Glister by John Burnside – Review

The Glister: A Novel by John Burnside

Glister is a remarkable book – in places social realism and grit, in places teenage angst; the almost complete isolation of the Innertown from the outside world is so implausible that it’s a stark counterpoint to the grimy daily lives of the inhabitants (it’s like a kind of grim post-industrial Truman Show where no-one knows it’s just a TV programme). It’s a crime novel, of sorts, and a horror too, though the horror comes more from the actions of ordinary humans than the supernatural elements, which have a strong taste of magical realism. Glister is then, a fusion of styles and genres, and it succeeds magnificently on those terms, proving that it doesn’t matter if a book is easy to categorise if it’s powerfully imagined and beautifully written. A haunting tale, not as depressing as you might expect, and highly recommended.

via Simon A’s Review: Glister, by John Burnside | Bookgeeks.