It's a comedy thriller of a book and it is aimed at young people, though adults will also find much to recommend this book to them.
Written educationalist John Simes, The Dream Factory tells the captivating, yet enchantingly bizarre, story of three youngsters, Hendrix, Page and Clapton.
There was Peter, dubbed Pi, by a less than kindly teacher, Peter who could lose himself in The Dream Factory at will.
There story is multi-layered. There are betrayals that are grievous yet so utterly thoughtless that it actually makes them far worse than they might otherwise have been.
The story is set within the small and apparently peaceful English village of Dingwall.
But the village is only apparently peaceful.For there are violent kidnappings, escapes, love, between Peter and Navinda, a spinster who is either an ordinary spinster or a gun-carrying spy, a Frenchman who could well be a criminal mastermind, the vicar who has a somewhat shady and secretive
history, a police force that fails to see the urgency of a call reporting a shooting incident: "I know a bullet when I hear one, Sergeant!" and there were dogs, and cats (but especially cats) and Om and the calming presence of Savaric, the ghost.
This is a curious book, the author has imbued each page with a dreamlike quality that helps to move the narrative onward.
It's published by Matador at £7.99.
John Simes is a name to watch out for in the future. It's to be hoped that this is the first of many novels.
You can buy the book at the that's Books Bookshop, here:- https://goo.gl/Ltov34.
An amusing but odd novel.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I have seen this review. Thank you Martin. THe sequel - A Game of Chess - in which Peter and Navinda's relationship develops, while the Golden Hand plots to kill them and stage a military coup - is out now. I'm writing the third and final book now. And, you are right. Adult readers are really enjoying both books.
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