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

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Both Declan's and James's lives are in trouble but maybe a chance meeting will give them both an opportunity to inspire each other to greatness..... Nor is it a gangster novel, even though it’s partially set in the world of ne’er-do-wells. Instead it’s a multiple character study, conveyed with warmth, understanding and an optimism that even if circumstances seem bad, no conclusion is inevitable in life (even if Bridges does deploy coincidence to resolve things, it is at least credible coincidence). 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.

Book review: The Black Dog, by Kevin Bridges - The Scotsman

I felt that the whole thing was very visual – perhaps intentionally because of James’ occupation and Declan’s ambitions – but for every bit of part 6, I could see it all being played out on screen in all its sad and hilarious glory. It’s definitely something that would work well on TV. 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. This was such an enjoyable book. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.And this bit is important. The beginning is written in strong Scottish vernacular. But, apart from the odd word here and there later on in the book, that is it for that stuff. It's a bit hard work to get through - and I do advise you take yourself off somewhere private and read it aloud - but it is only the beginning that's like this. The story itself is well told and is full of Bridges' trademark wit and humour. I enjoyed the fact that, despite some of the language, it was a subtle story of one young man's search for himself in a place where he does not fit in with the crowd. There is no sensationalism or glorification of drugs, crime or violence in the way that some portray in Glasgow in film, TV and novels and there are some excellent characters in the book who act as true friends to Declan. The main challenge with the book is that this is about 80% of what actually happens. There’s so little action, that it really drags a lot. 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.

The Black Dog by Kevin Bridges - Fantastic Fiction

This is not a comedy novel by a comedian - Kevin has been candid in the past around his own struggles with mental health and his debut novel reflects this. It is a sensitive portrayal with both main characters struggling in their own ways to survive and working to find their way through the challenges they are faced with. 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.On the surface, Declan and James have little in common – they grew up in the same town, sure, but one is an internationally known writer/director/actor, and the other is cruising through college and nights in the pub. They are both at crossroads in their lives, but whether they are taking the right path remains to be seen. 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. 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 It has some very good parts, sometimes I could not stop reading. Some great dialogue and small plot interests. Also some (but very little) very good humour. 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.

The Black Dog: The life-affirming debut novel from one of

Some the observations made are bang on and further show that Kevin has far from forgotten where he is from I particularly like the c##t comment and irony about the westend. The more deeper observations about the male mental health struggle, the social mobility in our society, the moral issues of crime and general state of Scotland are subtle but make the point clear, this for me a real skill and is hard to achieve for even well established authors.

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. 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