my sons book

In the literary and classics shoebox

Recieved in the Literary Shoebox, a book I've been meaning to read for years, heading for the top of mount tbr

I read this book at the weekend and absolutely loved it, probably one of the best books I have read this year. The characters and setting were so well descibed I could imagine them in my head as I was reading, and pretty much everything got ignored as I read this book. Taking it to a bookcrossing meeting to release.

RELEASE NOTES:

Chelmsford BX meeet

I confess that I've had this book for over 3 years and not registered it - don't know why as I definitely started it and liked it. Well this evening at our Chelmsford bookcrossing meet I picked up a lonely planet travel guide to Scotland - http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5616166 and it fell open at page 43 on an author profile of Iain Banks particularly mentioning this novel and stirred some deep memory. Luckily summer 2010 I'd sorted my real bookshelves into author order and found it. Oban and the Isle of Luing - not far from the Isle of Coll where Gallanach have fond and family connections and memories for me. Will read this soon.

Finished! I thought it a good read. I know now the reason I didn't progress far on my first attempt. I couldn't sort out who was who - and when - because initially the narrator changes back-and-forth between 3 generations of the same family/families and I got lost. This settles down to being Prentice Hogan aged about 21 and the it easier to follow and enjoy. There is a mystery around the disappearance of an uncle that drives the story but it is also about Prentice's struggle with accepting death as a positive part of life and his father's atheism. It ends on a positive note, and I like it.