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Review
'Malcolm Pryce is the king of Welsh noir and he dishes up a dastardly mix of gothic comedy where Edgar Allen Poe meets Phoenix Nights in a flurry of blood-stained absurdity' Sunday Telegraph 'Effortless and hilarious ... Pryce is in a league of his own' Time Out 'Inventive, funny and dark, Pryce packs more style into a sentence than most authors could hope for in volumes' Big Issue 'You'll weep and laugh on the same page. Wonderful' Guardian
Review
'Malcolm Pryce is the king of Welsh noir and he dishes up a dastardly mix of gothic comedy where Edgar Allen Poe meets Phoenix Nights in a flurry of blood-stained absurdity' Sunday Telegraph 'You'll weep and laugh, on the same page. Wonderful' Guardian 'Pryce's Aberystwyth is populated by the same hoods, crooks, heavies, conmen, liars, informers, dealers and bureaucrats that prop up the street corners of Raymond Chandler's LA, Louie himself possessing the same unshakable idealism and acid tongue as Philip Marlowe' Time Out 'Poor Aberystwyth. Malcolm Pryce has taken this blameless town and turned it into a nightmarish world ... his plots are as satisfying as those of some of the best straight practitioners' Daily Telegraph
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The latest and best "Aberystwyth" book yet shows Malcolm Pryce's imagination is growing wilder and his writing ever more confident: this is the first episode in which Louie and Calamity's case takes them out of Wales - with a trip on the Orient Express to the closed Soviet city of Hughesovka - the only Welsh speaking city in the Eastern hemisphere.
The book begins with a visit from a mysterious Russian, "Uncle Vanya", who asks Louie to investigate the disappearance of a little Welsh Girl, Gethsemane Walters. She vanished from a long since reservoir-drowned Welsh village 30 years ago, and her spirit seems to have possessed Vanya's little daughter Ninotchka shortly afterwards with tragic consequences. Before he can solve the case Louie must learn the dark arts of the spinning-wheel salesman, deal with dangerous snuff philatelists, drink a lot of vodka, and visit a castle in Transylvania, his only payment for the case being one of Yuri Gagarin's socks!
Readers who found Don't Cry For Me Aberystwyth too dark will probably enjoy this more, as "From Aberystwyth from Love" opens with a somewhat lighter touch and I found myself laughing more than I usually do at Louie's adventures. This book has an almost entirely new cast of villains (Mrs Llantrisant, Brainbocs and Patagonian veterans are never mentioned), though along the way we will learn of a surprising connection between Clip and a Soviet space mission.
Although I picked up on more of the pastiche elements of the story than I have with the earlier episodes I continue to be very impressed by just how good a writer Malcolm Pryce actually is: he reminds me of a comedy pianist who is more than good enough to be a genuine musician but who is afraid to take himself too seriously. Some of the descriptions are wonderfully evocative and Louie's philosophical/religious musings continue to be very thought-provoking.
I hope there are many more Louie Knight books to come - this one has really livened up the series.
The book begins with a visit from a mysterious Russian, "Uncle Vanya", who asks Louie to investigate the disappearance of a little Welsh Girl, Gethsemane Walters. She vanished from a long since reservoir-drowned Welsh village 30 years ago, and her spirit seems to have possessed Vanya's little daughter Ninotchka shortly afterwards with tragic consequences. Before he can solve the case Louie must learn the dark arts of the spinning-wheel salesman, deal with dangerous snuff philatelists, drink a lot of vodka, and visit a castle in Transylvania, his only payment for the case being one of Yuri Gagarin's socks!
Readers who found Don't Cry For Me Aberystwyth too dark will probably enjoy this more, as "From Aberystwyth from Love" opens with a somewhat lighter touch and I found myself laughing more than I usually do at Louie's adventures. This book has an almost entirely new cast of villains (Mrs Llantrisant, Brainbocs and Patagonian veterans are never mentioned), though along the way we will learn of a surprising connection between Clip and a Soviet space mission.
