The Art of Lying and Dying

I swear there's future classics and bestsellers on here and this is one of them. Really, really strong voice - almost goes without saying. And laugh-out-loud funny. I usually try and give a bit of useful feedback (did notice one possible typo - 'random of objects') but this is mostly a list of what I liked: 'pickled genitals', 'drunken hippo', accidental-on-purpose homicide, 'clothes buttred with sand', 'frappamochacappacinos' - could go on and on. I've only read a couple of chapters so far but I'm sure I'll be back for more when there's more time. I haven't got any room on my shelf at the moment but I'm going to give you max stars on the strength of what I've read so far and keep it watchlisted till I can get it on there. Really really great stuff. Can't praise it enough.
Mark, The Devil's Fan Club

The Art of Lying and Dying is my kind of book. Unafraid of being completely different, and funny, offensive, obnoxious. In other words, perfect! If more books referenced Midnight Cowboy, the world would be a better place. Best of luck with this one!
Rosalind Barden
American Witch

Have loved this so far. What a wicked sense of humour you have Mr Dalton! This is easily the most original (and probably disturbing) voice I have come across on Authonomy. To be backed. Very highly rated.

David

The Art of Lying and Dying.
Chapter 1 - Clever misleading opening, empathy stirred by the first impression, someone is going to drown themselves and curiosity stirring with it, why is he trying to kill himself only to find a reader has been played. John Harrison, knowing he has just smashed a bottle on someone's head and killed them, consider this an accident just like he considers all the other murders he has perpetrated.Lovely descriptive sentence - 'I lay there, buttered with sand and laughing like a seaside donkey.
Chapter 2 - A stream of consciousness straight from psychopath, John Harrison's mind, who appears to be obsessed by genitals and definitely isn't well if he's thinking about sex with Esther Rantzen. He's really into death and the methods, tools and places to achieve it, not only for others but for himself. The cinematic element used while Harrison's walking down a corridor and his dislike of people, despite the fact he knows he's going through the same motions as they are, work really well.
Chapter 3 - Harrision's thoughts about Griff's death, playing with blood and swirling it in bubbly water to make patterns, was rather chilling and let a reader know more about his lack of feeling.
A really dark story that I suspect, is going to get a lot darker. Harrison's thoughts, like many of our own, jump inexplicably from one subject to another in place and time. I wouldn't say this is an easy read, I don't think its meant to be, but the prose smoothly moves a reader along at a cracking pace and it's well worth the effort. Because those who don't have pyschopathic tendencies, will never really get a grip on how they think and act, psychopaths are endlessly fascinating and books about them will never go out of style, they allow a peep inside a screwed up mind. The author has produced one and put it in the flesh of John Harrison.

Nanty - Chrys!

The premise on this drew me in, and boy am I glad it did.
This is brilliant stream of conciousness stuff. It leaps out at you like a viper from the page. All the better because it looks and reads like a one-off flow when there is probably loads of editing and hard work behind it (mind you your MC might think that was a load of old hsit I just said.)
Reminds me of Welsh at his best in 'Filth.' A hideous MC who you instantly love because he's saying all those things you've thought but never dared say--what does that say about me?-
Anyway, great admiration for this. I read this sort of thing--Have contemplated writing it even, but not really had the courage. If you sent this to an agent and they sent it back it just goes to show there's no justice.
Like another of my faves American Psycho -It's really is not for everyone.
Brillant and backed.

And at some point will be read in full.

Steve

Hello Gordon,

This book is boss. I can't think of any more eloquent way to sum it up, other than stating that it's full of things I want to nick.

Dave

Have loved this so far. What a wicked sense of humour you have Mr Dalton! This is easily the most original (and probably disturbing) voice I have come across on Authonomy. To be backed. Very highly rated.

David

I love this from the title to the 27th chapter. I'll not write too much becuase it seems you haven't been on for nearly a year.

Backed - nice work.

