5 out of 5 stars
On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
Also free on Kindle Unlimited
How I discovered this book: I read and loved the original version...
In A Nutshell: Darkly humorous literary fiction about a delusional would-be writer.
Rum Hijack was originally written as three novellas, some years ago; I read them all as they came out, and loved them - now they're back as one novel, a new and improved version that retains all that I liked about the original, but is much more streamlined, better edited and put together so well that you can't see the join, as it were.
The nameless young male protagonist tells his story in the first person; later to call himself Inkker Hauser, he lives alone in a flat left to him by his grandfather, does not work, and leads a rather lonely life; often, his only company is his beloved goldfish, Kursk (named after his favourite nautical disaster), and the staff and drinkers at his local pub.
Inkker is convinced that he is destined to become a writer of such importance that, once his masterpiece is written, all other literary works will pale beside it. He pours scorn on self-published ebook writers, on the pretentious and the less intelligent, sure that once his words burst forth, the world will recognise and revere his unmatched talent. His lack of production he puts down to 'writer's block', and, as his frustration mounts, his grip on reality slides slowly down hill, lost in alcoholic and drug-induced chaos.
Although very much a contemporary novel, with its references to the technology and culture of today, the book it reminds me of most is Victorian comic novel Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome; similarly, the young man darts off at tangents to talk about something else in such a way that you don't mind because it's every bit as entertaining as the main story. Also, the observations about human behaviour are both amusing and remarkably astute, and the standard of the writing itself is as good as any cult literary classic.
Aside from this, what makes the book work so well is the fact that the young man is oddly likeable, despite his deranged alcoholism and cynical outlook. I found myself really wanting him to find some love and peace of mind. He is kind to the less fortunate, and to the old lady in a nearby flat, and his love for his fish is very sweet and quite heartbreaking, because he has no one else on which to focus. There's also a terrifically moving section in which he talks at length about a childhood outing with his grandfather.
His loneliness and shame over the consequences of his bizarre actions is sometimes painful to read - having said that, though, one of my favourite parts in the entire book is the cringe-making downward spiral of a disastrous date, in which his behaviour becomes increasingly out of control as he drinks far too much and tops it up with cocaine. The best 'bad date' story I've read!
If you like Charles Bukowski, Hunter Thompson, Philip K Dick, William Burroughs... I hope this book can gain the visibility and readership it deserves, because I believe it could become one of those novels about which, in years to come, people will say, "What? You haven't read Rum Hijack?"
5 out of 5 stars
On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads
How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie Amber's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.
Genre: Literary, psychological, contemporary drama.
What a find. This book is seriously good. I mean, seriously. I'd recommend it to anyone, whatever your usual genres of choice.
Willem J Gyle is a bit slow. But he gets by. He lives with his mother, who takes care of all his needs, including finding him a job on a construction site which suits his size and strength, and where he makes friends. He loves his mam, his dog, and the football on the telly. Then, in just a few days, his world comes crashing down, and Willem finds himself homeless. Having neither verbal skill nor knowledge of how 'the system' works, he is unable to find anyone to help him, and drifts into a life on the streets and, inevitably, crime. Much to my surprise, his darker side comes to the fore, but is this innate psychopathy, anger at the world, an expression of pain for all he has lost, or just a primal instinct for survival? I thought it was a combination of all those elements.
Winding up in a community of other homeless people, which he considers, at first, to be 'no more perfect place ... outside the law, above the law', he soon finds out that it's a reflection of the 'real' world, corrupt, with the weaker members suffering. And on he walks....
Although the blurb appealed to me, I was dubious at first; the book starts off well-written but whimsical, which, coupled with the too-long and pretentious title, made me wonder if it would be slow-going. But four pages in I was completely hooked, and stayed that way until the end. J D Dixon has a real gift, the innate sort that cannot be learned from classes, 'how to write' books, blog posts, or anything else. To me, writing talent is all about being able to create characters and worlds that absorb the reader completely, needing no wordy description, and JDD has this in spades. He writes in a spare fashion, which I like. He doesn't explain, or over-emphasise.
