I attended the launch of Absolute Zero Cool by Declan Burke last night in the Gutter Bookshop in Dublin. John Connolly gave it a very nice send off. Also had a good, short chat with Alan Glynn and Decland Hughes. John Banville describes AZC as a cross between Flann O'Brien and Raymond Chandler. I beg to differ. I think it's a cross between Flann O'Brien (the Irish satirist) and Declan Burke (the writer of screwball noirs). If you read the book, that last sentence will make sense. Honest. I'm only a hundred pages in, but it's fair to say that this is one of the most original crime fiction books I've read. Probably ever, actually. Along with Duane Swierczynski's Secret Dead Men, it really takes the genre and throws it out the window to take it in a completely different direction. It's erudite, philosophical, clever and funny. So far, so good. Looking forward to the rest.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Crime fiction, but not as we know it
I attended the launch of Absolute Zero Cool by Declan Burke last night in the Gutter Bookshop in Dublin. John Connolly gave it a very nice send off. Also had a good, short chat with Alan Glynn and Decland Hughes. John Banville describes AZC as a cross between Flann O'Brien and Raymond Chandler. I beg to differ. I think it's a cross between Flann O'Brien (the Irish satirist) and Declan Burke (the writer of screwball noirs). If you read the book, that last sentence will make sense. Honest. I'm only a hundred pages in, but it's fair to say that this is one of the most original crime fiction books I've read. Probably ever, actually. Along with Duane Swierczynski's Secret Dead Men, it really takes the genre and throws it out the window to take it in a completely different direction. It's erudite, philosophical, clever and funny. So far, so good. Looking forward to the rest.
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2 comments:
Hey, Rob! Sorry I missed you at the launch (Man, that place was packed!) Liberties Press have released 40 pics of the event, for the benefit of all who were not there:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.232556426779478.51453.117184288316693
I dig the mention you received in the opening essay of Declan's Down These Green Streets, as well.
Looking forward to the release of your next novel. At its launch we'll make it a point to finally meet up.
All the best,
Critical Mick (Irish crime fiction fanboy)
Hi Mick. I kind of hid at the back. Would have been good to have met. Not sure when next novel is out. It's under consideration at the minute. Thanks for link to the pics as well.
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