perfect Lives

"A thoughtful, riveting collection of intertwined stories of love, loss, and keeping up appearances."  —Harper's Bazaar on Perfect Lives

"One wishes, at times, for more narrative reward, but Samson's dreamy, evocative prose quietly offers its own."  —Entertainment Weekly on Perfect Lives

"Samson narrates each piece fully and effortlessly...the collection is a pleasure to read."—Booklist

"haunting and satisfying collection" and say that "the stories disrupt and erupt—just like the relationships so honestly examined within them...It is the stuff that unsettles that makes this collection so deeply touching."—Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Polly Samson has worked in publishing and as a journalist, most recently for the SUNDAY TIMES. She is married with three young sons.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Virago (November 4, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 213 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1844087085
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1844087082
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.51 x 7.81 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 59 ratings

About the author

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Polly Samson

Polly Samson

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Polly Samson is a writer of fiction and a lyricist, whose words have appeared on four number one albums including Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell and David Gilmour’s On An Island. She has also worked as a journalist and in publishing, including two years as a columnist for The Sunday Times.

Her first novel, Out of the Picture, was shortlisted for the Author’s Club Award and many of her stories, including those from her first collection Lying in Bed, have been read on Radio 4. A second collection of short stories, Perfect Lives, was a BBC Book at Bedtime. She has written an introduction to a collection of Daphne du Maurier’s earliest stories, The Doll and Other Stories, and has been a judge for the Costa Prize. Her 2015 novel The Kindness was named a Book of the Year by both The Times and The Observer. A Theatre for Dreamers, Samson’s Sunday Times bestselling novel about the bohemian island of Hydra during the upheaval of the 1960s, reached number 2 on the Sunday Times bestseller list and was a book of the year in The Times and Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail and Spectator. She has since written the introductions to new editions of Charmian Clift’s Peel Me A Lotus and Mermaid Singing. Polly Samson was made a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2018.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
59 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

kobe8
5.0 out of 5 stars An important writer.
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
These stories are extraordinary. Funny, heartbreaking, and always with
a sense of danger that makes the book hard to put down.
She is the real deal!
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Dale R. Sandt
2.0 out of 5 stars left me lying in bed, asleep!
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2013
Verified Purchase
I chose to read her, because of her friend/romantic connection with David Gilmour, of which I am a HUGE fan,Pink Floyd!! But I found this book very difficult to read for me, because I didn't find the development of the story/characters to be very good & the flow of the prose not very smooth. I was disappointed, I must say. I was expecting much better, but just my opinion.
One person found this helpful
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William M. Neal
5.0 out of 5 stars A Cool Piece of Life
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
Inasmuch as fiction can reveal true life, this book these stories does just that. I look forward to more work from her.
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Inger Anne Blomvik
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing as always
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2013
Verified Purchase
well written , warm and always with a unexpeckting ending. Love this author for her style and her views of normal lifes.
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E. Bomar
5.0 out of 5 stars Tender, Touching, and Gut Wrenching
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2010
I have never read works by any other author who can bring out virtually every aspect of human emotion so fluidly where you don't even notice you are on an emotional rollercoaster until you have finished the book and can finally catch your breath and slow your spinning head and, just then, do you realize you have loved every moment of it.

The stories in this book make you laugh, cry, hurt, and love all at the same time - cry for joy and laugh for sorrow, mixing your emotions to an almost unrecognizable state. I highly recommend this read.
2 people found this helpful
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David C Warden
5.0 out of 5 stars A sparkling debut
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2002
Journalist Polly Samson has immediately catapulted herself into the upper echelons of modern literature with this sparkling debut compendium of short stories.
While it was her song lyric-penning abilities which brought her to the attention of this reader, the 12 stories of this collection have more to offer than simply lyrical prose (although her fluid style is a constant delight). Samson's real talent lies in her ability to, in the space of few words, uncover and reveal character traits which are instantly recognisable. Dialogue - so often the achilles heel of even the most respected writers - flows from the characters supremely comfortably, and above all believably.
Overall, a splendid read - as is her debut novel, Out Of The Picture, which is also essential.
4 people found this helpful
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deb
2.0 out of 5 stars Am I the only one who missed the point of the book?
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2003
Would have been nice to know this was a collection of short, unrelated stories .. there is nothing to indicate as such on the book cover and some of the main storylines seem to imply they might run together .. i kept reading back and forth, wondering how i was missing the point, wondering if all would come together at the end .. it didn't .. so, i went online to read the review and saw it was a collection of 12 stories .. i might go back and read one or two with that knowledge, but, would have preferred to know upfront as i prefer novels .. i had read Out of the Picture and bought this book on her name alone, not a bad read, just not that worthwhile
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

CAROLINE
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant clever writing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
Such brilliant writing, Polly manages to surprise you at the end of every story, it never ends as you have been expecting it to. Great to find a short stories book for adults as trying to finish a whole book in this busy world is nearly impossible but to have a short story to escape into is perfect.
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ozideb
5.0 out of 5 stars Happy with my purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
I was happy with my purchase. Arrived earlier than expected. I would order again
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Fajon
2.0 out of 5 stars Frustrating
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2015
Verified Purchase
I rarely read short story collections and reading this book confirms my reluctance to do so. Well written, but the point of some are just too ambiguous for me leading to a frustrating experience. I am sure they are meant to be intelligent observations of slices of reality but too often the point of the story is beyond me.
3 people found this helpful
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S. A. Collins
5.0 out of 5 stars Short Stories
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
Beautifully written stories, loved them all, a couple of them made me cry. Highly recommend this author, not read any of her books before but will definitely seek them out.
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Helen
3.0 out of 5 stars Great short stories
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
A book of great stories with a twist. Dipped in an our while on holiday. A good read, but nothing exciting .
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