There are two rules that
the Dream Investigator must follow:
1. Document everything.
2. Keep moving forward.
The
Never Pages is, quite simply, the journal of a
Dream Investigator – a mysterious man known only to the audience as Master G_. The
Never Pages is the second novel by up-and-coming author Graham Thomas that
I have read (so far!), the first being the excellent Maria and the Devil, released earlier this year. Having just
finished The Never Pages, I am
thrilled to say Thomas is now a writer I completely adore.
This unusual novel presents the reader with
an entirely new world, where nothing is impossible and almost nothing makes
complete sense (this is not as much of a negative as it sounds, I promise!). We
find Master G_ in the NeverRealm, the
world between here and the afterlife. It is something of a dreamland, and the
theme of dreams and dreaming is carried on throughout. He starts out
with two goals: 1. Find Brekker 2. Rescue Lucy – Master G_’s love. By completing
the first goal, the second will also be completed; to rescue Lucy, Master G_
must find Brekker, the key to Lucy’s fate. But it soon transpires that things
are not quite as they seem, and Master G_ learns of a betrayal of the worst
kind that alters his entire purpose and throws him off kilter. I won’t go any
further with explanations or plot details, as it is the kind of book that needs
to be read in order to be understood, and spoilers without context wouldn’t
make any sense anyway.
A side effect of residing in this wasteland
is that memories fade, and it is for this reason Master G_ comes to have this
journal. He keeps track of his future goals and notes down things that have
transpired since arriving in the NeverRealm
so he can read back over his journey so far and remember the otherwise
forgettable. There is the odd occasion when, due to Master G_’s inability to
write at certain points another characters takes over and keeps the journal
up-to-date. Thomas does an excellent job of writing from different viewpoints
and ironing out any dislike you the reader may have harbored for the character;
they are all easy to like and write in their own unique voice. Thomas has a
good eye for characterisation and it shows. The elements of his writing I liked in Maria and the Devil, I loved in The Never Pages.
The
Never Pages is presented in the journal form;
diary-like entries make up a large percentage of the book, with a few handy
illustrations added in. The illustrations present visual sketches of the minor
characters, maps of places and other elements of the novel/journal that are
harder to imagine. It is this rawness of the text and as-it–happens writing
style that make The Never Pages such
an amazing novel.
The particular edition that I reviewed has
an additional two hundred pages of essential extra material, with new
appendices that include extracts from Brekker’s own diary that take place
before the events of The Never Pages,
They all really add to the initial story
and put a new perspective on things.
The synopsis itself confesses to being a
‘difficult’ book, and there is no doubt that this is true, however, this will
hopefully be an attraction for readers. If you are looking for a quick, straightforward
read, this is absolutely not the read for you. But how many people want an easy
book these days? Really?
I spent more time than I usually would to
read a book, and with good reason; to enjoy and appreciate the complexity of The Never Pages you have to really immerse
yourself in the NeverRealm. Also, before writing this review I consulted some
already written reviews of The Never
Pages to get a feel of how the wider audience found the book, and am
pleased to report that everyone liked it a lot! So maybe, even if on the
surface this doesn’t seem like the ideal book for you, pick it up and give it a
read. You never know, it might just surprise you.
Once again, I would like to heartily thank
Graham Thomas for the signed copy of The
Never Pages I received, and for writing such a masterpiece, and to the amazing publishing house – theneverpress.com – for being such good sports as always! I’m
off now to wait for Graham’s next novel, so until next time…
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