Nimrod's Shadow
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Reilly is an impoverished painter who lives alone in a shabby garret, with only his unsold canvases and his faithful dog Nimrod for company. He seems destined to remain in artistic obscurity until the most influential art critic of the time begins to notice his talent. But no sooner has he found a patron than the critic is found downed in a local canal and the trail leads directly back to Reilly. From Reilly's prison cell in Edwardian London to an exclusive gallery in contemporary Soho, the clues that lead to the real murderer lie carefully hidden, until the day when Samantha, a young office assistant, finds herself drawn to one of Reilly's pictures and decides to embark on her own investigation...Steeped in atmosphere and laced with intrigue, Nimrod's Shadow is a gripping tale of genius, jealousy, and revenge - with a few twists and turns along the way.
About the Author
CHRIS PALING is the author of eight previous novels including Deserters, The Silent Sentry and The Repentant Morning (all published by Cape/Vintage) and most recently Minding (Portobello 2007). He lives in Brighton and is the producer for Radio 4's Midweek.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm getting a bit worried about this author. His early books were published in hardback by Jonathan Cape. Then they relegated him to "straight to paperback" for his next few before presumably dumping him altogether. His last two books have been published only in paperback by Portabello a small private press. So it seems that Paling is slipping off the radar screen. And I don't understand why. I have only reviewed 2 of his books but I have now read them all and Chris Paling is one of our very best fiction writers.
All of his novels demonstrate his truly original talent. Nimrod's Shadow moves between the present and the past to solve a long forgotten murder but to described the story is in many ways to miss the point when it comes to trying to encourage others to read it. The message I would want to put across is that Paling is a natural story-teller and as with all good story-tellers he has that gift of swiftly immersing the reader in his tale, making us care about the people and times and places, while always keeping us a little bit unsure of where his story is heading. Nimrod's Shadow is excellent although not perhaps his best. My own favorite is probably The Repentant Morning but all nine of his books are top class writing.
And they are all very different from each other so as a reader you need to just try one to establish that you have found an exceptionally good writer. Give him a go ! It would be criminal if Chris Paling slipped into obscurity.
All of his novels demonstrate his truly original talent. Nimrod's Shadow moves between the present and the past to solve a long forgotten murder but to described the story is in many ways to miss the point when it comes to trying to encourage others to read it. The message I would want to put across is that Paling is a natural story-teller and as with all good story-tellers he has that gift of swiftly immersing the reader in his tale, making us care about the people and times and places, while always keeping us a little bit unsure of where his story is heading. Nimrod's Shadow is excellent although not perhaps his best. My own favorite is probably The Repentant Morning but all nine of his books are top class writing.
And they are all very different from each other so as a reader you need to just try one to establish that you have found an exceptionally good writer. Give him a go ! It would be criminal if Chris Paling slipped into obscurity.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Okay - it's best I declare an interest upfront. I've known Chris Paling for many years as a colleague and mate. There. But that doesn't mean I'd think his books were good if they weren't. And they are. Very, very good indeed.
Nimrod's Shadow is as neat a piece of modern English writing as I've read all year. Best for me is that Chris's style is entirely free of the incredibly annoying 'fine writing' tricks that, for me, mar so many contemporary novels. Those smug authors who love infuriating oh-so-clever scene jumps, arch narrative person-shifts (you know who you are, Michal Faber et al) - those 'I've been to creative writing courses, me' convoluters of plot, twisting ineluctably towards a wholly-predictable and horribly contrived outcome (yes you, Khaled Hosseini and your ilk).
Nimrod's Shadow is a really good read. It starts relatively slowly, in a time just before WW1, but not long after Chris has brought in his modern strand the plot begins to gel and the pace (and interest) increases. Of all his novels so far, this one I found the closest to a genuine page-turner.
