| Product: |
A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away - Christopher Brookmyre |
| Date: |
11.02.03 (138 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: entertaining
Disadvantages: none that I can think of
OK so one serial killer vs. an English teacher from Aberdeenshire. A really poor quality plot devised by a bored 15-year-old working his way through double Macbeth... or so you might think. In fact this is quite excellent bog reading.
Some of the hit man murders are both graphic and believable. However, this is an intelligent and witty writer and he nails together what may seem to be a pretty thin plot with some genius one liners. Any fan of Brookmyre will love this. However, for the uninitiated I believe that Quite Ugly One Morning (his first work and still arguably his best) is the best to buy first.
There is nothing too new here, and that is reflected by the fact that sales for this work are not as substantial as previous ones. It is less political and does not really plum the depths of hit-man psychology. However, Brookmyre could hammer out a shopping list and it would still make you giggle.
Yet somehow this book fails inspire in the same way as previous work, nor does it work as a particularly observant social satire. You rather get the impression that the author threw this one together in about a month - good on him - it is still better than anything John O'Farrell has written, far funnier and less self-abusive than Tony Parsons or Nick Hornby. They are simply not sharp enough.
So Brookmyre still leads the pack by some distance, but you rather feel that he could do better. Happily, in 'The Sacred Art Of Stealing' he does. Still, if you have read the others and liked them then buy this. You will not be disappointed, but you won't be inspired either.
Summary:
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Last comment:
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calypte - 11.02.03 I know at least one person who raves about Christopher Brookmyre. Would have liked to read a little more about the book in your review, although what you've written is good. |
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