Wednesday, June 28, 2006

...or as Mark E Smith said "Repetition Repetition Repetition"

Last Friday I was listening to some Steve Reich CDs a customer lent us and generally approaching the trance-like state only the finest quality boredom can provide when I spotted a proof on the floor by my left foot.

It was a book called Remainder by a writer I had never heard of - Tom McCarthy. I began to read it. I closed the shop early. I read it in the half-light that filtered through the lowered shutters. I could not put it down. The music and the book and my thoughts all blended together. Booky bliss!

Several hours later it was finished and I was thrilled. Wow. I was straight on the net only to discover our great friend Short Term Memory Loss was there ahead of me...

His review is good so I'll spare you mine. Suffice to say this is THE MOST EXCITING BOOK TO BE SET IN SOUTH LONDON IN RECENT YEARS. (by exciting I mean in the Kafkaesque Ice Pick way - this book will split your skull) (That's a good thing!)

It's out next week.

You need to read it...

7 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 29, 2006

    Is this the same Tom McCarthy who's just written a book called Tintin and the Secret of Literature?

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  2. AnonymousJune 30, 2006

    Glad you liked Remainder - Tom's a bit of a genius, and I can't wait for the Tintin book. Check out the hilarious miss-review and a better one over at 3:AM: http://www.3ammagazine.com/buzzwordsblog/2006/06/luring-reader-into-realms-of-lunacy.html

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  3. AnonymousJune 30, 2006

    I've read some of Tom's Necronautics stuff, and it is absolutely brilliant. He does stuff on Resonance FM too, I believe.

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  4. A new star...and published (of course!) by the independent Alma books.

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  5. AnonymousJune 30, 2006

    I managed to pick up a copy of the book from Metronome Press in Paris where it was first published. Not showing off (well, maybe a bit) but just wanted to point people in that direction - http://www.metronomepress.com/index.html - C&P, I beleive they will supply to UK retailers, their list would look nice in your lovely shop.

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  6. Scott - I believe your observations as to the compatability of Metronome Press and Crockatt & Powell to be accurate.

    This month instead of a book of the month we are having a publisher of the month (See www.mhpbooks.com for details)

    We are in love with Snow books also and hope to feature them soon as soon as the "right" book comes along...

    Maybe Metronome will join this independent love in at some stage?

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