I don’t think it’s necessary for me to write a proper review, because there is such a good discussion over at Savidge Reads, so instead I shall offer you a link to that discussion and tell you that I liked the book a lot, with some reservations. Indeed, I shall give you a very, very short review, and tell you to pop over to that discussion.
I liked:
–the quirky ideas: glass feet! cow-moth-things! a bird that turns things white!
–a generally impressive and engaging writing style
–Shaw didn’t just use a crazy idea for novelty value, it was well developed and quite beautiful
I didn’t like:
–jumping around between narrative strands and not quite knowing where we were, or what the time setting was
–the dialogue felt a little clunky sometimes – too many ‘ums’
A quotation:
“She could feel the encroachment of the glass like an animal feeling the tremor before an earthquake.”
These quick reviews could be the way forward! I can go to bed now…
Glad that you enjoyed the book Simon and that you ended up reading it in the end hee hee. I get what you mean about the 'um's' too.
I have to thank Gaskella who brought the book top my attention greatly and who I won a copy off. If you want to try another great 'modern adult fairytale' give Stella Duffy's 'Singling Out the Couples' its ace!
Glad you enjoyed the book Simon. This kind of contemporary novel with a quirky (not necessarily magical or fairytale) twist is probably my favourite kind of book, and I have been championing the book (even before I met Ali the author).
i have to say that the cover of the book looks really amazing though…
Simon – got there in the end!
Annabel – we must confer at some point! Quirky-but-not-macabre modern fiction is probably my *second* favourite kind of book, after 1930s domestic novels. DO let me know suggestions (and can I recommend Edward Carey and Barbara Comyns? Comyns not contemporary especially, but wrote in the 1950s and 1980s)