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"Playing Mercy is a mighty and moving hymn to belonging, pride and growth. Only a man unafraid to write from within his own culture could produce, without senimentality, such a passionately-convicted work. If you feel yourself playing host to the demon of judgementalism, then read Playing Mercy. Matt Scott loves his characters and the worlds that produced them, and the rest of us should, too." --Niall Griffiths
A powerful account of life on a British estate and a great introduction to one of Wales' newest and most exciting writers. --Big Issue
A powerful account of life on a British estate and a great introduction to one of Wales' newest and most exciting writers. --Big Issue
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"Right, you know the drill. Keep the bats up your sleeves as your walking and keep those hoods up. There's that many cameras around here at the moment that you can't swear without being pulled, so make sure your faces can't be seen." It is Friday and Chris is trying to meet up with what might be the girl of his dreams - Keeley, but on his way to meet her he is beaten up in a revenge attack. Romance has to be put on hold as his older brother David plots retribution as a last ditch attempt to hold onto a hard-man reputation he feels is slipping away. Longlisted for the Dylan Thomas awards, Playing Mercy is a fast-tracking, black but never bleak comedy about trainers, trading, and family pride.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Playing Mercy is a fantastic book that gives us an honest and up-front insight into what it's like growing up for many of the British population. The title alone indicates torment but forgiveness, backing up the lesson the book tries to teach us: that not only families labelled "chav" are responsible for yob culture.
It takes a lot of skill as a writer to simply follow the day-to-day lives of people and keep it interesting enough to really enjoy the whole book. Matthew does this with ease, and has successfully captured the attitude of many of today's typical community in the UK. Gritty, funny and proud.
It takes a lot of skill as a writer to simply follow the day-to-day lives of people and keep it interesting enough to really enjoy the whole book. Matthew does this with ease, and has successfully captured the attitude of many of today's typical community in the UK. Gritty, funny and proud.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I got this book yesterday morning and could not put it down, finished it last night. I teach in the town where Matthew grew up and this is such an accurate view of the populace I could almost put names to the characters. Like Shameless it deals with the real world that many people like to pretend does not exist. The characters are likeable and real. Well done. This is a must read for anyone who likes to study real people. Black humour at its best!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a truly great read. If you grew up with the local fokelore tales of 'who asked who out' and 'who had who after school down behind the arcade' then the territory of this book will be familiar to you. If not, then your eyes will be opened to what it's like today growing up for the average kid in this crowded little island we call Britain today. Take note Mr Blair.
Caught somewhere between the traditions of yersteryear and the raw commercial lust of today, the young proganists at the centre of the book make their way from fighting with kids from the rival school and playing "bollocks" in class to attempting to shift some dodgy jackets. You are with them and their ups and downs all the way, making it as captivating and enjoyable as it is honest.
Scott cuts through the middle-class cliches of chavs (the term doesn't appear once in the book, despite being flashed around on the cover by the publishers) and Ali-G to deliver a brilliant portrayal of life in the average U.K. council estate community, with its merry-go-round of local petty criminals and teenage mothers and also those upwardly mobile enough to spend most of their weekends in IKEA.
With a similar frankness that has made Shameless such a hilarious as well as brutally frank portrayal on TV, Scott's characters and their lives are incredibly moving as well as at times pant-wettingly funny. He's definitely one to watch; the prose has a chilling clarity to it and the dialogue is very often electric.
I can't recommend this book highly enough, buy it and you won't be disappointed.
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