Gordon,

Well, John Harrison is one messed up dude and you have characterized him to T. You definitly have a knack for dissecting a pschopath's mind, which kind of scares me.... :-)

Dianna Lanser
Nothing But The Blood

Just had a look at your unusual, dark and intriguing read (The Art of Lying and Dying ) which has drawn me in quite quickly due to it's thought provoking complexity and insight into the psycopathic mind, watchlisted to explore as soon as I get some time. :)

The Art of Lying and Dying is my kind of book. Unafraid of being completely different, and funny, offensive, obnoxious. In other words, perfect! If more books referenced Midnight Cowboy, the world would be a better place. Best of luck with this one!
Rosalind Barden
American Witch

Ho ho - lovely stuff that reaches up and grabs you by the throat. I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters and will carry on reading this when I get home tonight. I will make some more detailed comments once I have given this work the attention it deserves but so far excellent!

Thanks for the backing!

regards

Cyrus

I swear there's future classics and bestsellers on here and this is one of them. Really, really strong voice - almost goes without saying. And laugh-out-loud funny. I usually try and give a bit of useful feedback (did notice one possible typo - 'random of objects') but this is mostly a list of what I liked: 'pickled genitals', 'drunken hippo', accidental-on-purpose homicide, 'clothes buttred with sand', 'frappamochacappacinos' - could go on and on. I've only read a couple of chapters so far but I'm sure I'll be back for more when there's more time. I haven't got any room on my shelf at the moment but I'm going to give you max stars on the strength of what I've read so far and keep it watchlisted till I can get it on there. Really really great stuff. Can't praise it enough.
Mark, The Devil's Fan Club

This is well worth a read. It has a quirky, angry, ranting style (the echoes of Charlie Brooker have already been mentioned) with a wry and morbid sense of humour which I really liked. The individual episodes were great fun. My only comment is that it was a little difficult to piece it all together in my (admittedly feeble) brain. I think the idea is a terrific one - and comes out well in the pitch - but doesn’t come through so strongly in the story. I think that, if it did, it would draw the reader on more forcefully. At the moment, the one thing that kept me reading was the sheer enjoyment of the writing rather than the pull of the story.
For example, I thought the first chapter could start by placing the bottle-smashing incident in the first sentence or first paragraph. This would pique the potential reader’s interest right away. Imagine someone picking up the book, say in the bookstore of the Cardiff Contemporary Art Centre, drawn by the pitch on the back to read the first few paragraphs. Would they be persuaded to buy the book from reading them?
Minor points. Ch.1 suffered a little from a mix of tenses which had me a little confused. And there were a few typos. Ch.2 “random of objects” should be “random objects”; “finally been” should be “finally being”; “furnishings of could be” should be “??”; “no ones” should be “no one’s”. Ch.3 “to up themselves” should be “too up themselves”; “best of time” should be “best of times”. Ch.5 “Things is” should be “Thing is”; “its much better” should be “it’s much better”. Ch.6 “blamanche” should be “blancmange”; “Stack of” should be “Stacks of”.
Anyway, I really enjoyed dipping into this. It’s a very admirable piece of writing and I wish you well with it. I will back it as soon as I have space

Gordon,
Just finished ch11. "Those pigs would like Chuck!" This is wickedly funny and terribly addictive. I love the way you tantalise us with John's misdeeds, allowing our imaginations to run riot. Being from "Up North" the regional quips were well placed. Laughed out loud at the Men's class and the tale of the shark, the punchline with the fraudulent canoeist was a hoot...Enjoying this immensely and reading on.
Happily backed when I have a space.
Best of luck
Babs

Loving this so far, though guessing like myself, you're a North Easterner due to your Sunderland reference.
See very strong echoes of Charlie Brooker in your writing, but hey - what's wrong with that?
Love Harrison's hard-bitten attitudes, especially towards the arts centre dwellers.
My one and only comment would be to perhaps break up some of the longer paragraphs to make them less visually daunting.
Anyway, shall be reading on - great stuff.
Si.
PS - if you fancy reading my own efforts, they are at:
http://www.authonomy.com/books/33422/icarus-athletic/

