LANNY- Max Porter

LANNY: unusual, poignant and touching. ⠀⠀

The story follows Lanny, a boy whose innocent, yet wise perspective on the world captivates the people around him. Living in a  small village outside of London, he lives with his parents, an aspiring crime writer and an investment banker. Part 1 of the story  follows Lanny after his mother, Jolie, organises art lessons for him with Mad Pete, an eccentric but renowned artist who fosters Lanny’s passion for both art and nature. Lanny’s sorry is interspersed with extracts revolving around Dead Papa Tootworth, a known deity to the community. I really enjoyed this read particularly part 2, which is told through the eyes of the community and media that deals with a variety of social issues, making for an enthralling and pacey read with part 3 tying up the ends together in a dream-like approach. ⠀⠀

Porter has written it so poetically resulting in an eerie, beautiful and completely unique novel. Tackling such a vast quantity of themes, Porter approaches trust, loss, isolation and reality in amongst the pages of this short and somewhat enchanting and dark prose. ⠀⠀

What I loved most about the book was Porter’s ability to interject a stream of consciousness. I loved how the community thoughts were interjected to address the concept of awareness, re-connecting and the role of technology in todays day and age. It illustrated how these thoughts interrupted the stripped-back experiences and thoughts of Lanny who is enjoying the beauty of his natural surroundings. An impossible novel to pinpoint, this book encapsulates multiple genres making it an original read. 

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