Title: Tapestry
Author: Philip Terry
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 242
Rating: 5/10
Philip Terry – Tapestry
I have to explain something before I jump in to things – I score my ratings based on how readable a book is, and this one was damn near impossible to get through. That’s not because it’s badly-written – in fact, it’s incredibly well-written, but the language is tough because it’s written according to the dialect of a time when a bunch of nuns were working on the Bayeux Tapestry.
Confused? Let me give you an example of the writing: “Sche arrives during the niht, between the hours of matins and lauds… and quickly the rumour spreads from lit to lit lyk wild-fyr: Aelfgyva has come home!” It’s a bit like reading Trainspotting, you have to use your brain to understand what’s happening – that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but you should prepare yourself and bear this in mind before you start.
Once you get past the language, which is deliberate and one of the delights of Terry’s work once you get in to it, it’s actually quite an enjoyable read – another great example of Reality Street publishing innovative work. But the problem with being innovative is that it’s not always guaranteed to make you appealing to everyone – if you get a copy of this and you really love books then stick at it, it’s a long old read but it’s well worth it in the end.
Philip Terry