Hi Gordon,

I finally managed to get time to look at your book. Sorry it took a few days. :(

I'll comment as I read since I find that the easiest way to keep track. Please don't be offended by any suggestions. After all, they will just be my thoughts. You can always ignore me if you think I'm wrong or stupid. ;)

(Sorry in advance for any typos, but my keyboard’s a bit knackered :()

chapter 1: Weird and darkly funny start. What's all this drunkenness and disposal of pickled genitals? I dread to think what's been going on, but if I'm honest I really do want to know ;).Wow looks like your character's a murderer. Why'd he smash that bottle over somebody's head? I’m intrigued by the mention of accidents. Can your character really have killed by accident? Is he blameless? I gotta read on to find out. ;)

Chapter 2: I'm loving the idiomatic, conversational style of writing here. It's really getting me inside John's head. Great turns of phrase too. I think he's funny, twisted and more than a little messed up ;).

I've 1 tiny suggestion. Occasionally, I think some of your paragraphs feel pretty long. They could make for pretty intimidating blocks of text on printed pages. Is there any way you could paragraph a bit more often to make the reading easier and quicker for thickos like me? ;)

Reading on... Interesting that he's musing in the mindset of a serial killer while denying he is 1. As his thoughts continue, I really start to worry he may be mentally ill. He does seem all over the place. I almost laughed aloud at his description of the art centre, especially when Sunderland was mentioned ;). Harsh.

He obviously feels like utterly the odd 1 out. I wonder what he's even doing in this artsy world. He's plainly v contemptuous of it + seems to hate everything about it. When he gets to musing about Armageddon I'm honestly not sure if he's suicidal or just a motivated misanthrope ;). I blinked at the end of the chapter. His idea of a fun day doesn't exactly float my boat ;).

Chapter 3:Darkly funny start. I really hope that novel route to graduation's a myth, though ;(.

Oh dear, John's off to America. I'm not sure it's a good idea to give him a bigger number of people to hate and a larger space in which to operate. God knows what he'll get up to. Yup, he's already thinking about revenge. Hmmm he suffers from panic attacks too. Ominous. I think this guy could go to any extremes of panicked enough.

The picture of John doing the tourist stuff with his new boring friend was hilarious. I can just imagine his miserable/furious face being photographed next to all the sights. Hmmm the Kurt Cobain lie in the postcards is a hint this guy's unbalanced rather than just pissed off/miserable. Looks like he may be a compulsive liar too + he seems to live in a bit of a fantasy world. His thoughts when his friend had an accident were chilling. He didn't seem at all bothered by the injury. He was much more fascinated by the pretty patterns. Ok that seals it. John's definitely out of it.

Chapter 4: His views in this chapter are interesting. He seems to despise anybody who isn't what he views as working class. His thoughts seem more violent too. Why's he go to the cinema when he hates so very much about it, I wonder? I'm guessing this man's motivations are a mystery even to himself…

I just saw how long this comment's getting. I guess I better stop before it grows to a ridiculous size. I'll sum up now, and then shut up. :)

I think you have a complex and colourful story here. The stream of consciousness style of the prose really lends your work a weird and wonderful flavour. I found myself dragged into the mind of a very messed up man. To offset the darkness, I think you inject your writing with some v darkly funny description. I found myself laughing at grossly inappropriate times ;). I think the character of John’s a fascinating and unique 1. I can imagine readers wanting to read on out of a sense of morbid curiosity to see when/how John explodes. He’s like a ticking timebomb in human form. ;)

I've rated your book with 6 stars, and hope you get noticed by an agent. I think this is an original and intriguing piece that deserves to get published.

Best of luck,

Pete

There's so much that I like about this....starting with the voice of the narrator...you just get inside my hide and push me along. The style works perfectly! The character is brought to life through inner dialogue that's genuine and surprising. Liked the mickey mouse T-Shirt. The tension build from the first paragraph. Read the first chapter...I will return for more.

Like this a lot!

