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The Empathy Problem

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What to expect

Driven by money, power and success, Gabriel has worked ruthlessly to get to the very top of the banking game. He's not going to let the inconvenience of a terminal brain tumour get in his way.
But the tumour has other ideas. As it grows, it appears to be doing strange things to Gabriel's personality. Whether he likes it or not, he seems to be becoming less selfish, less mercenary, less unlikeable.

Once he could dismiss the rest of humanity as irrelevant. Now he's not so sure. Women, in particular, are becoming worryingly three-dimensional. And none more so than Caitlin, the 'unremarkable' girl he sees busking on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral. When she plays her violin, Gabriel could almost believe that he has a soul...

But as each day that passes brings him closer to his last, has time run out for second chances?

Bestselling author Gavin Extence pushes the envelope again with another thought-provoking and funny novel about the surprises, good and bad, that life can throw at us.

(P)2016 Hodder & Stoughton

Critics Review

Extence keeps the twists and turns coming, full of mordant wit, until the bitter end.
Daily Mail
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.
Independent
Witty and sincere . . . very clever
Huffington Post
Another stand-out book from this outstanding author
The Sun
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.
Lovereading.co.uk
Emotional porn for lefties . . . You can't put it down . . . precise and propulsive . . . a real page-turner
BBC Radio Scotland
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.
Winq magazine
Witty, insightful and tender, The Empathy Problem is a triumph. I loved it.
Random things Through my Letterbox blog
I absolutely loved this story... Extence has such a dry, witty style of writing.
Marie Claire
Extence's novel is an absolute triumph, once again reiterating his skill for characterisation and voice.
Nudge books
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 . . .
Jane & Bex Blog
A gripping look at an unlikeable character.
Psychologies
A brilliant book about second chances in life by Gavin Extence. I am looking forward to what he is coming up with next!
Ela's Book Corner
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.
Bookanista
Author Gavin Extence
Narrator Jack Hawkins
Duration 9 hours and 51 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781473631472
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Genre Modern and contemporary fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE

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