Vernon God Little - DBC Pierre

I have to admit I’m rather cynical when it comes to prize-winning novels, as soon as a book is labelled ‘Booker prize’ winner something inside me instinctively begins to doubt the actual worth of the book suspecting that the judges have voted for what they consider is the kind of book that should win rather than the ‘best’ read. It seems that the more glowing reviews a book gets the more suspicious as to its true worth I become. So invariably when this type of book is recommended to me I approach with what is probably an unhealthy dose of literary cynicism. This was my state of thinking when I picked up DBC Pierre’s 2003 Booker winning and debut novel ‘Vernon God ...

Shit happened" and it?s only the first two words in the book; an exclamation signalling chapter one. ?It?s hot as hell in Martirio, but the papers on the porch are icy with the news. Don?t even try and guess who stood all Tuesday night in the road. Clue: snotty ole Mrs Lechugna.? And so it starts, a road trip of OJ Simpson proportions set along the route from Martirio, Texas right through to Mexico. Vernon Gregory Little, a 15-year-old, Texan boy stands accused of complicity in a mass murder at school. Details of the tragedy are sketchy but that's not gonna stop the prosecution ...

I was a little unsure about reading this book when I first saw the cover as splashed across the top is the banner “Winner of The Man Booker Prize 2003”. My concern was based upon the fact that winning an award does not always mean that the winner will have mass appeal. You only have to look at those films that have not won an Oscar and don’t even get me started on the Turner Prize, if you want to see real art take a look at how my 9-year-old daughter manages to turn her quilt inside out every night in her sleep. Set in the BBQ sauce capital of Martirio, Texas the story is told through the eyes of 15-year-old Vernon God Little. Martirio has been the scene of an ...