A cut above general tube-reading fodder (Armadillo - William Boyd)

Member Name: ShaggyJoe

Product:	Armadillo - William Boyd
Date:	10/01/01 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Style, mode of address, characterisation

Disadvantages: Not many -- bit too moody perhaps?

William Boyd's novel about an insurance loss adjuster doesn't necessarily have enticing subject matter, but his style more than compensates for the fact that you're basically reading about one of the dullest jobs known to mankind. Sure, there's enough double-dealing and gangster activity to keep a Goodfella fan happy, but it's not really what sells it for me.

The characters are well drawn and detailed -- the reader imagines that the author knows a lot more about them than he writes about, and it gives the book a well-rounded feel. It may be a little too fin-de-siecle for some tastes, but at least to book looks a little harder at some of the subjects other novels on the same shelf ignore -- morality, integrity and the search for a meaningful life all get a look in, and usually with a wry, sardonic sense of humour.

It was the first Boyd book I'd had a go at. I'll definitely be looking the rest up.

Summary: