Angelmaker - Nick Harkaway

It seems as though I am getting worse and worse at regular blogging.

Though there are many, I offer no explanation... because really, who cares. Let’s get straight to it.

Today's review: Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway.

This book has a very beautiful cover and fundamentally that is the reason I picked it. What a maverick I am, judging books by their covers. 

Which, incidentally, irritates me greatly as a phase. Why should I not make first impressions on books based on their covers? Is that not the exact purpose of a book cover, to give some impression of the content of the book. If you know you like crime stories you go into a book shop looking for a certain kind of book cover that screams 'THIS IS A CRIME NOVEL' usually a blurry picture of a silhouetted man with a hat under a street light  or something equally clichéd. 

I digress, the point is Angelmaker has a great cover, golden bees spiralling into cogs from a gramophone - bizarre but immediately interesting. Its littered with great reviews and a blurb that may as well have said ‘Chloe this book is for you.’ that was pretty much be sold, so knowing no more about it, I picked it up.  

The story follows the quiet and shy clock making son of an infamous gangster, who dies leaving a reputation his peaceful son hides away from. 

What an excellent preface for a story. You already know there’s going to be trouble and adventure.

And there is, by the bucket load. Along the road you meet a mass murdering mental who wants to achieve the status of a God. His arch nemesis, a lesbian pensioner with a glass eyed dog. A religious cult of bird like men swathed in black, a bold and feisty side kick for our clock making outlaw, Joe Spork.

 His journey from a shuffling tax paying good boy to England’s most wanted leads the reader through every variation of gangster character your imagination could muster and to top it off there is a mechanical bee controlled doomsday devise(!!).

The character writing is where this books soars, each one so well formed, so clear in their place and role in the story that its a delight to indulge in Harkaways delicately crafted world and its madness. This particularly makes the dialogue very rich, a lot of time has been spent weaving each person into the story with individuality.

Also, for me the characters were very reminiscent of Martin Amis, a lot of very London working class family lead gangsters – corrupt politicians, gloriously rotund government heavies. There is very much a feel of celebrating the unlawful, which is often found in Amis novels. Joe transforms into a wonderful anti-hero so powerful is Harrkaway’s picture of gangster life that we grow to disapprove of Joe’s  law-abiding character and wait with baited breath for him to release his inner criminal.

However, it slightly lacks the dark comedy of an Amis novel. Whilst it is funny in parts, there is a darker reflection on society that could have been drawn but is overlooked though touched upon towards the end. Though, I'm not sure this is a criticism, more an observation. 

My one criticism to offer is that so elaborate is the language and storytelling that I often felt the book was being read to me by Russell Brand. 

Whilst I imagine in reality this would probably suit the story very well when humble old me is reading, it just feels like a distraction. Flowery language and long drawn out rambles made it quite tough to work through and I found myself turning away from it when I was tired because it was an effort. 

Having said that, to utterly contradict myself, there were regular patches that we’re so good I would read it walking around – to the shop on my lunch break, to the tube home from work etc - which caused some thrilling near death experiences crossing roads.

Ultimately though, it was a rewarding read. The plot itself is utterly fantastical. You couldn't fit in any more story, its practically bursting at the seams. Its vibrant and bold and actually despite the slight difficulties I really enjoyed it.

Angelmaker really ticks a lot of boxes and actually would make an excellent graphic novel or comic. Shem Shem Tsien (the baddest baddy) is pure marvel villain with a God complex. Gruesomely evil and seemingly undefeatable. Loveable rouges are 10 a penny and Polly Cradle (Joe’s lady love and all round vixen) is an anti-heroes perfect female companion, every bit as menacing, but with a Jessica Rabbit touch.

In conclusion - Its good, get into it. 

For fans of:

 Martin Amis, X-men, Russell Brand