The book is raw, rough in places, and sometimes shocking. It's also immensely sad. It's just - great. One of the best debut novels I've ever read.
4.5 out of 5 stars
On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads
How I discovered this book: It was submitted to Rosie Amber's Book Review Team, of which I am a member. Interestingly, I didn't initially choose it as the genre and blurb didn't particularly appeal, but then I got talking to the author on Twitter (about something else entirely) and he asked me if I would take a review copy. I'm glad I did.
Lesson for readers: don't bypass books just because they don't immediately appeal; you never know what gems you might find behind that quiet cover.
Lesson for writers: talk to people on social media!
Whispers in the Alders is set in the small east US town of Alder Ferry, where young teenagers Aubrey (female) and Tommy both suffer loveless, cold childhoods. Aubrey's family are wealthy, whereas Tommy's are poorer, and his life is quite brutal. They meet in a wooded area behind Aubrey's family home, amongst the alders, a place that both of them feel is their only home. This is described by the author as an 'alder stand', not a term with which I am familiar, so I looked up some pictures on DuckDuckGo images to make sure it was as I imagined it!
The book starts in the present, with Aubrey in Portland, Maine, as an adult; she has left her family and the prejudices of the small town long behind. It then goes back to her early teens, and the loneliness she feels. The books spans the period of this time until early adulthood, and follows the tragedies of her and Tommy's lives.
I'd class this book as literary fiction, as well as a contemporary 'coming of age' story. Much of the writing is beautiful; I read that Mr Callum is a poet, too, and this is evident, but it's not wordy for the sake of it. It's quite a dense sort of novel, with much description, and on occasion I felt it could have been trimmed down just a little, but that's just personal preference, and I certainly appreciated every line. The plot itself develops slowly, with some shocking outcomes (child abuse and homophobia, but nothing graphic), and it's perfectly plotted. It's a heartrending, lonely sort of book; I longed for Aubrey and Tommy to find happiness.
A hidden gem by an extremely talented writer, very American (which I liked), and one I definitely recommend ~ I hope some other members of Rosie's team pick it up, or that anyone who reads this takes the plunge and clicks 'buy'!
5 out of 5 stars
Contemporary drama
Originally posted on Amazon UK HERE on 25 May 2014
On Amazon.com HERE
THE NIGHT PORTER is about fortnight in the life of a hotel in a fictional town in the midlands, which is hosting a quartet of authors there to prepare for a literary award ceremony. The strength of this book is in the turns of phrase, the characterisation, the dialogue. I didn't guess the 'secret' until just before it was revealed, and the ending was one of those rare ones that doesn't leave you feeling a little flat.
I think this is a must read for any self published writers, or those published by an 'indie' press. I loved the cynical, bitter character of Julian, the talented, self-published author of literary fiction with a drink and rage problem who is driven to despair by the success of the popular writers with their formulaic offerings. There are many insights into the publishing industry throughout the book, but not to the extent that they would exclude anyone not interested in it.
I bought the paperback, which I would recommend as it's beautifully presented, and includes many footnotes. I have to confess that I didn't read them all as I wanted to get on with the main story, and I felt that some of them could have been included in the main body of the text, but they certainly add to the book. The best one of all was the last one. You know when the credits of a film go up, and lots of funny little outtakes, or other amusing looks at 'what went on afterwards' are shown? Footnote number 81 reminded me of that.
To sum up - very well written, amusing, sweet, interesting, surprising - oh, and the character of yobbo bar manager Martin Sixsmith is a masterpiece!
CARLA by Mark Barry reviewed HERE
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE CITY OF CRIMINALS by Mark Barry reviewed HERE
ULTRA VIOLENCE by Mark Barry reviewed HERE
%2Bblog%2Bspot.jpg)