Cheers,
Dwayne

I've got a funny feeling I've read this before - the beach scene, and that brilliant image of being "sand buttered" after your main guy's surge through the foam, rings a bell. Excellent, sharp stuff, a great "what's going on here?" introduction. You manage to bring in the guy's despair, as well as his psychopathy. Intriguing stuff

Best

P

The Art of Lying and Dying.
Chapter 1 - Clever misleading opening, empathy stirred by the first impression, someone is going to drown themselves and curiosity stirring with it, why is he trying to kill himself only to find a reader has been played. John Harrison, knowing he has just smashed a bottle on someone's head and killed them, consider this an accident just like he considers all the other murders he has perpetrated.Lovely descriptive sentence - 'I lay there, buttered with sand and laughing like a seaside donkey.
Chapter 2 - A stream of consciousness straight from psychopath, John Harrison's mind, who appears to be obsessed by genitals and definitely isn't well if he's thinking about sex with Esther Rantzen. He's really into death and the methods, tools and places to achieve it, not only for others but for himself. The cinematic element used while Harrison's walking down a corridor and his dislike of people, despite the fact he knows he's going through the same motions as they are, work really well.
Chapter 3 - Harrision's thoughts about Griff's death, playing with blood and swirling it in bubbly water to make patterns, was rather chilling and let a reader know more about his lack of feeling.
A really dark story that I suspect, is going to get a lot darker. Harrison's thoughts, like many of our own, jump inexplicably from one subject to another in place and time. I wouldn't say this is an easy read, I don't think its meant to be, but the prose smoothly moves a reader along at a cracking pace and it's well worth the effort. Because those who don't have pyschopathic tendencies, will never really get a grip on how they think and act, psychopaths are endlessly fascinating and books about them will never go out of style, they allow a peep inside a screwed up mind. The author has produced one and put it in the flesh of John Harrison.

Nanty - Chrys!

Gordon,

I started reading your Opus and thought I would give you my cent and half:

The first thing that jumps here is the style: here we have the dystopic narrator throwing literary confetti all around, googling his way into a post modern anomie that has no name or address

.....is just floating there...

In sum, the style is: I do this....I do that...I think this....I think that

.......a style that borrows from rap, Foster Wallace/Eggers/Bolanos.

So the plot is merely a container, a Wharhol soup-can onto which the writer pours in original language.

Thus, what keeps this narrative dangling from one googling to the next, is the writer's ability to create a common emotional trace around it, the preferred trace being

.....post modern anomie.

......."I am sick of myself and I don't know why"

You are art student, so let me give you a painting analogy:

what keeps a Raunchenberg together?
well, the salad of images have to converge into a common emotional trace for it work.

...the same applies to your narrative.

Some of my favorites:

"like a drunken hippo"

"last dreg of kindness"

"like a seaside donkey"
never seen this before, which is why I like it.

"Imagine....
This is your personal best so far;
Why?
Because here you use the soliloquy to create an existential moment full of anomie, dressed in pop thinking, all to illustrate a self disgust that my guess is, will be present throughout the narrative. In sum, you create a psychological marker

"Lately..."
same effect

"with a football pin batch"
again, I read to see things I have never seen before....like this

"tampons on my ears"
an interesting concept....there might be a market there....lol

"look mint like"

Some Minor/Minorest/Minormost points:

"over his head"
This too much of a minimalist description.
I understand you point of using Froidoir to describe a dramatic moment
But the minimalism is excessive
Give one more line and I would be happy: "he fell onto pieces, all apart"
like that

I would cut on the cursing and emotional labeling a bit
Why?
Because when you label, a reader reads ....the label
When you describe instead, the reader feels.

And in your narrative, if the reader doesn't feel it, he starts to look for the plot...which we already established is not the engine of this novel.

Let me know if that helps,

Overall wonderful

david

THE ART OF LYING AND DYING

from the BH group

COVER: As you know, I'm a big fan of your cover. The only thing I'd suggest is letting me add a title but it may not really be necessary for Authonomy and obviously it can't be used elsewhere...unless of course you've got rights somehow?

