“Where are you going?” she says and smiles at Bunny. “We’re so outta here,” says Bunny Junior, who has found himself a pair of shades. He cocks his thumb at the Punto sitting in the car park. “Like, gone.”
I finally got round to using my HMV gift voucher to treat myself to a few books. Enticed by the blurb and ominous title I decided to buy "The Death of Bunny Munro" for a mere two pounds and trust me, it was worth every penny. (I'm aware that due to the low price this isn't much of a compliment but it should be taken as one.)
The book follows Bunny Munro, a sensual glutton, thrust into the responsibility of looking after his only son following the death of his long suffering wife.
Nick Cave's
writing is flawless. This fact in itself is a little sickening since not only
is he an excellent writer but also the lead singer of the critically acclaimed
band "Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds" described by NME as "a gothic psycho-sexual apocalypse".
I am almost tempted to dismiss the man altogether (grossly successful people disgust me and make me feel small and insignificant) however I will let it slide this time due to the fact he managed to write a book which successfully glamorised the British seaside, a near impossible task.
"Glamorised"
is perhaps not the right word, it's too tacky for that, he made it sexy. Bunny
Munro himself is sexy, in a sordid, filthy, evil way. This makes the book excellent reading
since there is nothing better than a nasty protagonist that seduces and shocks
you. I found myself calling out "No, Bunny, no!" whilst reading some of his particularly nasty deeds.
Bunny's abrasive character is contrasted well by his son, the strange and endearing Bunny Junior. Cave manages to create a convincing voice for a child with his simplistic logic and an eerie naivety in the face of horrendous traumas. Following the pair together as they come to terms, in their own way, with the death of mother and wife, it gives the novel a heart rather than just being a glib shock story.
I highly recommend popping into HMV and finding this book. I highly recommend popping into HMV anyway since it's an absolute goldmine for cheap yet surprisingly spectacular books but I'll be nice and include links for where you can buy the book online.
tl;dr - Sleazy dad with a stupid quiff takes his crusty eyed son on a road trip so he doesn't have to think about his dead wife.
