“Declan Burke is his own genre. The Lammisters dazzles, beguiles and transcends. Virtuoso from start to finish.” – Eoin McNamee “This bourbon-smooth riot of jazz-age excess, high satire and Wodehouse flamboyance is a pitch-perfect bullseye of comic brilliance.” – Irish Independent Books of the Year 2019 “This rapid-fire novel deserves a place on any bookshelf that grants asylum to PG Wodehouse, Flann O’Brien or Kyril Bonfiglioli.” – Eoin Colfer, Guardian Best Books of the Year 2019 “The funniest book of the year.” – Sunday Independent “Declan Burke is one funny bastard. The Lammisters ... conducts a forensic analysis on the anatomy of a story.” – Liz Nugent “Burke’s exuberant prose takes centre stage … He plays with language like a jazz soloist stretching the boundaries of musical theory.” – Totally Dublin “A mega-meta smorgasbord of inventive language ... linguistic verve not just on every page but every line.Irish Times “Above all, The Lammisters gives the impression of a writer enjoying himself. And so, dear reader, should you.” – Sunday Times “A triumph of absurdity, which burlesques the literary canon from Shakespeare, Pope and Austen to Flann O’Brien … The Lammisters is very clever indeed.” – The Guardian

Sunday, May 4, 2008

The Best Things In Life Are Free … Books

The good people at Serpent’s Tail have been kind enough to offer us three copies of Aifric Campbell’s critically acclaimed debut THE SEMANTICS OF MURDER to give away, so the least we can do is quote their blurb elves. To wit:
Jay Hamilton lives a comfortable life in fashionable west London, listening to the minor and major dysfunctions of the over-privileged clients who frequent his psychoanalysis practice. But the darker recesses of his own psyche would not stand up to close examination: his brother Richard, a genius professor of mathematical linguistics, was apparently killed by rent boys in Los Angeles and Jay was the first on the scene. Author, Dana Flynn is determined to scratch beneath the surface while researching a biography she intends to write about Richard, and finds that Jay’s professional life is as precarious as his personal relationships - he uses his clients’ case studies as material for his fiction writing. Such is Jay’s hunger for recognition as a creative force that he exploits the vulnerables he counsels, and a decision not to intervene when a troubled patient steals a baby causes his past to unravel.
Lovely. To be in with a chance of winning a copy of THE SEMANTICS OF MURDER, just answer the following question.
During her teenage years, did Aifric Campbell have a prize-winning ...
(a) science project;
(b) greyhound;
(c) afro?
Answers via the comment box, along with an email address (please use (at) rather than @), before noon on Tuesday, May 6. Et bon chance, mes amis

14 comments:

Unknown said...

During her teenage years, did Aifric Campbell have a prize-winning ...

I'm going to have to say. . .

C) afro?

rawsonkeith (at)gmail.com

Gerard Brennan said...

I've got this one, so I'll not put my name in the hat for it. Just want to say it's a darn good 'un and good luck to all the entrants.

(Pssst - you'll find the answer to the question over at CSNI)

gb

Don Anderson said...

b; greyhound

sailcatmx5athotmail.com

Fiona said...

a - song contests are not scientific
b - yes
c - hthsik - her hair is straight now and she's celtic, but on a humid day my own celtic locks can do a mean afro impression.

noenic(at)gmail

Fiona said...

a - song contests are not scientific
b - yes
c - hthsik - her hair is straight now and she's celtic, but on a humid day my own celtic locks can do a mean afro impression.

noenic(at)gmail

Anonymous said...

I got it, greyhound, it has to be greyhound. Dogs and women, what a combination. Can't beat them, can't shoot them. Gotta have them together!

Love to Lilliput and all her sweet dreams

Mack said...

b. Greyhound
malundy(at)gmail.com

It would have been pretty cool if, as part of a prize winning science project, she put an afro on her greyhound.

Patricia said...

I'm in...

The answer is b).

Psychiatrist gone wild. Sounds good (I mean, sick).

patriciajhale(at)aol.com

Anonymous said...

It's a greyhound innit!

bob.burke(at)elivefree.net

btw, thanks for personalising my copy of The Big O - a better book I've yet to read this year. Is that smarmy enough for preferential treatmernt!!!

Anonymous said...

i understand every body in dublin has gone to the dogs. so i will go with prize winning grey hound.

i am now a conformist and have used the comment box . hope i will not have to set my underweight king charles spaniel on you .

a_browne(at)eircom.net

Ally K said...

Hmmm... just hazarding a guess but is the answer

b) Greyhound.

Its not cheating to read everyone elses comments surely...

same(dot)old(dot)sceal(at)gmail.com

Josh Schrank said...

do you get counted twice if you answer twice?? I think those types should be disqualified...

Rosie said...

(b)

and a snigger at Mack's comment too... (the word verification agrees - funnah)

cheeksrosie (at) gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I believe the answer to this question is b) greyhound.

Ignore Josh, he just likes to cause trouble.

norby871 (at) yahoo.com