Eight minutes idle? Then go and pick up this book. (Eight Minutes Idle - Matt Thorne)

Name: fizzle

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Product:	Eight Minutes Idle - Matt Thorne
Date:	31/07/01 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Engrossing and original novel.

Disadvantages: Ending is a bit disappointing.

This was the first book I’ve read by Matt Thorne and admittedly the subject matter of the book didn’t sound all that enthralling at first. The action of the novel revolves around Dan, a disaffected twenty something male and his dull life spent working in a call centre. However, I thought the book cover looked quite funky (hmm.. maybe not the best criteria for judging a book) and it had some good reviews on the back (perhaps slightly more reliable) so I decided to give it a go.

I have to say that I’m very glad I did. As the novel progresses you become increasingly gripped by Dan’s world, his relationships with his work colleagues and the increasingly complex situation with his father. This is probably because the book is written in the first person which gives you a greater insight into the workings of Dan’s mind (as his actions become increasingly bizarre).

The book contains many comic moments, in particular the strategies employed by workers in the call centre to keep callers hanging on the line (it will make you look at telephone helplines in a whole new light). There’s also some incredibly amusing scenes when Dan visits his girlfriend's house and is left there for the day with her family whilst she goes off to work. The awkwardness of the situation is brilliantly observed. At times however the humour is quite dark and some of the sexual content is quite graphic - so this might not be to everybody’s taste.

The style of writing is assured, the dialogue is utterly convincing, and it’s a book which is definitely hard to put down. The first half of the book is absolutely brilliant but I found it a bit disappointing towards the end. Many questions were left unanswered when the novel reached its rather abrupt conclusion and I find myself slightly dissatisfied with the ending as a result. Maybe I just didn’t want it to end because I was enjoying it so much.

I would descri
be this as a rather dark High Fidelity - so if you like books by authors such as Nick Hornby, Charles Higson and James Delingpole I would suggest checking this out. This was definitely one of the most engrossing books I’ve read in a long time.

Summary: