The Black Dog

WILDFIRE £20.00

★★★★

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into comedian Kevin Bridges’ debut novel. The contrasting black and white cover leads one to believe that this might be a modern mystery or ‘Tartan Noir’ tale, but I was quite quickly reminded not to judge a book by its cover. The Black Dog is a heavily character-driven and thought-provoking literary story full of heart, revolving around two protagonists each going through their own crises: Declan, a young aspiring writer battling with his mental health while working in a grocery store and dreaming of bigger things, and his hero, James, who has everything Declan wants but is struggling with his own past and troubled roots. As they come together, both men will influence the other to find themselves and build the confidence to face their problems.

Bridges’ legendary charm and wit are plastered throughout this largely Glasgow-based novel. However, despite its humour, it also tackles big issues like men’s mental health and the societal pressures and expectations driving them. As someone who has talked about his own mental health in past interviews, Bridges’ approach is heartfelt and honest, causing our own hearts to ache as we root for each character to overcome their troubles and succeed. Glasgow often gets a bad reputation from those outside of Scotland and it can be heightened by the hard-edged crime books that seem to glorify its violence. While Bridges doesn’t shy away from showing the city’s sharp edges, he also manages to show Glasgow’s heart, something that is often sadly lacking in many novels of a similar nature.

It may come as a surprise to see another side to the legendary Glaswegian funny-man that we all know and love. In The Black Dog,

Bridges proves to audiences that he’s not just a cracking stand-up, but a gifted writer and storyteller too.

“

Bridges’ legendary charm and wit are plastered throughout this novel