In the Absence of Absalon by Simon Okotie
Longlisted for the 2017 Republic of Consciousness Prize In the Absence of Absalon revolves around an unnamed investigator, a set of keys and a townhouse. He is investigating a series of disappearances: of his colleague, Marguerite; of Harold Absalon, the Mayor’s transport advisor, whose disappearance Marguerite had been investigating prior to his own disappearance; of Richard Knox, the owner of the townhouse, who had fallen out with Absalon before disappearing; and of Absalon’s wife Isobel, who is glimpsed, partially undressed, in an upper storey bedroom as the investigator approaches. Pursued from all sides and seemingly losing his mind, what the investigator discovers, as he enters the house, is both familiar and utterly devastating.Nicholas Lezard’s Choice This is literature as insanity, the mind stuck in an endless loop – focused, it would appear, too closely on the job at handThe detective story as existential crisis took form with Beckett’s Molloy more than 60 years ago; and the concept of the novel as crazed digression was first incarnated in Tristram Shandy, over 250 years ago. Okotie is in very good company – and has also set himself a high bar. He succeeds. Superbly.
-- Nicholas Lezard * The Guardian *Okotie’s labyrinthine syntax and meandering thought loops bring to mind the works of David Foster Wallace and Nicholson Baker; but the clearest nod is to Samuel Beckett’s Watt. Delightfully eccentric … brilliantly funny.
-- Houman Barekat * The Spectator *
Simon Okotie was born in east London to Nigerian/English parents, and grew up in Norfolk. His debut novel, Whatever Happened to Harold Absalon?, was inspired by a black man, known as Marigold, who was often seen in Norwich during the ’80s unofficially directing traffic on the inner ring road wearing yellow rubber gloves. Its sequel, In the Absence of Absalon, was longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize and was Nicholas Lezard’s choice in The Guardian.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781784631024 |
| ISBN 10 | 1784631027 |
| Title | In the Absence of Absalon |
| Author | Simon Okotie |
| Series | Absalon Trilogy |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Salt Publishing |
| Year published | 2017-05-15 |
| Number of pages | 208 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |