The Bottle Factory Outing
 First edition | |
| Author | Beryl Bainbridge |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Black comedy |
| Publisher |
Duckworth (UK) George Braziller (US) |
Publication date |
Oct 1974 (UK) Jan 1975 (US) |
| Media type | Print, audio & ebook |
| Pages | 160 (UK) |
| ISBN | 0-7156-0864-9 |
| OCLC | 1255205 |
| 823/.9/14 | |
| LC Class | PZ4.B162 Bo PR6052.A3195 |
The Bottle Factory Outing is a 1974 novel written by Beryl Bainbridge, it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize that year,[1] won the Guardian Fiction Prize[2] and is regarded as one of her best.[3] It is also listed as one of the 100 greatest novels of all time by Robert McCrum of The Observer.[4] The book was inspired by Beryl Bainbridge's own experiences working in a bottling factory after her divorce in 1959.[5]
Plot introduction
It concerns Freda and Brenda who by night share a dismal bedsit, and by day work in an Italian-run wine-bottling factory in London. Freda hopes the works outing will provide opportunity for her to capture the heart of Vittorio; Brenda just aims to avoid the clutches of the lecherous Rossi. But the outing ends in tragedy.
Reception
Peter Tinniswood in The Times wrote "This is a superb novel. It is taut in construction, expansive in characterization, vibrant in atmosphere and profoundly comic".[6]
Publication history
- 1974, UK, Gerald Duckworth, ISBN 0-7156-0864-9, Pub date 24 Oct 1974, Hardback
- 1975, US, George Braziller, ISBN 0-8076-0781-9, Pub date Jan 1975, Hardback
- 1975, UK, Fontana, ISBN 0-00-616618-0, Paperback
- 1976, US, Signet, ISBN 0-451-07117-4, Pub date 03 Aug 1976, Paperback
- 1985, UK, Flamingo, ISBN 0-00-654100-3, Pub date 13 May 1985, Hardback
- 1992, UK, Penguin, ISBN 0-14-015696-8, Pub date 26 Mar 1992, Paperback
- 1994, US, Carroll & Graf, ISBN 0-7867-0146-3, Pub date 06 Sep 1994, Paperback
- 2001, UK, Gerald Duckworth, ISBN 0-7156-3081-4, Pub date 22 Feb 2001, Hardback
- 2002, UK, Soundings Ltd, ISBN 184283231X, Pub date Mar 2002, Audio (read by Julia Franklin)
- 2010, UK, Abacus, ISBN 0-349-12371-3, Pub date 02 Sep 2010, Paperback
Film adaptation
A BBC sponsored film adaptation was planned in 1991 starring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders with a script by Alan Plater, but the project was never made.[8]
References
- ↑ Reading the Bookers: 1974 short list Retrieved 2012-11-24.
- ↑ Guardian Fiction Prize - britishliteraryprizes Retrieved 2012-11-23.
- ↑ Beryl Bainbridge remembered Obituary by AN Wilson, The Observer, 4 July 2010.
- ↑ The 100 greatest novels of all time: The list, Robert McCrum, The Observer, 12 October 2003
- ↑ Beryl Bainbridge Criticism (Vol. 131) from ENotes. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ↑ The Times, Thursday, Nov 07, 1974; pg. 8; Issue 59238; col E
- ↑ www.fantasticfiction.co.uk Retrieved 2012-11-24.
- ↑ The BOTTLE FACTORY OUTING (1991) from BFI Film & TV Database. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
External links
- Beryl Bainbridge talks about her inspiration for The Bottle Factory Outing, one of her most renowned titles. First broadcast in The Book Programme on BBC2, 15 June 1976.
- Review from savidgereads
- Bottling Things Up, or Bottling Out review by Gaskella
- Study guide
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