TITLE: I like it. Doesn't make me question it and draws me in.

SHORT PITCH: Hm, I like the first 2 but not the third line. Needs more hollywood magic magnetic pull.
LONG PITCH: I think it okay...not quite as smooth in the sale of the story as it might be. but its got an okay humor about it. 2 extra long sentences in that second paragraph...might give a bit more thought to the rhythm...or not...but I think this needs a bit of work...sorry!
TEXT: "I lay there, clothes buttered with sand and laughing like a seaside donkey" excellent.
2nd chpt: hm, a lot of genital talk in the book so far...good work.
I'm somewhat wishing for a bit of interaction here...all this in his head business is entertaining but...well...by the end of the chpt I was ready for some - Hey, Nice nosejam sir, can I have another and whatnot - with someone else. Brewer sounds like my freshman 3D teacher. Got canned for some drunken scene during a class...wasn't there but I remember him gleefully jumping on chairs during one of my classes with him. only good thing I recall about him was his hermaphrodite lecture. sorry...back to the book. nice about the WTC...I can see the gravity on the log now.
Hm, and again by the end of three....as much as I'm enjoying his musings I sort of wish I had the dialog from the shower scene... gah, this is good stuff... I mean I really enjoy this guy and I'll risk sounding like an ass by offering again, the ridiculous "how I'd write it" thoughts...It starts feeling like you've taken an old journal and embellished it slightly then chopped up the chronology to make a book(no doubt you didn't but its what comes to mind). End of 4 and I've only got one death and the rest is a good deal of rambling travelogue fun.
but yeah, other than that I don't have much for you.
Great potential as I see it.
Best of luck.
-=B

your first line is great. your time sequence is a bit confusing. you begin with him in the water, then shift to that morning, then back to this moment, then the previous morning, then he's 9 getting a tshirt from his uncle (i like this detail btw) and then back to the water. then he's walking toward the beach. this all happens rather quickly and it makes it hard for me to picture it all.

Hi Gordon,

I have just read the first three chapters and loved it - and this is not my normal type of genre. The sinister cynicism of your MC is addictive, refreshing and really funny. Although at times, I found his pov and attitude bloody uncomfortable. Highly starred and backed.

I'm a member of the 'brutal honesty' review group in the forums, so forgive me if the rest of the comments seem a bit picky. I am hoping that you will find them helpful.

Chap One: the second sentence is rather long and I had to read it twice. Plus would his lips still be 'sandy' that far into the sea? I loved the 'pickled genitals'. :) I got confused by the reference to 'thirteen years and 18 hours.' I may be a bit obtuse but it wasn't until my second reading that it dawned on me that your 'drama queen' was actually trying to drown himself. Not mentioning the body back on the beach was masterly but IMHO I think that this section could do with a bit of an edit to help ease the reader into understanding what had happened.

Oh and by the way, your own roots and dialect came out with the phrase: 'obviously LIKE' ;) Agents and readers south of the Tees would probably find that a bit distracting. ;)

Chap Two - Loved it. You really get into your stride at this point and the humour is fantastic. It has often been suggested to authors that they drop their first chapter and start their novel with the second. I wouldn't go that far in your case, some editing of Chap One will help, but Chap 2 is definitely a stronger, more interesting and understandable piece of work.
You use the word 'genital' for the 2nd time in a couple of pages. It loses its impact this time. :(
Loved the Sunderland joke - and the reference to Middlesbrough in chp three. ;)

Chap Three
I started to have a problem as soon as I read the date at the top of the page. For the second time I had to flick back to find out where this chapter fitted in compared with the previous two. At this point I realised that your novel was jumping around the chronology quicker than 'The Time Traveller's Wife.' There is a danger with leaping about the times scale that your audience will give up trying to follow. However, I stuck with it and enjoyed it. Well done.

