Counterparts by Nicholas Royle

Reviewed by: Andy (Wyrmtongue, Feb. 1997)

I really enjoyed this book. It is a lucid taut and macabre tale sprawled across modern day Europe. The central character is Gargan, who appears to spend his life travelling around Europe performing stunt tight rope walks. Pursued by one woman while pursuing another, he gradually loses his mental coherence. At the same time Adam is starting out on Paris' ex-pat acting scene. The two men's lives drift between waking and dreaming as their two worlds collide and degenerate. Perceptive and twisted.

We have Counterparts and several other Nicholas Royle books in the icsf library, please see the database for details.