The Brilliant & Forever
Published on 10. March 2016
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-84697-337-6 (ISBN)
Description
On an island like no other, populated by writers, the annual Brilliant & Forever Festival is a much anticipated event; its participants a story away from either glory or infamy. This year, three best friends - two human, one alpaca - are chosen to compete, so victory is not only about reward.
This is a novel like no other; a wonderful, provocative tussle, a whip-cracking, energetic, laugh-out-loud satire on what we value in culture, and in our lives. And yet, written with exquisite warmth and empathy, it's also a moving exploration of integrity, friendship and belonging. It'll split your sides and break your heart.
This is a novel like no other; a wonderful, provocative tussle, a whip-cracking, energetic, laugh-out-loud satire on what we value in culture, and in our lives. And yet, written with exquisite warmth and empathy, it's also a moving exploration of integrity, friendship and belonging. It'll split your sides and break your heart.
Reviews / Votes
'Ultimately, this is a book about how everyone has a story worth telling, and one worth hearing too. Terrific stuff' * Independent * 'MacNeil shows himself hugely adept at creating a series of distinctive literary voices, and skilfully weaves these various set-pieces into the main narrative before finally poleaxing the reader with a completely unexpected tragicomic final act . . . a wise warm-hearted meditation on the human condition' * Scotsman * 'Reading The Brilliant & Forever, I felt I was in possession of something really special, far bigger than the sum of its words... It is truly original & memorable, heartbreaking & funny, a bit like life itself...' -- Vivian Bannerman, Main Street Trading Company 'Full of wry detail and satirical flourish, a demonstration of virtuoso storytelling. MacNeil atomises the process of othering by which communities define themselves. All of that makes it sound overly serious, which it isn't: MacNeil's prose style keeps things light, lyrical, and funny' * The Skinny * 'Lyrical, satirical, funny and utterly, utterly heartbreaking' * Heat Magazine * 'It is a joy to read such an engaging, luminous novel' * The Guardian *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Birlinn General
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
247 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84697-337-6 (9781846973376)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Kevin MacNeil is an award-winning writer from the Outer Hebrides now living in Stirling. He is a novelist, poet, editor and screenwriter. His books include The Stornoway Way (Penguin, 2006), A Method Actor's Guide to Jekyll and Hyde (Polygon, 2011) and The Brilliant & Forever (Polygon, 2016).