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Corpsing (2000)

Corpsing (2000)

Book Info

Author
Rating
3.36 of 5 Votes: 2
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ISBN
0140285776 (ISBN13: 9780140285772)
Language
English
Publisher
not avail

About book Corpsing (2000)

This is very enjoyable read - contemporary Britain, stylish people whose lives burst with erotic potential, and a glimpse into the hidden underbelly of life. Litt has a thriller that soon turns from a 'whodunnit' to a 'whydunnit'. And we DO want to know why. As the story unfolds, what keeps us guessing to the end is who was really the victim in this crime. The target appears to be obvious, but all is not as it seems. Characterisation is strong, and the plot well structured, with convincing narrative. Litt is definitely finding a voice with this novel, and I am looking forward to more from him. If I have any issue with the book, it is that somehow the reader never feels at risk. Frequent warnings and threats on his life don't seem to faze Conrad, and we aren't allowed to worry about him either. The descent into an underworld of criminals and violence is never sleazy or sordid, never uncomfortable. Litt should read some Christopher Fowler (SOHO BLACK would be a good place to start) on this score. Malcolm Bradbury (writing in the Daily Mail) described this book as "...splendid characters, brilliant construction, and above all an unmistakable and sharply satirical style." Much as I admire Mr. Bradbury, I think all of these superlatives are overblown and too generous for this enjoyable but marginally flawed book. The Plot CORPSING takes us on a slow motion ride through the event that changes Conrad Redman's life forever. Namely the murder of his ex-girlfriend Lily and his own attempted assassination, which happen within the first few pages. The rest of the novel is taken up with Conrad's search (after spending six weeks in a coma, and six months in recovery) for the reason and person or persons behind the hit. Whodunnit is never in doubt - a dayglo lycra-clad bike courier is the one that pulls the trigger, six times, killing Lily and severely wounding Conrad. Over several interspersed chapters we are treated to minute examination of the damage wreaked by each of the bullets as they pass through the bodies of Lily and Conrad. Conrad's gradual awakening to the realities of life takes in Lily's ambivalent parents, her lovers and an ex-con darling of the comedy circuit. The result is not so much catharsis as unpleasant revelation... The Author:Toby Litt is a promising talent in the style of Charles Higson (he of 'Fast Show' and erstwhile punk band 'The Higsons' fame), and CORPSING was his third publication. Prior to this, he released a book of short stories, ADVENTURES IN CAPITALISM, and a novel, BEATNIKS. CORPSING is, as always, available from Amazon.

I almost didn't read this book. After the first few pages, I thought, "Ugh. It's so Clever." But I kept at it, and I'm glad I did. This is clever, no doubt; it's hip, and modern, and flippant, and breezy... but it's also real, and serious, and intense, and moving, and funny. This is the kind of book that Jonathan Safran Foer wishes he could write, stuck there in his hipster Manhattan. It's the kind of book that Dave Eggers would turn out if he could stop taking himself so damn seriously. I enjoyed it immensely, and recommend it without reservation to everyone who wants to believe that the kids these days can actually write worth a damn.

Do You like book Corpsing (2000)?

Oh, how I missed reading these very London sorts of novels: scheming, intrigue and shagging among loony eccentrics in the media! I confess to reading two Tony Parsons novels when I was sixteen and being entertained by the cosy bubble of London infidelities (before realising my error and picking up Camus the next month). I also read a few books by Sean Thomas and Sean Hughes which pounded that middle-aged middle-class media self-disgust thing to death. Toby Litt can be excused because Corpsing straddles the line between accessible lit-fic and mainstream blokey fiction rather well. In this genre pastiche a TV producer attempts to solve the mystery of why someone shot him and his ex-girlfriend in a busy restaurant three times each. The narrative moves apace, our hero in the noir-ish mode but laregly unlikeable, delving a little deeper into the psychology of relationships when not entirely concerned with plot. But it's largely a plot affair.
—MJ Nicholls

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