I think that, with a bit of work, this novel has a great future. You have real literary skill.
Susanna
'Catching the Eagle'

Unique authorial voice this monologue from John Harrison whose mindset would bamboozle a room of psychiatrists. Anxiety and alcoholism and horrific past events flow past the reader in a stream of consciousness retelling of a bewildering series of events and honestly voiced opinions. It reads like a confession from an unrepentant psychopath, moral compass lost long ago. It is like trying to hold quicksilver in the palms of your hands as the text just keeps flowing away to the next point of focus. I have given up this afternoon at the death of John's young pal Wayne Johnson. I could follow the tale here and it is pretty strong stuff. Not for the fainthearted at all and the episode perhaps helps to explain some of adult Johns psychological problems. The writing is very assured throughout this. There is lots of humour, lots of profanity but it is relentlessly dark and not something to read if you are feeling low. No mistaking that the author has a great way with the rythms of internal thoughts and speech and the narrators voice is hypnotically consistent. Quite a talent on show here. When I have recovered from the first half I might read the second.

Gordon, It is clear from the start that you are a really good writer and know how to hook your reader. I don't feel sufficiently qualified to critique on the subject matter as it is not my genre but I think it will be liked by many readers for its cynic yet humorous tone. I have starred your book and wish you all the best getting it published and liked by a vaste audience of "road-trippers". Femmy

Dear Gordon, to start..." When I do have to piss, I piss hard against the porcelain thinking of the smug middle class twats I have passed along the way" Where the Hell did such a collusion of emotional exemplum, explode from. I was instantly inspired by your apalogue of attitude, which was brilliantly brought to the surface in this contemporary and cleverly written book. I bet you are smiling from satisfaction. It was such a passionate and very poignant piece of writing that made the main character, almost a monologue on his own. I have no credentials as a critic, but I can tell as a reader what's worth the recognition for a raw and naturally talented gift, which you have got in abundance. Good luck with your book Gordon. And please look out for my continued support. Take care, until we hopefully meet again. Cicuta, [ Carl, Arcane ].

Kerouac, eat yer bleedin' heart out. What is this novel doing at position #423? This is terrifically calculated to resemble stream-of-consciousness to make even Joyce proud. Great job, and I will be backing it just as soon as the current inmates of my bookshelf are released for good behavior.

--James David Audlin
"Rats Live on no Evil Star", etc.

Gordon,
I've read the first two chapters - this is bloody superb!
I try to give the authors I back a fair crack of the whip, but a space on my shelf will be open by Sunday - and you'll be there for a long time.
The only advice I'd give is to not change a thing, and definitely not water down your narrative.
Have a good weekend, and I hope you manage to avoid the possibility of joyous lovemaking with Esther Rantzen.

Cheers for your backing, one of the few that actually means anything.

Pete

Gordon Dalton, that cover pulled me in. What kind of killer road trip is this, Jack? So you wanted to be a Yank, well, this is very Brit, mate, and who listens to punk? Manhattan, Kansas? Burroughs? Yes, I’d like to know, too, and intend to find out in The Art of Lying and Dying.

GK Stritch
CBGB Was My High School

Can you actually leave a dead body by the roadside, and then jump on the bus, and carry on as though nothing has happened. Behind the facade of mostly repugnant assonance there is a sophisticated story. The evolution of a hideous creature, uncaring, thoughtless, deranged even, a deserving no pity, monster. But then all of us, at some point, has noticed a person collapsed in the street, and think thats none of our business, or I'm to busy to help.
Powerfull stuff.
Backed with pleasure.
Daniel Manning
No Compatibility.

There are some words in there I'm not familiar with but it wasn't problematic enough to prevent me from understanding. I love the title, and to be blunt I buy books pretty much from their title, so I suppose on that criteria lone it should go on my shelf (only problem is my bookshelf is blank. I am waiting for the site powers that be to rectify whatever is wrong with my account but I will back once I can).

thanks for indepth critique

you've hit all the main points on the head - especially staying in that dead voice for so long gets tiresome. it does expand and he gets a little remorseful for about two minutes, but the end justifies the bluntness (i hope).

still trying to work some lightness into the dark, just not too much

cheers

This manuscript has delighted and frsutrated me in equal amounts.

