What Happens Now

strikingly good - sort of jonathan coe meeting iain banks. the narrative is basically very simple - dreamy, slightly ill at ease schoolboy gets part in tv programme in the early 1980s. during the making of the programme his ability to see the boundaries between his fantasy world and his new found talent blur increasingly. there is a tragic moment that brings a climax to this story. the rest of the narrative sees the boy and the object of his then affection in the present day. you then see how the events of that tv programme blur into their current lives

it's a fascinating book, driving by characters and by emotions rather than by plot. there's an awful feeling of inevitablity as the book rolls onwards to the horrible, bitter sweet show more conclusion. at times it's a bit overcooked, but at other times dyson reveals himself to be a magnificent writer of prose and of emotion. for a debut this is staggeringly confident and i can't wait to see what comes next... show less

I really enjoyed Dyson's short story collection, Never Trust a Rabbit, so I thought I would give what I assume is his first novel a go. It didn't grip me straight away - it reminded me a bit of Black Swan Green to start with - but about 50 pages in it the story started to take shape more for me.

I ended up liking Alistair a lot; the thoughts of teenage boys are not that far removed from those of similar aged girls, and I remember the awkwardness of that age. The time shifts from teenage years to the present day worked well. I wanted more of Alice's father, though - even in his brief appearances he was a great character.

I knew there would be a central "incident" in the book - the blurb on the back trumpeted it. But even though I had an show more inkling of what might happen, I was still startled at the scene itself.

Perhaps not quite as good as his short story collection, but recommended nonetheless; I will definitely read his next book. show less

Haunting first novel from Dyson.
Akward, shy 15 yr old Alaister makes voice tapes in his room and retreats to a made up world. When a BBC crew comes to cast for a new TV show, he is picked. The story, told in alternating then-and-now chapters reveals what happened during that shoot, and how it affected Alasiter and the other lead actress, Alice Zeland, who he has a crush on.