Joining my TBR pile...

A black comedy of high-tensile fencing, beer and accidental death. A plot that with a slightly surreal nature that reminded me of Kafka. My only real compliant is that I would have like it to be a bit longer. I'll have to watch out for more Magnus Mills.

Will pass this to Shaker at the Unconvention.

One of the more interesting looking books I came away with at Unconvention...

Thanks UrbanSpaceman.

Picked up at October 05 Leeds Meet Up.

This was on the Booker shortlist a few years ago, and deserved to be. It is a story about a trio of fence erectors, manual labourers, working away from home, in the middle of winter, living in a battered old caravan. These men take for granted the repetitiveness of their daily work, and grudgingly (though with much swearing) put up with the contempt shown to them by practically everyone they meet. Their lives revolve around frequent 'fag breaks' and nights in the pub. Mills has managed to write a very funny book - very dry - about what is quite frankly a completely miserable existence for these men. It is easy to draw an analogy between the fences they build - to restrain beasts - and the fact that their own lives are similarly restrained. There seems to be no escape for them - whatever they try to do to relieve the bone-wearing tedium, they are knocked back into place. But their spirit ensures that they will drain the last drop sustenance out of any situation, just as they will drain the last drop out of the last pint, (even if it means having no money left to buy breakfast). I found this to be a very refreshing novel that, in spite of December dusk and drizzle, celebrates the grit and determination of a downtrodden working-class.

Passed this on to a friend.