Delighted.
The arts angle works really well.
The bitchiness, uncalled for, unnecessary, taken to the extreme is just brilliant.
The idea of an artist making a career of accidents and other people's misfortunes... Whether intended or not, this doesn't even need to be a metaphor if you know anything about the art world and the pseuds that inhabit it.
The language, the profanity, the aggression... Pitched at the right level and to the point.
The result is black humour of the best kind.

Frustrated.
The constant jumping around in tenses, especially in the first chapter. Is that intentional? Necessary? I had to reread sentences constantly, thinking I had been misreading things.
The narrator's such a nasty piece of work. (Mind you, that's in character, so I shouldn't complain.)

One worry I have is that this might fall in the same trap as American Psycho: having established the obsessive character of the narrator, you then need to stick to it for the rest of the book, which becomes tiresome after a while. I would have to read the rest to see how that goes, so don't take it as an unjustified criticism. It's more of a nagging doubt in the back of my mind. Besides, my frustration doesn't seem to have hurt American Psycho, so make of that what you will.

(O. The first sentence was rather unfair. Nine parts delight, one part frustration. But the frustration becomes more apparent when the rest is so good. Perverse or what?)

In short:
I really like it and I would like it even more with a bit more housekeeping. But that's not going to stop me from backing it!

Best of luck.

Huseyin
All Things Noble

Fantastic. I love what I have read so far. I love the British humour, there is nothing quite like it. Great wit at its best. Well done. Eunice - The Temple Dancer.

Your opening line hooked me. Brilliant premise, brilliantly executed. A cynical and thoroughly absorbing story. Colorful characters. Magnetic writing. A captivating read. Backed.

Performing H. P. Lovecraft stories. That got me thinking.
Original, anarchistic style. Good premise. Reminds me of Irving Walsh. Backed

Am left speechless, but I liked reading this story - character voice is very good. Backed.

Hi Gordon,
Interesting art cover, rather deceitful maybe - I backed this book a couple of days ago but wanted to take my time to comment; the language takes on a disturbing narrative...somewhat loosely told at times but undoubtedly capturing the troubles and rather insinuating views of a killer at heart.
I haven't read beyond Chapter 3 but you certainly pen a unique form of read that flows only to reveal the ruthless mind of a sociopath; quite baffling and rather telling; the reason why I backed your book.

Best of Luck,

Rome
Directives for Murder

Some great ideas here and an original writing style. Backed.

Hi, I am sorry that this comment does not help you in any way just yet, other than to let you know that I think your work is worth backing, but I am getting used to the site slowly. Also, work commitments and writing are being squeezed to try to keep up. After the first days I thought that the reading returns and support would slow but as yet they have not even begun to. So, in order to be fair I am backing everyone who I think deserves it, thanking everyone who has backed me and keeping an increasingly long list to get back to and give my hand written comments over. I hope this is ok with you? Cheers.

Quite an unusual and interesting start - and also nicely engineered as well. You also manage to avoid the Style Over Content trap quite nicely, too. Confident writing and characters who are well formed and tidy in their own rights, help to hook the reader in, and keep them hooked through the changes.

Read and enjoyed. Backed accordingly.

Your work has a unique style which does not leave the reader indifferent.

Steven Lloyd
The Audacity of Hope and Change

Attracted by the pitch and had to have a read. I wasn’t disappointed and was soon into the book. Coming back to read more soon.
Keith

clever work
not one for the mainstream
which is I suggest a compliment of the highest
splendid main character

Hi Gordon.

I have read your work and found it fascinating. It is clear that you have put a great deal of effort into your writing, are committed to your content and serious about the development of your craft. What I like about Authonomy is that it allows writers, of all abilities, to share their work with other keen writers and readers, work that might not otherwise become published—and not necessarily for any reasons related to literary merit. I have backed your book since I felt that your efforts deserve my backing. Best of luck with your writing.

