John Were--a very old friend and occasional visitor to this blog--told me earlier this year that he'd done something quite wonderful and inspirational. He's set up, from scratch, an innovative publishing house, Xelsion, and has already published his first book: Central Reservation, by Will le Fleming.
Xelsion is a fantastic project--you can read all about John's ideas at the link--and Central Reservation is a wonderfully poised achievement to kick it all off.
It's a ghost story in which the 13-year-old protagonist is haunted by the spirit of her twin sister after a brutal car accident, while the slaughter of the 2001 foot and mouth cull rages through the English landscape. The twist is that these ghosts don't have any particular intent and don't interact with the world: they're just impassive presences, registering their existence but no more. That focuses attention back on the thoughts and experiences of the living, who are the real subject of the tale.
Le Fleming creates a sort of rural gothic of bleak motorways, hardscrabble dairy farms, pyres of culled cattle, hazmat-ed mobile slaughter crews, parasitic spirits and dysfunctional extended families.
I have a taste for melodrama and the gothic, and I actually think he could have got away with allowing these images to resonate more: the novel is at its best when it teeters queasily on the edge of myth, neither real nor unreal like the ghosts it describes. I'd have liked to have read more about Holly's relationship with her (living) sister, and indeed her parents too: the intensity of immediate family relationships seems more suited to the building up of atmosphere in this context than the major subplot focused on Holly's cousins.
Still, these are quibbles. Le Fleming creates a powerful sense of place--the paradoxical claustrophobia of these vast open spaces--and truly inhabits the lonely, frustrated and passionate mind of his protagonist. He also has a beautiful ear for language, and an eye for the striking image. It's an impressive achievement: go buy it.
Great to hear your thoughts Dave. Thanks for taking the time to write them up. Interesting on the melodrama front, Will was advised from several editorial angles to tone it down which he did. There are a number of scenes on the cutting room floor you might have liked. Perhaps an author's cut is in order down the line.
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