Although I picked up on more of the pastiche elements of the story than I have with the earlier episodes I continue to be very impressed by just how good a writer Malcolm Pryce actually is: he reminds me of a comedy pianist who is more than good enough to be a genuine musician but who is afraid to take himself too seriously. Some of the descriptions are wonderfully evocative and Louie's philosophical/religious musings continue to be very thought-provoking.
I hope there are many more Louie Knight books to come - this one has really livened up the series.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
(a phrase that is explained within this novel's pages)
Louie Knight's latest case is a strange one, even by his own somewhat unusual standards. In the midst of his home town's Great Heatwave, a man wearing the uniform of a Russian museum curator and calling himself Uncle Vanya walks into Louie's office and asks him to find his long lost daughter. What this has to do with the 30-year old mystery of the disappearance of Gethsemane Walters, troll brides, the murder of a young woman, Clip the sheepdog's role in the Space Race, games teachers and the dubious wonders of Sospan's Fish Milt Ice Cream Louie and his sidekick Calamity have yet to discover. Worse yet, they will have to make a journey to Hughesovka, a replica Welsh town in the depths of Russia, to find out the full story.
Pryce's last Aberystwyth book, 'Don't Cry for Me Aberystwyth', was a much darker and more sombre affair than the previous three had been. This time the tone is once again a little lighter, though still reflective in places and as always contains the wonderful juxtaposition of the quotidian and the absurd that make his books a joy to read. Perhaps some of this is due to the fact that, as Pryce recounts in the acknowledgements for this work, he struggled with illness during its writing. In any event the writing in this book is remarkably Welsh, full of dense wordplay and heart-on-sleeve lyricism. The style, though still bearing some of the hallmarks of a particular type of detective fiction, has now firmly established its own identity. In this sense it is rather like the transition between Terry Pratchett's early Discworld books, rooted in fantasy parody, and the style which became his own about four or five books in. Pryce's Cambrian universe is now entirely self-contained and runs to its own rules now; it's all the better for it.
There are numerous moments of laugh-out-loud humour, including an almost gratuitous visit to the Transylvanian home of a descendant of Vlad The Impaler, resulting in in a lucky escape for Louie and Calamity. Mixed in with them are several moments of great tenderness. One of these is an acutely moving and beautiful vignette of the atheist Louie meeting (and talking to) God, who shares his surprising and deep love of horses and the importance of rock. Even for someone as skilled as Pryce at melding wit and pathos this particular passage is a stand-out and connects to a couple of small but satisfying little pay-offs at the end of proceedings.
If you haven't read the Aberystwyth series yet, then I suggest you buy and read them all immediately. If you have, this addition will not disappoint. Heartily recommended.
Louie Knight's latest case is a strange one, even by his own somewhat unusual standards. In the midst of his home town's Great Heatwave, a man wearing the uniform of a Russian museum curator and calling himself Uncle Vanya walks into Louie's office and asks him to find his long lost daughter. What this has to do with the 30-year old mystery of the disappearance of Gethsemane Walters, troll brides, the murder of a young woman, Clip the sheepdog's role in the Space Race, games teachers and the dubious wonders of Sospan's Fish Milt Ice Cream Louie and his sidekick Calamity have yet to discover. Worse yet, they will have to make a journey to Hughesovka, a replica Welsh town in the depths of Russia, to find out the full story.
Pryce's last Aberystwyth book, 'Don't Cry for Me Aberystwyth', was a much darker and more sombre affair than the previous three had been. This time the tone is once again a little lighter, though still reflective in places and as always contains the wonderful juxtaposition of the quotidian and the absurd that make his books a joy to read. Perhaps some of this is due to the fact that, as Pryce recounts in the acknowledgements for this work, he struggled with illness during its writing. In any event the writing in this book is remarkably Welsh, full of dense wordplay and heart-on-sleeve lyricism. The style, though still bearing some of the hallmarks of a particular type of detective fiction, has now firmly established its own identity. In this sense it is rather like the transition between Terry Pratchett's early Discworld books, rooted in fantasy parody, and the style which became his own about four or five books in. Pryce's Cambrian universe is now entirely self-contained and runs to its own rules now; it's all the better for it.
