The English Guide To Birdwatching

Nicholas Royle Myriad €13.99

Farewell, traditional fiction. There can be a no more eccentric novel this year than this one. Nicholas Royle starts out telling the story of two undertakers who decide to retire to the seaside, then takes a detour into the literary shortcomings of two different writers – both of whom happen to be called Nicholas Royle – then meditates on the joys of birdwatching. The result is a mishmash of a book so selfindulgent in places it is embarrassing. But, despite this, I could not help enjoying it. There is a fertile mind and a talented phrasemaker behind the nervous mannerisms. Royle stimulates as often as he irritates.