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The Black Dog: The life-affirming debut novel from one of Britain's most-loved comedians

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There’s nothing I love more than reading a book written by a comic as they are (99% of the time) incredible storytellers. This book was no exception to that. Though his comedy shined through in this book, the story of a young man trying to find his place in the world is not lost or drowned in comedic wit. The characters in this book are raw, they’re honest, and they’re relatable to readers. I especially loved Declan, as I’m also living with anxiety on the daily and I love seeing this rep in books, I just wanted to give Declan a big cuddle and try to quiet his doubts and anxieties. This was a highly enjoyable read and should definitely be on your reading lists this summer/autumn. As I said, there is a focus on mental health, and especially the kind of poor mental health that comes out of modern life – I will leave you with the quote from the book that I felt most distilled what I’ve often tried to articulate: The book is full of pointless waffle - dragging the plot out, making the pacing super slow. In fact, was there even much of a plot in the first place?! The characters in this are relatable, realistic and honest. Declan feels like everything is on top of him and he has no meaning to his life. His life feels mundane and he is desperate to do more. Kevin writes about Declan’s pain and feelings so vividly and I loved how he portrayed James and how the celebrity life isn’t for everyone. I really hope he writes more books like this as he certainly is a talented writer as well as a brilliant comedian.

The Black Dog by Kevin Bridges - It Takes A Woman Book Review: The Black Dog by Kevin Bridges - It Takes A Woman

The plot is incited when Declan, keen to impress a barmaid he has his eye on, gets into a drunken row with some gangsters which, ultimately, ends with him in hospital. There, his path crosses Cavani’s, as the star is visiting his sister, who struggles with drug addiction. I was a bit hesitant coming into this book. With Scottish authors, particularly those from Glasgow, there can often be a tendency towards being overly reliant on Scottish vernacular. Whilst this can add to the authenticity of the story, ah hate when some wee writers hink its awrite tae write like this aw ra time. It can make a good story difficult to read, even those who have lived and worked in Glasgow. Immensely readable, fast moving and an insight into two sides of Kevin Bridges, I really enjoyed it. Kevin's warmth and wit shine through in his first novel. Never a dull moment and an array of engaging, quirky characters. A funny and absorbing read with some great insights into the world of negotiating being famous.' Jo Brand Watching Kevin, I was sure he was born to be a stand-up comic, but reading his book it is clear he can do absolutely anything he sets his mind to. I look forward to visiting his Michelin starred restaurant and living on his self-built space community. Everything that is great about Kevin's stand up - the characters he creates, the unapologetic root in working class life, the straddling of worlds - is what's great about this book.' Jon Richardson An unexpectedly down-beat read. Not at all what I was expecting. Given it’s the author’s first proper novel, it gets the benefit of the doubt as being OK, as it had a few decent parts. However, I suspect if his name wasn’t already so well known, this wouldn’t have got published as it also had many flaws, and wasn’t much fun to read.For me Glasgow is captured perfect in this book, it is not over the top with the no mean city stereotype or doesn’t romanticise places he just writes like it is, your slightly overbearing maw who loves you dearly but would boot your arse gladly. James Cavani - Declan's idol and his hometown's claim to fame - is a renowned writer, director and actor. But despite his success, his past hasn't relinquished its hold of him, and through his younger sister's battle with drug addiction, he finds himself returning to a world he thought he had escaped. So, Declan wants to become a writer. He attends a writing course and, when we first catch up with him he is delivering a piece he has written to his fellow wannabes.

The Black Dog By Kevin Bridges |The Works

Declan and James meet outside the hospital and to cut a very long and slow story short, they start to work together on a writing project. Yet another UK comedian tries their hand at writing a novel and the good news is that Kevin Bridges can actually write. The downside for me is that parts of it are somewhat overwritten as some passages just go on and on. There’s been a lot about Kevin Bridges in the press at the moment, thanks to the release of this, his debut novel, and he has been very upfront in talking about his own struggles with poor mental health, so that perhaps gives you an indication that this book features mental health very heavily as the motivation behind much of what the main characters do.The language used is very Glasgow but not over done, it is one the few books set Glasgow that uses language that is widely spoken in Glasgow. He has his pet Labrador for companionship and his best friend-turned-mentor, a pseudo-intellectual who works as a greenskeeper at the local municipal golf course, both of which help keep the worst of his anxieties at bay. But following a drunken row with local gangsters, Declan's worries threaten to spiral out of control.

The Black Dog : Book reviews 2022 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide The Black Dog : Book reviews 2022 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide

I’ve never enjoyed a scene involving a running race quite as much as in this book! I genuinely cried with laughter.Kevin Bridges is a comedian I find absolutely hilarious and this book isn’t actually what I expected. It was a very touching story that of course had funny moments but it had so much heart and soul to it. It makes it surprisingly boring. The 2 main characters were just about OK, but felt a bit cliched. Plus, there’s a whole load of secondary characters who other than maybe Declan’s mate Doof Doof (great name) and his mum, don’t really add much to the story. For example, we mostly hear about James’s wife and his sister through his inner thoughts. Neither ever really feel like very fleshed out characters. And you don’t have to look too far to see parallels with this fiction and Bridges’ own life, from his own working-class roots in Clydebank to fame and acclaim in stand-up. Indeed, he’s spoken about his mental health struggles as part of the pre-publication publicity for this title. This book is a character lead novel,for sure, although the story/plot itself would still be good even without such well written characters the fact the characters are so well developed is a added bonus.

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