Scan barcode
chramies's review
1.0
An inter-war (well actually 1950s) romance not unlike Gormenghast in the way it plays out and its affect - Gormenghast also has that feeling of post-imperial exhaustion and the holdover of 1930s culture into the era of Bevin, Bevan and council housing (cf. Peake's experiences as a war artist making their way into the book - wouldn't that be a great title for a story, The War Artist).
This was published as part of the shortlived Big Engine imprint.
BUT there is a serious incident of Character Derailment at the end which totally fucked any sympathy I had for the character in question.
It is literally the fictional equivalent of that self-published author who assaulted a reviewer with a wine bottle. Doing this does not make you a liberated character. It makes you an asshole.
I've said it elsewhere - try not to have your character 's personal growth arc be towards them becoming an asshole. This made me never want to read the book again. Which is a shame because it is a nice read up until that point and Tom Arden is a good writer.
This was published as part of the shortlived Big Engine imprint.
BUT there is a serious incident of Character Derailment at the end which totally fucked any sympathy I had for the character in question.
It is literally the fictional equivalent of that self-published author who assaulted a reviewer with a wine bottle. Doing this does not make you a liberated character. It makes you an asshole.
I've said it elsewhere - try not to have your character 's personal growth arc be towards them becoming an asshole. This made me never want to read the book again. Which is a shame because it is a nice read up until that point and Tom Arden is a good writer.
More...