There are certain names which are automatically associated with quality, artisanship, and excellence: BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Harrods, and Harris Tweed for example. In the world of graphic novels, Bryan Talbot is quite simply the benchmark, the high watermark, the name amongst names for sheer unparalleled artistic and storytelling brilliance. All of which makes it difficult Read More
Following some of the trends that are now quite common in romantic comedies for younger audiences, The Sculptor is a beautiful and emotional graphic novel with heart and depth. Cartoonist Scott McCloud tells the story of David Smith, a struggling young artist who acquires the ability to sculpt anything he wants using his hands to Read More
Leaving the Sea is a collection of self-contained short stories which focus on the theme of alienation. Aspects of this theme range from the practical struggles of parenthood to fantastical descriptions of the world at large. Each story features characters who feel isolated because they are unable to communicate their needs to others or, at Read More
‘The seasons seem for a long time to ask nothing of you, but eventually you must brave their familiarity.’ Set between Saltcoats, Blackpool and Afghanistan, Andrew O’Hagan’s fifth novel, The Illuminations, tells the story of Anne Quirk and her nephew Luke as they delve into Anne’s past and confront the disintegration of identity, both personal Read More
Things You Should Know is, in a nutshell, unapologetic. Indeed, the author has become (in)famous for her rather stark depiction of the underbelly of society. Possibly best known for her 1996 novel The End of Alice, Homes has gone on to win various prizes since the publication of this particular collection in 2004, including the Read More
Dickson Telfer’s second collection of short stories, Refrigerator Cake, perfectly captures the sometimes quirky, often hilarious, surprisingly dangerous, and frequently poignant experience of living in Central Scotland. From the one page joke describing the weather of the region to the nostalgic feel of “A Breakfast Mess” ’sbickering flatmates,Telfer has the uncanny knack of capturing the Read More
Colin Barrett’s Young Skins is another debut which emerges from the abundance of talented up-and-coming novelists . This collection of short stories is set in an unspecified rural area of Ireland. It creates a world in which the young are embracing their youthfulness and living in the moment, seeking thrills, adventures and making mistakes as Read More
“This is maybe the best first novel I’ve read since Fight Club… Raw, spare and goddamned poetic” This comparison by author Frank Bill, the topmost of four glowing reviews on the back cover, is what first attracted me to this title. Chuck Palahniuk’s seminal work is successful for three main reasons: its clever satirising of Read More
In her third novel, Bodies of Light, Sarah Moss explores the ideas of family, maternity and inheritance across three generations and beyond. In 19th Century Manchester, Elizabeth Moberley is a crusader for the poor, down trodden and exploited women of Victorian England. Her husband Alfred (a pre-Raphaelite painter and decorator of drawing rooms) has long Read More
Award-winning writer, poet, journalist and Arts correspondent Philip Miller turns his attention to fiction in his debut novel, the dark and multi-layered The Blue Horse, which is rich in mystery, intrigue and gripping characterisation. The narrative tools with which Miller is equipped allow him to construct an essentially straightforward plot, though one which is in Read More