DEATH OF A CLOWN by Catherine McCarthy @serialsemantic

 5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon - available for pre-order. Publishes 27 May.
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Saw the author talking about it on X, requested an ARC.

In a Nutshell: 'a metaphorical tale of dark fantasy, a story of hope, courage and self acceptance.'

Chester was born into the circus, into the life of a clown, but his public persona of tragi-comedy is not one that sits well with him.  What he really wants to do is change his entire life.  See the world, concentrate on his main passion - his writing.  As we join him in this unusual tale, circumstances have given him the impetus to begin his adventure.

This is such a beautiful book, in so many ways.  I always read on Kindle, preferring it, but I wanted to hold this in my hands.  The writing itself is so emotive and atmospheric, bringing the cities and theatres to life; it's the best I've seen from this author.  Chester himself is a total darling, someone you badly want to find happiness.

Interspersed with the events of his own life are the stories he writes under his pen-name of Runo Quill.  These are often metaphors for his own life, though one, The City of Silence, was more like a warning from fiction about the threats to free speech we experience in our own world.  I love clever deviations from the main theme of a novel, especially when, like these, they give you the feeling of delving down intriguing side alleys before resuming your journey.

Death of a Clown will be released on May 27th - I highly recommend!

WRITING A PAGE TURNER by Elizabeth Bailey and Mark Dawson

4 out of 5 stars

Free on Amazon UK

How I discovered this book: I saw this during an Amazon browse and downloaded it out of curiosity, because it was free. 

Genre: Writing advice.

I write a fair few advice blog posts for new writers, and like to find books like this that are worth recommending. This is good; it only takes half an hour to read and gives some no-nonsense tips on how to make your book more of a page-turner by means of cutting the waffle, not head-hopping, etc. It's basic, solid advice, much of which is about what not to do, as well as what to do. It's never a bad idea for old hands to read this sort of thing, too, as it reminds us never to get too self-indulgent; I read a couple of points that made me think, ah yes, I must keep reminding myself of that.

Please note - this book does not tell you how to write a novel, and assumes you have the basic talent, a great plot, and that your characters/story arc already worked out. What it will do is help you to make that story worth reading.

RUM HIJACK by Phil Moss @Literastein

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.

BACK TO CREATIVE WRITING SCHOOL by Bridget Whelan

4 out of 5 stars

Creative writing tutorial

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

Reviewed by me as part of Rosie Amber's Book Review Team

There are two distinct schools of thought concerning creative writing courses and 'how to' books: those who consider writing a skill that can be taught, and those who think that the ability to write compellingly is an innate talent that you either have or you don't; yes, your craft can be improved upon and can go to pot if you don't watch out, but if you don't have what it takes to keep readers turning the pages, no amount of diligent study/applying of advice will make that much difference.  I stand, arms folded, in the latter camp and thus approached this review choice with cynicism.

However!!! 
I am delighted to report that I now see my view was a little blinkered, and I bow to Bridget Whelan's expertise.

Back To Creative Writing School is a charming, inspiring book that encourages the reader to discover the rhythm and beauty of words.  At first I thought it was just a basic beginner's guide for the student who has never tried to write so much as a descriptive paragraph; some of the instruction goes right back to the things you learn at school (hence the title, I'm guessing), like the difference between similes and metaphors.  Many of the exercises, though, are so clever and unusual that they might help undiscovered talent to bloom—which is, I think, the book's strength.  

By the time I was half way through I'd found myself thinking, 'hmm, yes, that's a good point' several times, to the extent that I'd recommend any fellow 'old hands' to give this a read, too.   I'll be the first to agree that writing is a constant learning process, and it's good to remind oneself of the basics.  I nodded my head in agreement at the examples of the unrealistic, information heavy dialogue often found in debut novels, the explanation about unnecessary adjectives and adverbs, the warning against the dreaded clichés and 'telling not showing', the use of onomatopoeia and alliteration.  The only section I was not so keen on was the one about humour—I reckon that writing 'funny' is something for which you really do need to have an in built knack.  The ability to analyse why something does or doesn't work doesn't necessarily provide the fine skill necessary for effective comic timing.

A few 'thank yous' to Ms Whelan: 1) for the excerpt of James Joyce's The Dead—I have not read The Dubliners since 'A' Level and had forgotten how much I loved it; 2) for making me laugh: I have about 200 superfluous occurrences of the word 'just' in all my first drafts, too!! And 3) I am one of the 3% of people referred to in the book who have the condition synaesthesia (a sensory mix-up in which you see see letters, words and music as colours), and this was a reminder of what a gift it is to a writer.

In short: the innovative exercises in this book won't teach you how to produce a spellbinding novel, but if you do have the talent they could well unlock the door to a new creative world.  

INKKER HAUSER Part 1: Rum Hijack by Phil Conquest

5 out of 5 stars

Novella, dark humour


Originally posted on Amazon UK HERE on 10 September 2014
On Amazon.com HERE

I've just re-read this - so good I read it twice!

The nameless narrator of this short memoir is one of the most memorable fictional characters I've come across in ages: a delusional, borderline insane young man who is convinced he's a literary genius though he has written nothing at all. He talks of his 'writers' block' throughout, and pities his hard drinking grandfather for not having the talent or tenacity to write his much talked about wartime memoirs, never seeing that he is talking about himself.

Phil Conquest is one of those natural storytellers who can make even the most mundane occurrence interesting. There's a marvellous scene in which the young man is in the library trying to look 'writerly', but succeeds only in getting biro ink all over his hands. Conquest has the rare ability to convey the exact mood of a scene with only a few sentences; this is even more beautifully illustrated in chapter 8, when the narrator hopes to stun his fellow pub quiz team members with his literary knowledge, but fails dismally. My favourite chapters are 6 & 7; in 7 he rants against illiteracy on social networking sites (it's brilliant!), and against the people he despises most: the 'bestselling' ebook authors. It's not only funny, it's so sharply observed. He sums up the characters in his own life so succinctly, too. I loved the description of a barmaid in his local: "A short girl ... quite round and a natural frump, she seemed to think she could divert attention from this by painting her nails garish colours, wearing massive earrings and laughing at almost anything".

One of the reasons why the nameless young man is such a compelling character is that Conquest has done something I suspect he doesn't quite realise: he's made him lovable. Although somewhat pathetic and undoubtedly bonkers, he's also rather sweet. There is a touching passage where he tries to talk to a mumbling homeless woman in a charity shop, and another in which he tearfully apologises to the clock he'd had since childhood, smashed up in a 'writers' block' induced rage. "Poor little clock" he says, talking to it as he throws the pieces in the bin. I felt so sorry for him.

The style of writing reminds me very much of Jerome K Jerome's 'Three Men in a Boat'. It's intelligent, funny and really off the wall while still being very readable. The character has so much potential; there are at least three more parts on their way. Very highly recommended indeed!

INKKER HAUSER Part Two: Literastein by Phil Conquest is not yet published, but I have received an advance copy and reviewed it HERE