Richard Gwyn

There was a sense of anything being possible in this very poetic, superbly written book set in Barcelona. You never really know where it's going next (unless it's to another bar: there can't be too many drinking joints in the Gothic quarter that aren't frequented during the story). The supporting cast - members of the expat community - are described in colourful and hilarious fashion, and the descriptions of Barcelona itself are perceptive, and a joy to read: "There was an edge of muted show more excitement in the air. Barcelona often seemed like that: a city on the brink, infatuated with its own improbability. I loved these twisting alleys, the syncopated snatches of music drifting out from open windows, the long shadows, even the perpetual odour of an antique drainage system overlaid with sand, cement and cheap cigar smoke."

The story reminded me very much of one of my favourite books, John Fowles' 'The Magus', in the sense that neither the reader nor the narrator can quite figure out what is going on. It achieves exactly the right combination of reality and the surreal. Like 'The Magus' I suspected there would not be an explanation for everything come the end, and just like 'The Magus', I didn't care. Writing as good as this I could go on reading indefinitely. show less

Lucas' life takes a curious turn when he finds a strange postcard slipped under his apartment door. The sole inscription is a place and time. Drawn despite himself, he misses the meeting but connects with a beautiful women. The two fall deeply in love, but strange coincidences plague them.

One night, Lucas and his girlfriend are abducted by a religious cult that believes them to be the reincarnated members of an obscure sect wiped out during the crusades. Held against their will for a few show more days in a remote mountain compound, they learn about the cult's bizarre beliefs. Lucas wants to escape but his girlfriend is intrigued. Are they reincarnated lovers from a previous life? Or does this cult have a more sinister purpose in mind for them? show less

Well I thought it was cool, and clever. Shades of Borges. Will be forcing a copy on at least one of my mates. Great prose, too. If you approach it with the understanding that it's a kind of upmarket, modern-day Dennis Wheatley, you'll enjoy it tremendously.

The digested read: I am too authentic to life to stay living in England with uninteresting English people. Beautiful, mysterious women perceive this and fall in love with me.

Ugh.