Donna recommends:
Naming the bones by Louise Welsh
Glasgow University professor Dr Murray Watson is taking a year’s sabbatical to write a book about obscure poet Archie Lunan – a man who wrote one book of poetry and died young, over two decades before, in a boating accident off a small Scottish island. Murray’s task is not an easy one – he has very little information, and no-one seems particularly keen to talk to him. As Murray delves into the poet’s life, he wonders whether there’s any point to his research. Murray’s own life is lonely and troubled and he seems to drift aimlessly. He’s having a loveless affair, he has a chilly relationship with his brother – his only remaining family, and he drinks too much. The book not only tells what happened to Lunan, but also puts Murray’s own life under the microscope and looks at love, death, art and obsession. Despite its length and seemingly leisurely pace, Naming the bones is a fast read. It’s atmospheric with a great sense of place and a very gothic tone. The real stand-out for me though was the characters. Even the most minor character is vivid and memorable, even those only on the page for a short time.
