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Playground by Samuel Bonner (view source)
Revision as of 12:23, 28 August 2020
, 12:23, 28 August 2020no edit summary
I don't like my reading to be sanitised and so I like this kind of book and enjoyed ''Playground'' a great deal, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the writing and plotting lacks focus on occasion. There's too much extraneous detail - not the gritty stuff, but telling not showing - and there are a few continuity errors. The proofing leads something to be desired also - ''conscious'' for ''conscience'', ''generic'' for ''gender'' for instance. The book could do with a little bit more polish generally. If you're happy to overlook these things, though, there's a great deal to like in it. And the cover art is a triumph.
If you enjoy this kind of warts and all, realistic depiction of social problems and violence, there's some super stuff out there. [[The Dirty South by Alex Wheatle]] has crisp, clean writing and talks about the urban black experience in Britain. [[Forest Gate by Peter Akinti]] talks about suicide and blends many social issues and is beautifully written. [[Asboville by Danny Rhodes]] is a sympathetic and utterly unpretentious look at ASBOs, and the youths that get them. You might appreciate [[To Die Alone by John Dean]].
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