The Gargoyle, Andrew Davidson

This is one of those books you'll either love or you'll hate.

And when I was reading it, I spent a lot of time thinking about how few of those books are out there, how so many books are - and I don't mean this in a bad way - much of a muchness. You know, you pick up a book because you're pretty confident about what you're going to get with it and that's what you want.

And maybe that's why there are so few books out there like The Gargoyle - because we, in these tough times, want to know what we're getting.

Nevertheless, The Gargoyle is worth reading. Don't pick it up if you hate horror films or have a strong gag reflex. Don't pick it up if you dislike ambiguity.

But do pick it up if you want to read something completely different, something that will make all those other books you're reading feel just the slightest bit tame. Once I'd read it, I totally understand why Andrew Davidson got a huge advance and the book sold into translation all over the world. I also totally understood why it didn't do all that well in sales.

I will tell you that I almost gave up on this book in the first 100 pages. They're tough to read. But I couldn't help myself and I kept reading. And I was glad I did. This book worked for me. The writing, the story, the characters. They all grabbed me by the throat and ripped (and when I say ripped, I mean that) me along with them on their incredible journey.

If that's the kind of book you're looking to read, you're going to want to read The Gargoyle.

Kate