Just read a book by Jack Close a man from Hull who lived and worked in the South Seas for 10 years. A really good read and Hull gets a few mentions. Apparently he has written another book called Beyond the Horizon but its out of print now. Does anyone know where I might find it (Hull book shops etc)? Thanks
I've just started reading "The Dark Winter" by David Mark, who was a Yorkshire Post journalist, based in Hull. It's a thriller and has a cracking start. So far, it's set in the Old Town. For yours, try the library - they'll have a database.
I was dissapointed with David Mark's book. He just seemed to pander to stereotype and, while he used Hull place names, his descriptions didn't fit the locations at all. Just finished the The Vampires of Wincolmlee by Kevin Barton. Not normally my genre, but I enjoyed the Hull references.
I think we all like the Hull references in these books, I'll still try the David Mark's book even if its just for that alone. Nice to see local authors getting recognised though.
A guy I used to work with - John Baker - wrote several thrillers set in York. He also wrote "China Girl", which is set in a fictional version of Hull. His main character lives off Spring Bank (Freehold/Morpeth Street?) and works in a cafe on Princes Dock Side. The villain lives in a not-quite-precisely-located Newland Park. Fictional versions of real places are OK, I reckon.
They can be, and it's down to opinions as to the poetic license works or not. It's only my opinion, but I felt his poetic license was more aimed at perpetuating the 'grim northern village' theme, and didn't represent Hull at all, so it may as well have been totally fictitious. Rather than trying to use a stereotypical image of Hull to paint his image, he could have used literary skills. A grimy greasy spoon cafe on Newland, a broken swing in the playground in Queens Gardens are two that just felt lazy to me. I hope I don't put anyone off, we've all got differing tastes and idiosyncrasies, the Hull references just didn't work for me in that book. It read like it was written by someone that had only read about Hull and not lived it themselves.
Seriously recommend Only Mayonaise by Brad Driver.The author is a City fanatic and if you read the book will quickly realise thinks differently to normal people.It is only available on kindle -cost a couple of quid I think. There are no references to Hull in it but I think it is good to support local talent. Remember this man lives near you!
I got this on your recommendation. Well worth a read in my opinion. Sort of Ayn Rand meets Lewis Carroll.
I sort of see what you mean, Dutch (having now read it). They seem both shallow and evocative at the same time, if that's possible. Freeman Street in Grimsby used far more detail. Also - the end, to me, was not right.....
Is it me, or am I too long away to remember seeing swings in Queens Gardens? Broken or not I don't remember seeing any
