The Carp Club [Kindle Edition]

Mr Barr is an angry man, and rightly so. His first book, Real Football Real Fans is a response to the absurdities and excesses of the Premier League. This one is an attack on the failings, and failures, of our political class in the context of the Parliamentary expenses scandal and the financial crisis. Plenty of readers will have sympathy with his views, but few would have the imagination and wit to express anger in the form of an elegant fable based on carp fishing. Swift and Voltaire come to mind, with an underlying touch of Orwell. Mr Barr's knowledge of fishing is as impressive as his humour; the book raises a number of important contemporary political and social issues in its 170 pages, but is so well written that it is easy to underestimate its importance. Read and enjoy.

To be honest I embarked on reading this book with a bit of trepidation, knowing little of carp fishing and politics. However, I was very soon gripped by the wonderfully strong characters, the countdown to election night and a burning curiosity to see just how the tale would unfold. Brilliantly written, Barr writes with an engaging style, brimming over with wit, intellect and punnery!! Love it.

I would recommend this to anyone and everyone: it is a well written and well timed release - somebody needs to be expressing and communicating these views!

I came across this book having had the author's excellent bantheballot website and blog recommended to me. It's a kind of fishy Animal Farm dealing with such well-versed themes as avaricious bankers and self-serving, ineffectual politicians but in an original, engaging and witty way. It's amusing and has an enjoyable storyline but is also pretty hard-hitting and devasting in its critique of the powers that be.

The Carp Club really appealed to me because I, like many others, am feeling utterly depressed about the forthcoming election - Labour have got to go, even if the Conservatives committed themselves to any policies I wouldn't want them in charge and the Lib Dems have failed to seize the initiative in what should have been their golden opportunity to take politics in a different direction. That only leaves a protest vote for the Greens or someone as a viable option for me but there's no point really. One or the other bunch of R.S. Holes will get into power but not voting for any of them is not going to feel much better because it won't change anything.

However, the book is more than the rant of an aging, disenfranchised, fishing-mad eccentric. It contains cogent and balanced arguments looking at why the current system doesn't work and is full of references to polictical history, both old and recent. Best of all, Barr actually proposes a practical, workable solution to the current morass which would divest us of our feeling of powerlessness. I won't give it away here but it does make a lot of sense. To be honest, I can't think why his proposal has not been thought of by more mainstream commentators. Of course, the policiticians would not countenance it because it is not in their interests - but then nor was reforming the expenses system until public opinion made it untenable.

You never know, the Carp Club may be the seed that leads to the fundamental reform the British political system to make politics fairier and politicians more accountable. The current crop of politicians have failed to suggest any real improvement to the system - make sure you read it here first before any of them claim the credit for it! Then spread the word.