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?"
4.5 out of 5 stars
On Amazon UK HERE
How I discovered this book: I've known the author on social media for about ten years and have always loved everything he's written. This book is in three parts. The first two, Inkker Hauser and Literastein, were originally published separately and have been slightly re-vamped in this edition. The third, Death From Below, now completes the story... sort of ;)
This book is unlike anything I've read before and probably will ever read in the future, and it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it's most certainly mine. Phil Moss's nameless character (who, later, hits upon the name Inkker Hauser, reasons explained in the story) is a writer. He knows that he possesses the raw talent and originality to light a fire under the literary world, if only he could just write the book that's inside him ... somewhere. He doesn't want the pathetic glory of Amazon ebook bestseller tags and five star reviews from sycophantic fellow writers and chums, he wants the highest literary accolades in the world for the masterpiece yet to be born, after which he will write no more, depriving his fans of the words he knows they will crave.
The young man's story is funny, sad, tragic, and I've read some parts more than once because they're so good. Not only is he delusional, he also has a drink problem, an obssession with dead birds, nautical disasters and model submarines, a deep and abiding love for his fish, Kursk (named after his favourite nautical disaster). He's lonely, and longs for a woman to love, but his behaviour repels those who are attracted to him (I get the impression he's rather handsome). In the second part there is the best story of a disastrous date ruined through too much alcohol that I've ever read. He despises self-promoting, self-published writers, and is driven to a state of insanity when one, the irritatingly smug Adrian, moves in upstairs. When Adrian and his wife Claire (who calls our hero 'Inky') invite him to a cocktail party, he sees an opportunity to show himself in his best possible literary light. Of course, he drinks too much, it all goes horribly wrong, and ... sorry, no clues!
The characterisation all through the book is outstanding (I particularly liked the characters in the pub in the first two parts), and the young man's slow descent into alcohol fuelled eccentricity bordering on insanity is brilliantly executed. Sometimes, though, his thoughts are not so offbeat; sometimes you'll find yourself smiling in agreement. Despite, or maybe because of, his unusual characteristics, he's so likeable. I want things to work out for him. I also think that novel is in his head, somewhere ...
In much of the book there is only the one character, with his thoughts, curious impulses and domestic rituals, and it never moves further than his local pub, The Laughing Goat, his local shops and the flat upstairs, but there is not one boring sentence.
There are some punctuation and grammatical errors, and in places it could do with a bit of 'tidying up'; I've knocked off half a star for this only in the interests of valid and honest reviewing, but it scarcely detracted from my enjoyment. 20/1: Please note: the author tells me that the errors have now been fixed and a new version uploaded.
Meanwhile, I won't tell you about the seven television sets, the gas mask, the mannequin and the black marker pens. You'll just have to read it for yourself.
