Humour: January 2007 Archives

“Anyhow, I must have clipped the edge of the pyramid and it toppled over. The whole thing, thousands of tines of tomatoes. They came crashing down. It was horrible!”

With characteristic good humour and seeming irreverence, Jeremy Strong’s latest novel, “Beware! Killer tomatoes” introduces Jack, a hapless individual whose catalogue of disasters include sitting upon the prongs of a fork – ouch! – swallowing a coin – dangerous! – and, most recently, crashing his bike into a parked car. These mishaps are affectionately termed by his family, Jackcidents.

Belying his most recent Jackcident is the real worry that Jack may unwittingly have killed somebody. His latest stay in hospital, accompanied by the clownish Liam and the surly Kirsty, is characterised throughout by the fear that police will come to arrest him.

The mechanics of observation chugging along beneath this narrative thrust and the comic means of its deliverance lend this – and Strong’s other novels – astute perception. Belying the sorts of question Jack has about the accident in the supermarket, is a character whose sense of self has been eroded by the type of comment made about him through familial influence.

A great warmth and affection arises through the parallels that are made as Jack’s broken leg gradually heals and he learns to walk again, and as his family and friends come to value the contributions he plays in their lives and the unique influence he holds. A subtle, clever book that inspires strength and inner resilience against all of our falls.

Drawing on facets of the fantasy, mystery, comedy, action and adventure genres, Philip Caveney’s great skill in his debut children’s novel “Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools” is bringing together the familiar and the fresh for readers of all tastes, backgrounds and indeed ages.

Son of a jester, Sebastian Darke endeavours to appropriate his father’s occupation and together with his trust buffalope, Max, sets out to seek his fortune. That this aim seems ill-fated is evidenced by Darke’s inability to imbue comedic value to even the most simple of jokes.

Together with the pint-sized Cornelius, Sebastian and Max aid the Princess Karin, thereby becoming ensnared in a web of intrigue and cunning subterfuge. Only through their assistance will Princess Karin be able to ascend to her rightful position as heir to the throne of Keladon, however Brigands abound as obstacles towards this.

“Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools” is a gripping quest novel that transports readers on a voyage across wide vistas of imaginative lands. Teasing out the elegance and grandeur of epics and energising these with fast-paced modern humour, the novel feels at once wholesome and wicked of wit...