The Antipope (edit title)

Members with This Book

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It 1 of 1 members found this review helpful Rated 4 stars “You go into almost any pub in England at lunchtime and you'll see, somewhere down near the end of the bar, two middle-aged fellas, pints sat in front of them, standing there putting the world to rights through talking about everything and nothing and not leaving until closing time. And the next...” see full review » see other reviews »

Newest Reviews

• 
  1 of 1 members found this review helpful

  • Rated 4 stars

  “You go into almost any pub in England at lunchtime and you'll see, somewhere down near the end of the bar, two middle-aged fellas, pints sat in front of them, standing there putting the world to rights through talking about everything and nothing and not leaving until closing time. And the next day, they're back doing it again. Take those two geezers, put them at the heart of a saga of calamities that threaten the planet (or at least Brentford), and make them the heroes we need to save us from peril, and you'll have Robert Rankin's Brentford Trilogy (which currently runs to eight parts).
  The Antipope introduces us to Jim Pooley and John Omally; best friends and fixtures in their local pub The Flying Swan. The drink pints, banter with Neville the part-time barman, and stagger home only to do it all again the next day. They don't bother with a nine-to-five and prefer a few simple drinks and endless chatter to get them by. Their stomping ground of Brentford is a surreal, dreamlike place akin to something Dylan Thomas would create. It's also the centre of the universe when it comes to strange things going on. A foul hobo arrives and begins to take over the place in quiet turns, and soon Professor Slocombe (an aged local scholar and mystic who looks like a particular picture of Merlin and who's handwriting looks like the Comte-Saint Gerome's) requests the assistance of the borough's two foremost ale-supping and work-dodging sons in coming to the bottom of the mystery. Which they wiil as long as it doesn't start before closing time.
  Rankin is in my eye England's foremost writer of humorous fantasy. Ok, he doesn't shift books like Pratchett, but I seriously think he's infinately better. This might make me a heretic in some circles, but who cares. Rankin writes his Brentford books with a genuine love of the place and an even greater love of his characters. The fact that you can find Jim Pooleys and John Omallys everywhere, as well as Rankin's other regular characters is testament to his skill at observation. He plays the same old puns and jokes like Pratchett does, but it all somehow seems more magical to me. While Pratchett obviously has something, I think Rankin nails it. His books make me laugh and chuckle no matter how many times I re-read them, and my copies of Rankin's books have been borrowed by numerous friends and loved ones over the years. I think Rankin reaches beyond the trappings of fantasy and finds something ordinary and everyday that can be related to by any reader. There really is something for everyone in his books, and if you are willing to suspend your belief, accept two boozed-up middle-aged layabouts can save the world a dozen times and still be back in the pub before towels-up, and if you're willing to have a good laugh along the way, you can't go far wrong with Rankin's books.”

  Dave wrote this review Sunday, October 21 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No