Reading the Bricks: The Thing about Thugs

03 January 2013

The Thing about Thugs - Tabish Khair

"Ranging from skull-lined mansions to underground runnels a ghostly people call home, The Thing about Thugs is a feat of imagination to rival Wilkie Collins or Michael Chabon." Book jacket, The Thing about Thugs.

Well I've never read any Michael Chabon, but if you haven't yet discovered my deep and abiding love for this guy,

My favorite forehead in literature.

It was with only a little trepidation that I walked into this one because other members of the Cult of Wilkie read and recommended it - which is how it ended up on the library hold shelf in the first place. It may shock you to be told that I am a sucker for great packaging, and things like full-edge bleeds and different fonts for different narrators in books make me happy. Also, language like this:

"It is the ghost of a true story that I tell in these once white pages." (4)

"Is that all we are: stories, words, breath? . . . Are we then nothing but the playthings of language?" (177-8)

Keep talking like that, Khair.

And while the story is fantastic, this book is really all about the language. Khair is a master weaver of both words and story, which is so rare and precioussssssss that I want to close him up in a tower of my Enchanted April castle on the Italian coast - complete with rock-n-roll party boat, obvs - and make him write beautiful things for me forever (with access to the Internet, of course. Inspiration must come from somewhere).

8.5 out of 11 Uniques Phrenological Specimens

Comments (8)

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Emily · 638 weeks ago

THis sounds great, but I have to admit that I'm not AT ALL familiar with the writer.

1 reply · active 638 weeks ago

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Tikabelle 87p · 638 weeks ago

I had no idea who he was either, and I tend to look at MAN Booker nominees with a squint and a side-eye for not discernable reason whatsoever. If I recall, he's an accomplished writer - just not necessarily of fiction?

ANYWAY, yes! You should read it. :)

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readingrambo 112p · 638 weeks ago

ROCK AND ROLL PARTY BOAT

I forget how that came about, but I'm still so very for it.

"different fonts for different narrators" - I approve of this. So hard.

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Kayleigh · 638 weeks ago

Different fonts for different narrators? I don't think I've ever seen this and it INTRIGUES me even more now. And I like the cover a whole bunch. I need to read this.

1 reply · active 638 weeks ago

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Tikabelle 87p · 638 weeks ago

It's such a gorgeous book. Even if the story were crap - which it is not - I'd tell you guys to go LOOK at it in a bookstore.

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june79 16p · 638 weeks ago

You're the second book blogger that has loved this book, so now I simply must read it (and I love Victoriana & time travel, so I must love it too!). I agree with Kayleigh: the cover is gorgeous!

1 reply · active 638 weeks ago

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Tikabelle 87p · 638 weeks ago

Yes, you must! The more I think about it, the more I want to revise my rating higher. It sticks with you, this book.

Plus, I am such a sucker for a good cover.