The Book Tower

2.5 Stars

David Thewlis is a British actor who has appeared on screen in Mike Leigh’s Naked, the violent thriller Gangster Number 1 with Malcolm McDowell and the ill-fated The Island of Doctor Moreau with Marlon Brando. He also plays Lupin in the Harry Potter series. The Late Hector Kipling is his first novel.

Rather than tackle the acting world, Thewlis takes a look at the British art scene for his debut. Kipling is a successful artist with a life that appears to be close to perfect, although he has a morbid fascination with death. Or rather the fact that there doesn’t appear to be enough of it in his life. But Kipling isn’t careful what he wishes for and death decides to come knocking, and what starts out as a very funny comic novel begins to develop into something far darker.

Hector Kipling’s style is to paint huge portraits, one of his subjects being his former neighbour who committed suicide in strange circumstances. When an eccentric and potentially psychotic man begins to take more than a passing interest in his life things begin to spiral out of control for Kipling. Things will never be the same again for any of the characters in this novel.

Thewlis has an engaging writing style that reminded me of another performer turned author – Alexei Sayle, and where at times this novel looks like it is just going to become another post Nick Hornby slice of life it is full of unexpected and welcome surprises. There’s a good sense of pace and the red herrings and loose ends are tied up satisfyingly. Perhaps at a hundred or so pages less in length to tighten it up this could have been a truly great debut.