N A M D E R S E L R A H C Y A R
BOOKS | Reviews
CONTEMPORARY FICTION IAIN BANKS The Quarry (Little, Brown) ●●●●●
Brought forward for publication following Iain Banks’ announcement two months ago that he had terminal cancer, The Quarry initially seems a uniquely difficult read. The fact that one of its main characters is in the final stages of the same vicious illness that killed the author ensures that his own struggle is never far from the reader’s mind. But Banks’ instinct for fierce black comedy is as sharp as ever, and he has written a very funny final book, a deceptively simple story packed with
perceptive character analyses, bitingly witty dialogue and a fascination with our digital world. The Quarry is narrated by Kit, a socially awkward, mildly
autistic 18-year-old who lives with and looks after his cancer- stricken father Guy. The story involves a last weekend reunion of Guy’s old uni pals, before the house he and Kit live in is demolished to make way for an expansion of the adjacent quarry: an event that Guy is unlikely to live enough to see. In using Kit as narrator, Banks has given himself an ingenious way to approach his story. Kit is both an obsessively analytical observer (watching from the perspective of youth the way these friendships have either endured or been dropped) and a key central character, standing to lose the most out of all of them. The plot is arguably too slight, but Banks’ handling of big, complex themes is skillful and satisfying, and he concludes on a quietly moving note of compassion. (Paul Gallagher)
MYSTERY NOVEL DAVID SHAW MACKENZIE The Interpretations (Sandstone) ●●●●● FANTASY NEIL GAIMAN The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Headline) ●●●●●
POLITICS IAIN MACWHIRTER Road to Referendum (Cargo) ●●●●●
SHORT STORIES VARIOUS The Lowest Heaven (Jurassic London) ●●●●●
Told across two decades, The Interpretations explores circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Tom Kingsmill, a runner who starts an organised race across Dalmore’s new suspension bridge but never reaches the other side. Local police write the incident off as another suicide to add to the bridge’s already tragic history, but Tom’s closest friends, Mike and Jim, are convinced he’s alive. The novel has no central protagonist
and chapters focus on a variety of individual male characters who reveal the secrets of this supposedly sleepy town and the parts each has played, both aware and unaware, in Tom’s fate. The characters are slightly clichéd – the disgruntled local hack, the parish minister threatened by change – but the plot is excellently paced as clues to the disappearance are tantalisingly drip-fed throughout the novel.
The Interpretations is a gripping mystery, but the lack of a dominant voice amongst the characters and the unnecessary tangents into local history create a disjointed narrative. (Rowena McIntosh)
48 THE LIST 13 Jun–11 Jul 2013
Readers of The Ocean at the End of the Lane may experience an occasional sense of déjà vu. So many of the story’s key elements are staples of classic children’s fantasy: three mysterious women in a ramshackle farmhouse who may be more than they appear; a bookish, misunderstood child protagonist; the malignant supernatural presence which infiltrates the child’s life. However, the events that unfold are far from predictable. Gaiman does this sort of thing as well as anybody, and after a low-key beginning he builds the tension with skill, resulting in some truly scary moments. Like the ocean in the duck pond, he creates a sense of scale far greater than the modest rural setting in which the action takes place.
There is real heart too, most notably in the narrator’s touching friendship with Lettie Hempstock, the girl from down the lane who may have been 11 years old for a very long time. These days there is a weight of expectation on anything Gaiman writes. Happily, this novel proves once again that the hype is justified. (Ally Nicholl)
Iain Macwhirter’s Road to Referendum is easily the most accessible piece of writing concerned with the independence debate. Not only one of the shrewdest commentaries on Scottish politics, it is also an important tribute to the country’s history. With astounding deftness,
Macwhirter presents an impressive background of Scotland as it changes throughout the centuries. He carefully outlines the build-up to the referendum, highlighting how important figures such as Wallace, Thatcher and Salmond have led the Scottish people (albeit in very different ways) to the vote that lies before them in 2014. This book is an excellent guide to
understanding the key issues behind the debate that can sometimes be dangerously obscured by political bias and unchecked sentimentalism from both sides. Road To Referendum is a fearless
investigation into the heart of Scottish politics, making it a vital contribution to the discussion of the country’s future. (Karyn Dougan) ■ The STV series starts on June 4th.
In this visually beautiful anthology, each short story is inspired by a different object in our solar system. Speculative fiction fans will be excited just looking at the contents page, with original stories by Alastair Reynolds, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, S.L. Grey, Adam Roberts, and Kaaron Warren, among others – and the stories do not disappoint. Sophia McDougall’s ‘Golden Apple’
is an evocative and devastating portrayal of loss; James Smythe’s ‘The Grand Tour’ is set in a dark and creeping post-apocalyptic world; Maria Dahvana Headley’s ‘The Krakatoan’ is an examination of father-daughter relationships and the pitfalls of growing up. Technically the collection fits into the science-fiction genre, but there’s plenty to enjoy for mainstream readers. As well as stories, the anthology also features a selection of vintage photography and art from the archives of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Overall, The Lowest Heaven is a visual delight with a very high quality of fiction. Highly recommended. (Kirsty Logan)