So far this has been a bit of a list of the failings Chris Paling doesn't have. But what in my opinion marks him out as a novelist of genuine merit is the way he does obsession. All Chris's characters are in some way fixated, and the minutiae of their mental process is the very heart of his writing. In Nimrod's Shadow, the painter Reilly's monomanic dedication to his art is mirrored and expanded by Samantha's falling in love with those same paintings. Both characters are spurred on to extraordinary acts of devotion, toppling well over the edge of sane behaviour - and the great skill of Chris's writing is that he makes the improbable so believable.
It is barely credible that Chris Paling's books haven't made more of an impact. They absolutely deserve to, in the face of the usual suspects with their 'fine writing' who dominate the prize list nominations. Nimrod's Shadow is simple and pleasurable to read, with a strong story; every character is believable and has a point. Nimrod's Shadow is a great example of class British writing.
Nimrod's Shadow is as neat a piece of modern English writing as I've read all year. Best for me is that Chris's style is entirely free of the incredibly annoying 'fine writing' tricks that, for me, mar so many contemporary novels. Those smug authors who love infuriating oh-so-clever scene jumps, arch narrative person-shifts (you know who you are, Michal Faber et al) - those 'I've been to creative writing courses, me' convoluters of plot, twisting ineluctably towards a wholly-predictable and horribly contrived outcome (yes you, Khaled Hosseini and your ilk).
Nimrod's Shadow is a really good read. It starts relatively slowly, in a time just before WW1, but not long after Chris has brought in his modern strand the plot begins to gel and the pace (and interest) increases. Of all his novels so far, this one I found the closest to a genuine page-turner.
So far this has been a bit of a list of the failings Chris Paling doesn't have. But what in my opinion marks him out as a novelist of genuine merit is the way he does obsession. All Chris's characters are in some way fixated, and the minutiae of their mental process is the very heart of his writing. In Nimrod's Shadow, the painter Reilly's monomanic dedication to his art is mirrored and expanded by Samantha's falling in love with those same paintings. Both characters are spurred on to extraordinary acts of devotion, toppling well over the edge of sane behaviour - and the great skill of Chris's writing is that he makes the improbable so believable.
It is barely credible that Chris Paling's books haven't made more of an impact. They absolutely deserve to, in the face of the usual suspects with their 'fine writing' who dominate the prize list nominations. Nimrod's Shadow is simple and pleasurable to read, with a strong story; every character is believable and has a point. Nimrod's Shadow is a great example of class British writing.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I haven't come across Chris Paling before but I remembered a Guardian Review of this book and chose it on that basis. If like me, you enjoy Victorian Sensation Fiction, you'll probably warm to this tangled plot. Past and present intersect cleverly. Reilly is a talented but undiscovered Edwardian painter wrongly accused of murder. Samanatha, a self-contained but needy office worker tries to unearth his history but her obsession leads her to dangerous situations where she becomes out of her depth. At the end of her search she learns lessons from the past but the ending isn't too pat or predictable. Very enjoyable if implausible in places. I will definitely seek out more of Paling's work.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Really good fun
This is a great little book that really exceeded my expectations. I don't remember where I heard about it, and I haven't read anything else by this author before. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Marie
ENJOYABLE PAGE TURNER
This is a really enjoyable novel. It is well plotted and the writer makes you care about the characters and their lives. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Terrier girl
A dog sold me a great book
A dog made me pick up this book. Well, look at him! Quite clearly a terrier!
I didn't know the authour, but when I turnie to the synopsis I found that the terrier was a... Read more
I didn't know the authour, but when I turnie to the synopsis I found that the terrier was a... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Fleur Fisher
Paling virgin
I read Nimrods Shadow after reading a review - never heard of the author before - and that is a pity - someone needs to get onto this. Read more
Published 15 months ago by peewit
A magical journey of ambition, obsession and justice
Chris Paling always delights his readers, in my view never more than when he really lets that imagination rip - personal faves are A Town By The Sea, and Newton's Swing. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Jari Moate
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