The Spectator

Books Of The Year | 19 November 2008

A further selection of the best and worst books of 2008 , chosen by  some of our regular reviewers

issue 22 November 2008

A further selection of the best and worst books of 2008 , chosen by  some of our regular reviewers

Ferdinand Mount

I’m not sure quite what it is that captivated me about Tim Winton’s novel, Breath (Hamish Hamilton, £14.99). It’s a sort of Huck Finn goes surfing in Australia. A scrawny kid bums along the coast in search of the ultimate wave and falls under the spell of Sando, the mysterious wizard of the surfboard. Not my scene, to put it mildly, but it is queerly compelling and I can still taste the spray.

Mick Imlah’s The Lost Leader (Faber, £9.99) well deserved its Forward Poetry Prize. This irresistible collection swings you through the myths and heroes of Scotland, ancient and modern, with a salty rollick to be savoured alongside other ironical Scotch bards such as Dunbar, and the Byron of Don Juan.

Andrew Taylor

Kate Summerscale’s The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (Bloomsbury, £14.99)

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in