Darkmans - Nicola Barker

Darkmans, wow, where to begin?

It's the third of Nicola Barker's books set in the modern day Thames Gateway, though that isn't to say that the stories are interlinked.

At 850-odd pages of bright white paper and sans serif font it seems to be going out of its way to make it daunting to pick up. And, as I have previously stated, too much sans serif font on paper tends to give me a bit of a sore head. But what made this doorstop of a novel so eminently readable is the space. Literally and metaphorically.

The text is well spaced on the page, letting the words breathe, letting them find a natural rhythm. The sentences often break off to reveal the thoughts in the heads of the characters "as and when" they occur, giving the whole novel a sense of immediacy.

And my, what characters they are. Beede and Kane are father and son, though it's clear from the very first page that their relationship is strained. Elen, Isidore, and Fleet are a family living in a new build house that is falling down around their ears. If life wasn't difficult enough, Isidore - or Dory - keeps having some very odd turns. Kelly Broad is a foul-mouthed chav who breaks her leg and finds God. Geraldine is her goth cousin with a prodigious bosom who has sown her own mouth shut with black thread. Gaffar Celik is a Turkish Kurd who strikes up a friendship with Kane, who has an all-consuming fear of salad.

Added to the mix is a mysterious doctor from several centuries ago, a court jester, a dodgy builder, a semi-paralysed dog named Michelle, and a glue-sniffer-turned-academic called Winifred.

There is a supernatural element to the story that I won't go into because (a) I don't want to spoil anything for anyone and (b) I'm really not sure I can explain it. I'm not entirely sure that it isn't superfluous to requirement, but it definitely adds another dimension to a many-dimensioned story. And this story really is an absolute joy to read, from start to finish. For a hefty bugger, this really is a surprisingly readable book, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Will it win the Booker? Somehow, I doubt it. I think it's too much of a Marmite sort of a book - people will either love it or hate it. And the shortlist is particularly strong this year it seems. But I would like to see it win, because it's the kind of book that everyone should just have a go at, then enjoy the argument in the pub later. :)

Comments

[sara]

Oh I just can't decide whether or not to give this a go. It looks delicious, but so big. Now I love to get absorbed into a huge chunk of a novel, but from the reviews I read I simply can't tell if this would be worth it or not. I am a very grumpy reader at the moment, not settling well to anything.

[Claire]

Definitely going to give this a look. The supernatural element - now I'm even more intrigued...

[sara]

Blooming expensive too, grumble grumble...

[Kirsty]

Sara - I believe there is a paperback doing the rounds now, though obviously still hefty. Though you work in a bookshop, you most likely already know this... :)

[sara]

Yes, I did know that but thanks anyway. It is still HUGE and HEFTY and costs £14.99 which even with discount is £10 and therefore a bit too much to part with when the new Douglas Coupland is out (amongst many others!)
Perhaps I shall wait for the smaller pb version...or library...

Good luck with your new student life!

[Stewart]

(((The sentences often break off to reveal the thoughts in the heads of the characters "as and when" they occur, giving the whole novel a sense of immediacy.)))

I thought it was a bit more ambiguous than this. While it can be read this way, there was also the sense that a greater power (Scogin?) was playing with his puppets and interjecting.

[Kirsty]

That's interesting Stewart, I didn't see it that way at all. Well, maybe on a couple of occasions such as in the midst of Dory's turns. Largely, though, I took it as the characters' thoughts.

I could, of course, be completely wrong!