There are numerous moments of laugh-out-loud humour, including an almost gratuitous visit to the Transylvanian home of a descendant of Vlad The Impaler, resulting in in a lucky escape for Louie and Calamity. Mixed in with them are several moments of great tenderness. One of these is an acutely moving and beautiful vignette of the atheist Louie meeting (and talking to) God, who shares his surprising and deep love of horses and the importance of rock. Even for someone as skilled as Pryce at melding wit and pathos this particular passage is a stand-out and connects to a couple of small but satisfying little pay-offs at the end of proceedings.
If you haven't read the Aberystwyth series yet, then I suggest you buy and read them all immediately. If you have, this addition will not disappoint. Heartily recommended.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I don't know what goes on in Malcolm Pryce's mind, but I'm awfully glad he gives us little peeks now and again! Despite the absence of many old favourites in this tale (Myfanwy Montez is in a Swiss clinic) Mr Pryce manages to create another totally absurd but un-put-down-able story set not only in Wales, but also Romania and the little known Welsh enclave "Hughesovska". Some more incredible names - my favourite this time has to be Ffanci Llangollen! Just wonderful!! I giggled constantly to myself whilst reading this, but as other reviewers have pointed out, there are some real moments of pathos here and there. Malcolm Pryce can really tug at your heart strings when he wants to, and being able to do that in a totally surreal plot is some achievement. Readers of the previous books can be assured they will enjoy this one every bit as much. I look forward immensely to the next in the series, and will be really very sad when Malcolm Pryce decides its time to say "Arrivederci Aberystwyth". Da Iawn yet again!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
fine addition to the series
From Aberystwyth With Love is a fine addition to Malcolm Pryce's slightly surreal detective series. Pryce takes the hardboiled private investigator genre and gives it a Monty... Read more
Published 17 days ago by Rob Kitchin
Complete Rubbish!
I started to read this book whilst on holiday so had no other distractions other than lapping sea! However, I could not believe what a load of ridiculous drivel this author managed... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mrs C
Don't bother, it's almost unreadable.
This is the biggest load of excrement I've read since reading the analasis of the contents of a water treatment works!
Published 1 month ago by John Morris
boring
I can't remember the last time I didn't finish a book but I gave up in this about 25% through. There was humour there but it was repetitive and silly. Read more
Published 2 months ago by bobbie the bookworm
Wordy welsh detective
I found this book mildly entertaining, but eventually gave up in boredom. A good joke stretched out for too long. Would not recommend, and sadly will be deleting from my kindle.
Published 3 months ago by scuba
Quirky but others do it better
Having read the reviews, I started reading this expecting great things. The more I read, the more disappointed I became until I managed to finish it almost as a chore. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Thirty five
really quirky storyline - loved it !
This novel spoke to me as soon as I saw the title, who but an interesting writer would give a book the title "From Aberystwyth with Love" I mean to say! Read more
Published 4 months ago by aunty krissi
Broadsides You Beautifully
I though this would be the sort of clever-clever pastiche writing which annoys me, full of knowing references, preposterous plots which are supposed to be hilarious and characters... Read more
Published 4 months ago by bookishman
From Aberystwyth with Love
As always this book is wonderful, his descriptions of places around Aberystwyth is so apt and the characters are so colourful, one could imagine them to be real! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Tracy
Louie travels well
Having read all the Louie Knight novels, I enjoyed this one the most. The pastiche is ever more wide-ranging. Read more
Published 15 months ago by David Arturovitch
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