Category Archives: doug johnstone

My Big Issue reviews of Willy Vlautin and Helen Oyeyemi

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Doug Johnstone

Aye so, here are my reviews in The Big Issue of The Free (Faber) by Willy Vlautin and Boy, Snow, Bird (Picador) by Helen Oyeyemi. I liked Oyeyemi’s book well enough, and I thought The Free was absolutely terrific. I’ve … Continue reading →

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A review of GONE AGAIN over at Endless Falls Up

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Doug Johnstone

Every now and then a new review for one of the books pops up. Over at Endless Falls Up, Ray Garraty finds a lot to love in Gone Again, though to be fair he loves the first half of the … Continue reading →

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Under the Skin

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Doug Johnstone

I was delighted to be asked to take part in a Scottish Book Trust podcast recently, discussing Michel Faber’s seminal debut novel Under the Skin alongside Sarah Stewart and host Danny Scott. It was great to revisit the novel, especially … Continue reading →

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THE DEAD BEAT is coming!

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Doug Johnstone

Heads up! I have a new book coming out on May 1st, called THE DEAD BEAT. Here is the front cover:   And here is the back cover, with the blurb: The eagle-eyed amongst you will spot a couple of … Continue reading →

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My Big Issue reviews of Michael Paterniti and Hanya Yanagihara

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Doug Johnstone

A book about cheese? Kind of, yes. A book about eating turtle meat? After a fashion. Read about them here.

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Some thoughts on plot twists

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Doug Johnstone

Fellow readers and writers, how do we feel about big plot twists? I’ve recently read a couple of books that had big, ‘da-da’ reveals, and in both cases I just wanted to throw the book across the room. You know … Continue reading →

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THE JUMP – first draft done!

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Doug Johnstone

  Just typed ‘THE END’ on the first/second draft of my next, next novel, THE JUMP. It’s set in the shadow of the Forth Road Bridge, involves suicide, and is as cheery as that sounds. Actually, though it is the … Continue reading →

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My Big Issue reviews of Christos Tsiolkas and Pamela Erens

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Doug Johnstone

Aye so, here is my Big Issue column reviewing Barracuda (Atlantic) by Christos Tsiolkas (Atlantic) and The Virgins (John Murray) by Pamela Erens. Both fine in their own, very different ways.

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In which I have a wee pop at Jonathan Lethem’s new book

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Doug Johnstone

Aye so, I didn’t much like Jonathan Lethem’s Dissident Gardens. Here’s my review in the Independent on Sunday today. Why do authors feel the need to write the Great American Novel? Just tell stories, guys.

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Thank you, Readers Digest International!

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Doug Johnstone

I’ll be honest, until recently I didn’t even realise that Readers Digest had international editions, but it does, loads of em! And several of them have bought condensed rights for Gone Again, meaning that abridged translations of the novel are … Continue reading →

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