The Manual of Detection: A Novel
Feb 2009 · Sold by Penguin
4.4star
10 reviews
Ebook
288
Pages
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About this ebook
"This debut novel weaves the kind of mannered fantasy that might result if Wes Anderson were to adapt Kafka." --The New Yorker
Reminiscent of imaginative fiction from Jorge Luis Borges to Jasper Fforde yet dazzlingly original, The Manual of Detection marks the debut of a prodigious young talent. Charles Unwin toils as a clerk at a huge, imperious detective agency located in an unnamed city always slick with rain. When Travis Sivart, the agency's most illustrious detective, is murdered, Unwin is suddenly promoted and must embark on an utterly bizarre quest for the missing investigator that leads him into the darkest corners of his soaking, somnolent city. What ensues is a noir fantasy of exquisite craftsmanship, as taut as it is mind- blowing, that draws readers into a dream world that will change what they think about how they think.
Reminiscent of imaginative fiction from Jorge Luis Borges to Jasper Fforde yet dazzlingly original, The Manual of Detection marks the debut of a prodigious young talent. Charles Unwin toils as a clerk at a huge, imperious detective agency located in an unnamed city always slick with rain. When Travis Sivart, the agency's most illustrious detective, is murdered, Unwin is suddenly promoted and must embark on an utterly bizarre quest for the missing investigator that leads him into the darkest corners of his soaking, somnolent city. What ensues is a noir fantasy of exquisite craftsmanship, as taut as it is mind- blowing, that draws readers into a dream world that will change what they think about how they think.
Ratings and reviews
4.4
10 reviews
Eric Mitchell
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August 7, 2015
I'm always looking for quick, one-off fantasy novels and this certainly fills that quite well. It starts out much like an old pulp mystery that slowly grows more convoluted and fantastical as the story progresses. We start with a man who just wants his old job back, a begrudging hero thrust into a tangled web woven by those who can manipulate the dreamscape of a city. The writing is concise though it does sometimes move in and out of a flashback in a manner that makes it difficult to tell. The pace is fairly brisk but not overly fast. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys film noir-style mysteries or urban fantasy.
K Ross
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March 2, 2016
This was a great fun read, reminding me a great deal of Michael Chabon.
About the author
Jedediah Berry’s short fiction has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Best New American Voices and Best American Fantasy. He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he works as assistant editor of Small Beer Press.
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