The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton

A genre bending novel best though of as a cross between an Agatha Christie novel and that Jake Gyllenhal film, Source Code.

‘The Silent Companions’ – Laura Purcell

Setting a gothic novel around people-shaped flat, wooden paintings is going to work very well or not at all.

‘Severance’ – Ling Ma

Give me a dystopian survival journey OR a workplace centred coming of age tale. Not both.

‘The Haunting of Hill House’ – Shirley Jackson

Hill House is no place for the living

‘The Robber Bride’ – Margaret Atwood

Three friends attend the funeral of a shared enemy and aren’t prepared for her surprise return.

‘Worst. Person. Ever’ – Douglas Coupland

London, August 2018

Overview

Raymond Gunt is the main character and as claimed, the worst person ever. As a favour from his equally unpleasant ex-wife Fiona, Gunt gets work as a cameraman on Survivor and recruit the homeless man he’d attacked the day before as his slave PA.

Emerging from Coupland’s mind and engineered by the farcically monstrous Gunt, the characters easy ride in Kiribati is hit by a series of disasters, one of which (naturally) may signal the end of the world.

Thoughts

I’ve not ready everything by Douglas Coupland, but recall that he wrote himself into either Generation A or JPOD. He created himself as the beginnings of Raymond Gunt. The novel is prefaced with the note that it was as early attempt at biji (a Chinese genre roughly translated as a notebook which contains anecdotes and observations). The novel is littered with lists, definitions and descriptions that appear as chapter endnotes.

I wasn’t sure that to expect with this – probably a good thing. It was much funnier than anything I’ve previously read by the author and very acidic in tone. The storyline ran with that merciless humour, enabling events that if dealt with with a modicum of seriousness would toppled the entire thing.

‘Horrorstor’ – G. Hendrix

Aiya Napa, September 2015

Overview

Orsk (a fictionalised IKEA) is having ghost problems. Amy, an employee, is busily avoiding Basil the manager who then invites her and another employee to patrol the shop that evening. Cue two other characters who call themselves ghost-hunters and then enjoy the crazy hours of hauntings as the characters try to survive the night at Orsk.

Thoughts

I liked the way the story moved quickly and how the characters’ individual stories were built. The horror wasn’t very scary and the book was better for the novel idea. The ending was left open for a sequel which was annoying. The ghost-hunters disappear for the majority of the story. It was good but felt that story deserved an ending before the author picked up with the opening of a new store, likely Baby Town.

‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ – Helen Fielding

London, October 2013

It probably won’t going to be that great because the first novel was so funny. A bit too yummy-mummy for me and too many familiar jokes. Felt a bit like the first novel plus children.

Quotes didn’t really stand out but thought the owl/deceased husband thing was quite icky. Couldn’t imagine the BMW crash scene at the end. The film meeting thread was a bit much, with the constant text distractions – failed to care about it plot wise. Did find her Twitter follower obsession funny though.