Darkmans by Nicola Barker (a review)

3 out of 5: Reading Darkmans is a lot like trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together when you only have every other piece. The complex cast of characters interacts in ever stranger ways as the novel progresses. Reality takes frequent breaks, and the plot pieces Barker gives us just don’t fit together. Nevertheless, Barker’s high-speed prose kept my interest for 800+ pages, and there was never any question that I would finish the book (and quickly). Though thoroughly entertained while reading, I was extremely disappointed at the end of the book when the puzzle remained completely impenetrable. Darkmans was short-listed for the 2007 Man Booker Prize.