Review: Fast paced and very funny.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 5, 2012
I really enjoyed this book.  Phil Church paints a tragically comic picture of a school where little goes right and where mutual misunderstanding is the order of the day.This novel is true black comedy.  The protagonist is an infuriating yet likeable character who seems bent on self-destruction.  However, he has a panicky sense of self-preservation and his frantic attempts to get himself out of the holes he digs for himself are amusing and well-described.Other characters are also memorable, whether major, like the narrator's flat-mate Malcolm or minor like Angela or the pub landlady.  The one criticism I have of the book is that there are too many characters for me to remember properly.  This is especially the case with the numerous teachers (who are strangely never referred to by their first names) and the children.That aside, I warmly recommend this book.  The characters are great, the pace fast and smooth and the dialogue superb.  He captures the meaningful meaningless of teenage talk with skill and wit.It's a comedy but there is a poignant edge to it which keeps it a pace away from whimsy.Church's maladroit hero could well be found happily boozing, and holding his own, in a seedy bar with characters such as Amis' Lucky Jim and Heller's Major Major.