Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Title: Sweetmeat
Author: Luke Sutherland
Publisher: Doubleday
I have just finished reading Sweetmeat, the second novel by Luke Sutherland. Sutherland was involved with alt.rock band Long Fin Killie, before more recently working under the name Bows, who released several CDs on the Too Pure label. Jellyroll was his first novel.
Sutherland creates a considerable character with Sweetmeat. Bohemond is as Sutherland gleefully and regularly points out a "fat black chef", and he really means fat. The fact that he has long hair and permanent make up doesn't help when it comes to people's responses to him. Bohemond is used to being treated like a freak, and throws himself into his cooking instead of dwelling on it. Still he does dwell on his unrequited love for Hermione, who owns the hotel where he works. They saved each other's lives, and Bo has been in love with her since.
Sweetmeat starts with the imminent wedding of Hermione. Bohemond plots to cook the most fantastic meal ever, so that Hermione will realise what a mistake she is making and turn to Bo instead of her husband to be. Interspersed with these plans, Faulkner the head of the hotel's band and an aging adventurer regales guests with wild tales. Tales which have an edge of the fantastic to them, an edge which permeates the atmosphere of the hotel as the book goes on.
Reality becomes a fracture. Relationships become too complex. In his desperate desire to capture Hermione's heart Bohemond does foolish things. At times you want to slap him, tell him to get a grip, point him in the direction of what is really going on. In some ways the odd little events manage to do this for us, the images and glimpses of things can't be real start to guide and turn Bohemond and soon he is involved in something else entirely.
At first the fairy tale/story telling aspect of Sweetmeat is a little distracting. It is a ploy I've seen before, interspersing core narrative with tangents, sometimes coming across as padding. But these tales start to merge with reality and the result starts to become magical. Sutherland's prose and Bohemond's faith (naive as it may sometimes be) bring the reader in and keep them captivated. Initially not sure what to make of Sweetmeat in the end I enjoyed this book a lot.
RVWR: PTR
August 2003
