Nation - the play

Nation by Terry Pratchett was the first non-Discworld book that the author has written in quite a long time, so I was fairly worried when I first picked up my copy. I really shouldn't have worried, it was excellent.

Nation, the play adapted by Mark Ravenhill from the book of the same name was the first play based on a Terry Pratchett book, Discworld or otherwise, I have seen, and I was most certainly worried. Maybe this was due to iffy reviews I had read, maybe it was because I tend to find novels turned into plays can be disasters (Note: seeing The Hobbit at the Eastbourne Congress next month – Nervous!), either way I was worried.

The first couple of scenes did little to alleviate my fears, with slightly wooden acting and, shock-horror, singing. Fortunately, my initial misconceptions were lifted as I found myself drawn into the world of Mau – a native of the Nation, the largest of the Islands – and Daphne, an aristocratic 13 year-old whose father is 139th in line to the throne, who has been ship wrecked on the Nation. Mau's people have been wiped out by the same storm that destroyed Daphne's ship, and together they must build a new Nation.

The play deviates from the book in a few ways. For instance Cox, the evil mutineer from the book has been transformed into a butler who is sent off the rails by the death of his son. This change, like most of the others, is welcome enough and does not effect the overall feel of the story. Another large difference is the ship's parrot, Milton, who in the book is a minor character who occasionally shouts “dirty knickers!” before disappearing for a few chapters. In the play Milton is transformed into the main supporting character, used for both comic relief and every once in a while for moving the plot on a little. The human-dressed-as-parrot aspect of the play was one of my biggest apprehensions – I really can't stand actors dressed up as animals (possibly brought on from being forced to sit through a truly awful adaptation of Orwell's Animal Farm when I was at school...) - but turned he out to be a likeable addition.

The first few scenes were a low point, the singing put me off and it took a bit of time to grasp what was happening, even though I had read the book and heard the excellent BBC audio play, but as it got into it and I realised there wasn't much singing I really came to love this adaptation of Nation – so much so that I found myself humming along to the song (one song repeated a few times throughout the play, by the way). The other low point of the play, I'm afraid to say, was the end. I felt everything that involved characters not on the Nation (namely Daphne's family) was not executed that well and the closing of the story felt very rushed. Fortunately this did not diminish from the overall excellence of Nation.

Highly Recommended.

Little Hands Clapping by Dan Rhodes

In Little Hands Clapping, we delve into the weird and darkly wonderful world of Dan Rhodes, where Museums are dedicated to suicide and their curators eat little more than crackers, cake and spiders; Doctors are - at least in one instance – cannibals; and love can conquer, or destroy, all.

The story follows various seemingly unconnected stories, some of which span the entire novel, eventually gravitating towards the previously mentioned Museum of Suicide; and some that pop up almost randomly throughout the novel, like windows into the bizarre world of Rhodes.

As with Gold, a previous Dan Rhodes novel I reviewed, Little Hands Clapping is fairly lacking in the plot department. The blurb tells us that the characters of the book will be caught up in a crime that will shock the world... OK, so it is a pretty bad crime, but one that becomes apparent very early on in the novel and there is never a real shock involved. The most important aspect of the book is the highly descriptive and downright beautiful prose. Without Rhodes' exemplary way with words, Little Hands Clapping would be a dull and wholly pointless little book, but instead it is transformed into a sweet, funny and mildly macabre novel, which was a real treat to read.

Dan Rhodes' style of writing has often been called 'lad lit', but I don't see it that way. I think its whimsical, plodding nature would make it more a choice for the art/drama student, rather than your typical Bravo Two-Zero 'lad'. Either way, Little Hands Clapping is a bizarre, sometimes melancholy, but thoroughly enjoyable, if unconventional, novel.

Recommended.

Gold by Dan Rhodes

Set in the idyllic Welsh countryside, Gold is the story of Miyuki Woodward, a half-Japanese/half-Welsh interior designer who takes her two weeks vacation alone in the same village, in the same cottage, every year, away from her partner Grindle, in order to consolidate their love through separation. The novel takes place during the two weeks vacation and is set mainly in the village pub, The Anchor, and the surrounding countryside.

The story is fairly minimalistic – the biggest thing to happen in the village for a long time is Miyuki painting a rock gold... – but this matters not as the book is driven forward by the characters. The village locals are quirky, with tall Mr Hughes, short Mr Hughes and Mr Puw on one side of the pub, and Septic Barry & the Children from Previous Relationships on the other, and Miyuki is a really likeable lead. The star character, however, is the owner of the pub in which the novel is largely based – Mr Edwards. Mr Edwards is perfect, not used too much nor too little, and throughout the book barely says more than his favourite saying “Holy Mackerel!”.

This is my first Dan Rhodes novel, and it is clear that he is a gem of an author who chooses his words carefully. Descriptively speaking, Gold is a beautiful novel, but on a small scale. When describing (repeatedly) how Miyuki's contact lenses dance across the stove, his ability with words really shines through, but then when describing the sun sparkling on the golden rocks, I found it hard to picture, it didn't really jump out.

All in all, this little novel is a treat, I'm so glad to have found Dan Rhodes and I'm thoroughly looking forward to his latest book, Little Hands Clapping.

A beautiful, sweet and very funny book. Highly recommended.

Who is Dan Rhodes?

Author of 6 novels, one of Granta's Best Young Novelists of 2003 and winner of several obscure literary awards... and I have never heard of him.

His novels include the best selling Timoleon Vieta Come Home, The Little White Car (under a pen name) and Gold.

Well, now I have heard of him, and I am currently reading Gold.

So far, I like. In fact, so far I love.

I will review when finished.

Dan Rhodes' new novel, Little Hands Clapping, was published this month and I am awaiting my copy.

www.DanRhodes.co.uk