First thoughts

GRANTA magazine’s former associate editor, Helen Gordon debut novel, Landfall, is the story of a thirty-something journalist in existential crisis. When Londoner Alice Robinson is forced to leave her job at a trendy arts magazine, she takes up her parents’ offer to house-sit their home in darkest suburbia. This leads Alice to confront her past and question her life choices.

Although the theme of “what am I doing with my life?” is one to which we can relate, Landfall is an unsatisfying read. Philosophical themes jar with fluffy storylines, while characterisation and narrative are so lacking in description that the reader is often left wondering what has happened.

Gordon slips into long musings that are confusing and lack significance.

Ultimately, Landfall reinforces how difficult novel-writing truly is.

The Litigators

John Grisham, Hodder & Stoughton; £19.99

Review: Sandra Mangan

John Grisham has often been dubbed the master of the legal thriller — and on this showing, his title is secure.

The Litigators is Grisham at his very best; fast-paced, funny and packed with living and breathing characters that you’d just love to share an after-court beer with.

In a seedy part of downtown Chicago, Oscar and Wally, partners in the ‘boutique’ law firm of Finley & Figg, are out chasing ambulances and scrabbling to earn a fast buck.

Meanwhile, across the city, Harvard law graduate David Zinc is about to send his career path into a dramatic downward spiral by quitting his job with one of the country’s biggest legal names.

By chance, the threesome meet — and combine their dubious skills to fight a pharmaceutical giant.

Set aside a weekend for this one, because you won’t want to put it down.

It’s A Man’s World

Polly Courtney, Avon; £6.99

Review: Denise Bailey

POLLY COURTNEY has ended her relationship with publishers HarperCollins, as she has deemed the marketing of her sixth novel as “condescending and fluffy.”

She is angry that the inference of the cover, which shows a woman with a pair of shapely legs — and the suggestive tagline, “But it takes a woman to run it” — is that of ‘chick-lit’ fiction.

She says that the cover will not compel one to read the story of Alexis Harris, a young, clever managing director, charged with changing the fortunes of lads’ magazine Banter, and the office politics that follow.

Courtney may be right to draw this conclusion; however, after reading the book, the misleading cover is not the main problem. It’s a disappointing read, and not a great addition to the conversation on modern feminism it courts to be part of.

Hopefully, Courtney’s next novel, self-published, will be of greater substance. Both book and cover.

Work! Consume! Die!

Frankie Boyle, Harper Collins; £20

Review: James Robinson

ANYBODY who saw Frankie Boyle’s controversial sketch show Tramadol Nights would be forgiven for disregarding him as a shock merchant.

It comes as a surprise then, after reading Work! Consume! Die!, to learn that he has something of a social conscience.

In chapters prefaced by quotes from famous writers and philosophers, the comedian rails against the state of the nation, lamenting the unfairness of modern society, corrupt politicians and the cult of celebrity.

In between, there are snatches from a bizarre novel in which a destitute Boyle tries to claw back his career, while avoiding a serial killer whose victims are always minor celebrities.

If this sounds a bit heavy, don’t worry — it’s still crammed with jokes in the worst possible taste.

Given a context, however, the gags have more focus and power than was apparent within the scatter-gun nihilism of his TV series.