The Calligrapher, The (Paperback)

Jasper invites us into his life from the opening paragraphs, creating interest and suspense by telling us in an intimately casual way that "atrocities" had occurred while he was touring the Tate Gallery of Modern Art. In a farce worthy of Monty Python, a gallery-clearing fire alarm allows him to exchange e-mail addresses with a potential new lover. Some days later, a second, even more slapstick burlesque occurs as Jasper tries to prevent Lucy, his lover of one year, from entering his apartment and discovering his "Tate Modern flirtation" in his bedroom. The humor throughout is broad, bold, and masculine, and the succession of wild scenes is easy to visualize, though female readers may cringe at Jasper's casual duplicity as he lures gullible women into his bed. Eventually, however, Jasper begins to reflect the signs of true love which Donne has described in his poems, a love that may turn out to be his "deal with the Devil."

Jasper's casually vulgar speech and his willingness to share his inner life with the reader are an effective counterbalance to the formality of Donne's poetry, which begins each chapter. The author creates and sustains suspense throughout the novel, leading to an exciting story of relationships, with the end result always in doubt. Docx's descriptions add immeasurably to the pleasure of the action, and his wry commentary on people and places is irresistible--i.e., "talentless men and women" at a club engage in a "ceaseless search for the dwindling plankton of each other's personalities." In view of the cleverness with which Docx reveals Jasper's relationships, the ending of the novel is disappointing, however--contrived, unrealistic, and full of coincidences. The subtlety with which Donne's poetry has provided the intellectual underpinnings of the novel vanishes in a wild, plot-driven grand finale, which feels artificial within the context of this study of Jasper's emotional "growth." Still, the novel is great fun--full of broad humor, sharply observed social commentary, and the vagaries of love and sex across the ages, a stunning debut for a very talented new author. Mary Whipple

Jasper is betrayed by love, and his own duplicitous behavior comes back to haunt him. Ultimately he becomes a man tortured by unrequited love - a man who turns out to be wounded, bedraggled and dismembered. Along the way Jasper is constantly expounding his views on all sorts of issues about life and modern society. We hear his thoughts on Australians, women, god, sex and the nature of love - and he never ceases to surprise us with his witty banter and cynical sense of humour. For Jasper, love is cautious and mute, "an unknowable risk taken in the darkness during unsettled weather". But in his journey to find the meaning of love, Jasper is actually embarking on a journey of self-discovery and maturity.

The lengths of falsehood and deceit that the characters go to in this novel is breathtaking in its scope, and the sudden plot twist, involving Madeleine and one of the other characters will make you absolutely gasp in surprise. Contemporary society hasn't changed that much since John Donne's time and this story shows that his love poetry may probably be just as relevant today - people are still plagued by issues of faithfulness, unfaithfulness; truth falsity, and possession.

Fans of calligraphy will find much to appreciate in this novel. Docx inculcates the tale with lots of details on the history and techniques of calligraphy, and he does this without ever stultifying the story. The reader learns about Rustic Roman Capitals, Half Uncial, New Roman Cursive and the ancient beauty of illuminated manuscripts. And these details are effortlessly woven into the narrative. There's also some fantastic descriptions of London - the Chinese tailors on Carnaby Street, the inner city groove of Soho and the foggy beauty of Wimbledon Common, And there's also some beautifully atmospheric descriptions of Rome, where Jasper and Madeleine holiday together - the street lanterns in the Ponte Sisto, the scrawny Tiber, and the dome of St. Peter's.

This is an extraordinarily modern and contemporary story with a splendidly historical bent. One of the best books of the year, and an absolute must read. Docx is a startlingly fresh and talent writer whose take on human relationships is brutally honest; he's a real talent, and I can't wait for his next novel.

Michael