KEY POINTS:
James Purdew doesn't really know who he is. He has just busted his ankle, broken up with his girlfriend, and decided to sit around and pontificate on the meaning of his life. It soon becomes clear James is a boring, shallow and, now that he has kicked Ingrid to the kerb, meaningless individual.
If you have ever had someone recount a dream you will understand that, although it is fascinating to them, it is less than interesting to you. And this is the feeling one gets as one reads James' story. It starts off slowly, as he meanders around the streets of Amsterdam, and then, as the book progresses, it becomes an antidote to insomnia. There is a line or two early in the novel that sums up how things are going, not only for James but for the reader: "Ingrid came home around seven. She asked him about his day. He said it had been ... a bit dull." Yes it had, and, unfortunately, we had to hear all about it.
James' quest begins when his reminiscing runs into a bit of a snag. He can't recall the years he spent at varsity. He must, he decides, head back and figure out why.
James soon hits the varsity town with a new-found motivation. He wants to put the missing piece of the puzzle back into his life. To do this, he has to find the girl haunting his dreams and work out why a song is stuck in his head. It seems James can no longer hide from his past - it is catching up with him fast. The only problem is: he is so unlikeable and self-centred that we could not care less if he solves his problems or not.
In James Purdew, Taylor has conjured one of literatures most boring characters. It is ironic he spends time in home renovations, because reading his story is about as exciting as watching paint dry.
- Faber & Faber $37.99
* Steve Scott is an Auckland reviewer.
