Darke Matter

Clever, witty and perceptive … Gekoski writes movingly about love, loss and grief, while handling the difficult issue of assisted dying with considerable balance and finesse. Beautifully written, engrossing and heartbreakingly funny – Simon Humphreys * Mail on Sunday *A funny and stylish novel provides light in the dark … The central, delicate issue of assisted dying is given a fully rounded perspective by a range of intelligent voices … It’s hard to fault Gekoski’s writing, or the splendid character he has created. This book is even more stylish, funny and daring than his last. It enthusiastically embraces so many subjects, from the nothingness-but-everythingness of words to how foie gras should never come out of a tin. Contrary to its punny title, the clarity and energy of Darke Matter fill you with light – Melissa Katsoulis * The Times *A winningly sweet and sour grumpy-old-man comedy, mixing knockabout gags with heart-swelling tenderness – Anthony Cummins * Daily Mail *Harrowing, funny, tender and nearly always beautifully written – Matthew Adams * Sunday Times *Supremely accomplished * Economist *Gekoski writes with pace, wit and a lovely eye for telling detail … his command of the issue of assisted dying is masterly … a fine read. It should go straight into the A-Level English syllabus as a set text * Jewish Chronicle *But what enriches this novel beyond the predictable is the skilled way Gekoski entwines his protagonist’s nightmarish experience of being hounded and vilified … * The Critic *

Rick Gekoski came from his native America to do a D.Phil at Oxford, and went on to teach English at the University of Warwick. In 1985 he became a full-time rare book dealer, specialising in important twentieth-century first editions and manuscripts. He lives in Salisbury and spends time each year in New Zealand.

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