"I am writing this account, in another man's book, by candlelight, inside the belly of a fish. I have been eaten. I have been eaten, yet I am living still."
How awesome is that opening line?
This quirky, tidy little book was exactly the palate cleanser I needed between two heavy stories about race and violence.
It's the story of Gepetto, written from inside the big fish. He's writing in a captain's log he found in an abandoned ship, also swallowed and left to languish. He's yearning for Pinnochio, yearning for his life, hoping his story will survive.
Does that sound weird? That's exactly why I wanted to read it.
Edward Carey's writing starts with that incredible line and never lets up. His writing is charming and perfectly odd, as a book about a man inside a whale would have to be. He calls pockets 'trouser cupboards' for crying out loud! How could it not be perfection?
This book made me smile, even as we watch Geppetto go mad. And, you're left with a smile on your face and hope the old man is reunited with his wooden son once again.
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