Chs 1 & 2: what I love about this writing is its power to unsettle, to jar the reader. It is quite filmic, but you can't anticipate what the camera will show you next or what the camera is leaving unseen. I like too that some of the saddest, weirdest statements are made so baldly and simple eg, 'T... view book

Ch 1 - lovely engaging writing from the great first line on. I especially liked the concept of 'inbetweenness'; the young child and the elephant like coarse skin of the very old; the dirt cloud left by the displaced kitten; the kindness of the shoplifting and the warning in the exchange between hu... view book

Just started this and it is great fun. I especially liked the concept of the corgis racking up a few energy credits and the way the mother says 'I could give you fifteen minutes' implies both the exhaustion and compromise of family life. I'm W/L this and I'll come and read some more (feeling guil... view book

Just started reading this and I'm with kate - it's like listening to Caliban. And it's just so clever, 'Ignore all the little errors the slips and the stumbles. They can't be helped, not by me, not by any of us. Fell secure in them, certain of your superiority as you spot them, one after the other,... view book

Really enjoying this, Matthew leaps off the page. A couple of comments and nitpicks (feel free to ignore): Ch.2 - like the whole 'it follows that I sit down a lot' line but I would take out the 'ha' after 'a day of sitting down' - you don't need it, it's obviously funny. "I still tripped head fir... view book