The Book of Dave
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15
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GENERAL & LITERARY FICTION. What if a demented London cabbie called Dave Rudman wrote a book to his estranged son to give him some fatherly advice? What if that book was buried in Hampstead and hundreds of years later, when rising sea levels have put London underwater, spawned a religion? What if one man decided to question life according to Dave? And what if Dave had indeed made a mistake? Shuttling between the recent past and a far-off future where England is terribly altered, "The Book of Dave" is a strange and troubling mirror held up to our times: disturbing, satirizing and vilifying who and what we think we are.
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This was one of those books I am not really sure I enjoyed but I do know I am very glad I read. It is a challenge, not so much for the language (which you come to grips with especially if you read it “aloud” in your mind) nor for the vocabulary (just read the glossary BEFORE you start the book. The challenge was to remain sympathetic with Dave until the end, to follow him to the end of his journey. Self's language is so rich and sordid that he paints his scenes with ease that make them always slightly repelling. There are some story lines that were never explained adequately (e.g. What was Michelle's justification for marrying Dave) and I sometimes wonder how someone that does not know London can relate to the book. This one of the best books about London and I kept of thinking that it was time to re-read Martin Amis's [b:London Fields 18830 London Fields Martin Amis http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334149127s/18830.jpg 83385] again.Is it an easy read? No. Is it a worthy read? absolutely - it is not a book I will forget soon, and it certainly will make me look for additional work by Will Self
This was a complex and gripping book about family, madness, love and religion, with a new vocabulary to get used to from the beginning. At first, I wasn't sure I liked the book, but the story soon caught my interest and I wanted to learn more about Dave and the future inhabitants of Ham.
One of my most challenging reads. Interesting concept. Delightfully tricky language.