FLETCH
STORIES FROM A LEAKING MIND

One of the most original pieces on this site!

This book traps you, draws you in - and won't let go until it's done with you.

Exceptionally well crafted and intelligent.

My highest complements on your talent and sharp mind.

Backed with great pleasure.

Johanna Kern
Master and the Green-Eyed Hope

Hi Gordon, I thought this had an intriguing opening, while at the same time finding the style a little inconsistent, moving around from being quite colloquial and dialect-y, as it were, to a more sophisticated cynical tone. Certainly makes you want to keep on reading though! Backed.

Nicole (Chosen)

I think I have commented on this book before. I still like the writing style and will put it on my shelf in case I didn't last time.

Cheers
Elaine (Zitheron)

Great pitch that gets the interest, although the second paragraph of the long pitch gets a bit muddled halfway through.

You have a way with words and phrases which brings the character to life.

On the paragraph that starts “In the final scene of the screen play” shouldn’t it be “being” rather than “been” in the sentence “after finally been defeated by the hordes”

Like the jumping back and forth between the two year on chapters, but the one thing that did stick when I was reading chapter 1 was when you then referred to getting that T-shirt 13 years earlier. This confused as we have to track two time periods and then another is thrown inside another. Hope that makes sense.

Anyway, hope you do well with it.

Stephen

Haven't got further than maybe a quarter of the way in - but I'm a proper reader and want to read all of something so will be back tomorrow. Very much enjoying it so far, good work. Only wanted to point out that your tenses get really confused in some of the first chapters, but seem to straighten themselves out after that. I.e chapter one 'And now, here I was, feeling a right fucking doyle' can't be about the same moment in time as 'The pier's amusement lights flicker to the right of me in the distance.'

I'm not being a dick, just saying it because I'd want someone to point it out in my work. You may enjoy the book I've just finished also about art, artists and depravity and well...it's in the pitch. I'm not on a sales tour, but enjoyed what I have read of yours thus far. Look forward to digesting the rest.
All the best,

Tom

Haven't got further than maybe a quarter of the way in - but I'm a proper reader and want to read all of something so will be back tomorrow. Very much enjoying it so far, good work. Only wanted to point out that your tenses get really confused in some of the first chapters, but seem to straighten themselves out after that. I.e chapter one 'And now, here I was, feeling a right fucking doyle' can't be about the same moment in time as 'The pier's amusement lights flicker to the right of me in the distance.'

I'm not being a dick, just saying it because I'd want someone to point it out in my work. You may enjoy the book I've just finished also about art, artists and depravity and well...it's in the pitch. I'm not on a sales tour, but enjoyed what I have read of yours thus far. Look forward to digesting the rest.
All the best,

Tom

It's a racy read... I enjoyed reading the beginning. :D You are backed.

English Psycho... loose in America. Honest and raw, your Harrison probably could be another Banksy, if he really tried, like the work of art he envisaged selling for thousands at the expense of poor Griff. Sod him, I hear Harrison cry - probably. And sod Banksy, too - Hirst, more like, with more color and oomph.

Not sure about the randomness - knowing it's not randomness... of the sequence of events. I loved ch.2, and I'd consider starting with that - give it a grounding. (And save Venice Beach for later.). Just a suggestion - it's probably just ol' fashioned me. Erm, like your "moderate" tag... Gordon, tut tut.

Ol' fashioned or not, I think your voice as a writer is pretty powerful - straight, honest, but turns of phrase that are brilliant yet seem to come effortlessly out of your artist's head. Shelved... with an eye to what this work of art might fetch...

Kay (KC) xx
(Waystation to Prosperity Street)

From your pitch, I had high hopes of the type of book this would be, and of the writing - thank goodness I wasn't disappointed. This is hilarious and I love the way you casually drop in the reference to the pickled genitals. I do wonder how someone can 'accidentally' be on a killing spree but your character is one I want to take me on this journey. I ought to hate him, but I love him instead.
Backed.
Kipper