Gigantic by Ashley Stokes
Publisher : Unsung Stories Limited (2 Sept. 2021) Language : English Paperback : 244 pages ISBN-10 : 1912658143 ISBN-13 : 978-1912658145
If you go down to the woods today, you are sure for a big surprise. In Ashley Stokes Gigantic, Kevin Stubbs isn't looking for a teddy bear's picnic or even a favourable or lucrative dogging spot.
Armed with a thermal imaging camera and a host of other electronic paraphernalia, Kevin and his merry band of fellow losers, and I mean that in the most excellent possible way, you will see this for yourself as you read this review, are searching for the elusive and mysterious Gigantopithecus! For they are Suttons answer to Mulder and Scully, plus one extra person, they are the GIT, the Gigantopithecus Intelligence Team!! And they are prepared not so much to die for the truth, more be really late for their dinner for the truth. Gigantic is an odd novel, in terms of being reviewed on Ginger Nuts of Horror; it is not a horror novel in the traditional sense; in fact, it's not a horror novel at all, well that's what I can hear so many of you saying, even the author might take this stance. Nothing horrific happens in the novel; there are shocking events, but the Hairy Man of Sutton is never portrayed as a monster from a horror novel, and if you stay with me, I will attempt to explain why this novel of the uncanny and weird can be classed as a horror novel. But before we get to that, let me describe and explain exactly what this novel is. Gigantic is a heartfelt and humorous novel of the absurd obsession of a group of friends who are only friends because of their shared focus. Take away their common interest, and these three people would never be friends. Some of you would call them losers but haven't we all got friends like this, take away your hobbies, and we are all just going about our lives own warm wet circles. Gigantic can best be described as a weird bittersweet comedy that looks at the damage caused to a person's life when they become fixated on one thing above all else. Written with a want for a better term, a semi dual narrative, with the main thrust of the narrative coming from Kevin's point of view, supplemented by the more matter of fact and grounded in reality reports from GIT's lead investigator. It is an exciting narrative device, one that could have been intrusive if it wasn't for the seamless integration of the two threads with each other. Primarily as the second point of view is written in the style of police incident reports. There was a danger that the book's rhythm could have become somewhat stop-start, but Stokes's absorbing writing style ensures that the whole book has a harmonious feel to it. I have always said that comedy is the hardest thing to pull off in a novel, as most of the heavy work in terms of.... timing are left to how the reader reads the book. Gigantic isn't a laugh a minute sidesplitting read, don't get me wrong; there are moments of belly-busting humour, with a joke solely dependant on your feelings on Grendel; it is more of a warm and witty look at the humanity and fallibility of one man. Think Robert Rankin but with way more heart and soul if you need a point of reference. How Stokes guides your feelings towards Kevin is a remarkable use of character development. You start off thinking, "what a loser"; however, by the time you reach the conclusion of the book, you will have completely changed your opinion on him, and most of you, well, those of you who don't have a heart of Midlothian instead of a real heart, will be cheering for him. Stokes doesn't make it easy for you. Kevin is a frustrating character; there were times where I wanted to climb into the story and shake some sense into him. This is a man who has allowed his obsession to destroy everything good in his life. Stokes exquisite eye for character development keeps the reader just on the right side of the tracks between sympathy and annoyance for Kevin. As for the story itself, on the whole, this is a tight well-plotted narrative, that perfectly balances the absurdity of the situation with the mundane reality of real life. There is a slightly flabby small middle section that could have possibly done with being a little bit tighter, but this won't distract you or lessen your enjoyment of this fabulous novel. Absurd humour is notoriously hard to pull off, go too far, and you end up with an episode of Mrs Browns Boys, reign it in too much, and your reader will laugh as many times as they would if they were watching an episode of Mrs Browns Boys. Thankfully, Stokes is aware of just how much absurd the uncanny, weird, and humanist elements of this novel require for it to be a coherent, thoughtful and engaging read. Gigantic will make you laugh and smile whilst tugging at your heartstrings with its unique brand of suburban folky horror vibes. Between you and me, I enjoyed this novel so much I want to see further adventures of the GIT, and I certainly want proper answers to the questions raised in the final act of the novel. This book will get its hooks in you, and there is no doubt about it. But Jim, you said you'd explain why this was a horror novel. Well, here goes nothing. And Ashley, feel free to tell me if I picked up the not so much the wrong end, but entirely the wrong stick. For me, the central theme of this book, and why I connected so strongly with the book and Kevin, is it is about a man looking for his place in the world, a man so sure that he only has one role in his life to play that he becomes so internalised and shut off from all the legitimate joys in his life that he turns away and causes those who love him to turn away from him. Is Kevin the all too human monster for ignoring his responsibilities, or is Gigantopithecus the real monster of the novel? Dehumanisation is a real fear for me, and the obsessive nature of Kevin ultimately resulted in a partial dehumanisation of him. It is so easy for all of us to follow this route; we are just one incident of being hurt, ignored or being made fun of, from becoming our own version of Kevin, and isn't a fear of never fitting in, of never feeling as though you have a place or purpose in the world one of the biggest fears of them all. Kevin found is place in the universe, have you? And that is why Gigantic is a horror novel in my eyes because, at the end of the day, we are all just sugar mice in the rain (OK, that final reference was forced) COMPETITION
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