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Sun Dog
August Chalmin feels the weather like no one else. A large awkward recluse, with bright orange hair and sun-shy eyes, August hides himself away behind the counter of a Shepherd's Bush deli. One winter's day two things change his life his mother's ex-lover Cosmo shambles back into his life, and he discovers a rash on his arm which looks like frost. A rash which is frost. As Cosmo raises questions about August's identity, August finds himself changing with the seasons, in a journey that takes him deep into his past and to the very centre of his soul...
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
19 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Monique Roffey
14 books449 followersMonique Roffey, FRSL, is an award winning British-Trinidadian writer. Her most recent novel, Passiontide, (Harvill, 2024), a crime thriller and protest novel, was a finalist for the prestigious US Caricon Award.
The Mermaid of Black Conch (Peepal Tree Press/Vintage) won the Costa Book of the Year Award, 2020 and was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, 2020, the Rathbones/Folio Award 2021, and the Republic of Consciousness Award. Her other novels have been shortlisted for The Orange Prize, Costa Novel Award, Encore and Orion Awards. In 2013, Archipelago won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. She is Professor of Contemporary Fiction at Manchester Metropolitan University.
The Mermaid of Black Conch (Peepal Tree Press/Vintage) won the Costa Book of the Year Award, 2020 and was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, 2020, the Rathbones/Folio Award 2021, and the Republic of Consciousness Award. Her other novels have been shortlisted for The Orange Prize, Costa Novel Award, Encore and Orion Awards. In 2013, Archipelago won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. She is Professor of Contemporary Fiction at Manchester Metropolitan University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
June 24, 2021
Having enjoyed Roffey's most recent novel The Mermaid of Black Conch last year, I couldn't resist picking up this copy of her debut novel when I saw it in a second hand shop earlier this year. This one has certain simililarities, most notably the mixture of the humdrum and the surreal/magical, but one rather obvious difference is that this book is entirely set in England, mostly in the west London suburb Shepherd's Bush.
The central character August would be very ordinary, the sort of nice but generally ignored character that will be familiar to anyone who has read Leonard and Hungry Paul. August works in a deli/coffee shop, and the story begins when one of his mother's former lovers walks into the shop.
Roffey afflicts August with a mysterious disease which causes his body to react in sympathy with the weather and the seasons, growing first ice crystals and then plant like growths and flowers. This element is juxtaposed with a gentle romcom structure, along with a back story that involves August's childhood in a sort of hippie commune.
All of this was interesting to read with a view to how a book like the Mermaid was conceived - this one is less substantial, but still a very enjoyable book, rather shorter than its 390 pages would suggest and not at all difficult to finish in two days.
The central character August would be very ordinary, the sort of nice but generally ignored character that will be familiar to anyone who has read Leonard and Hungry Paul. August works in a deli/coffee shop, and the story begins when one of his mother's former lovers walks into the shop.
Roffey afflicts August with a mysterious disease which causes his body to react in sympathy with the weather and the seasons, growing first ice crystals and then plant like growths and flowers. This element is juxtaposed with a gentle romcom structure, along with a back story that involves August's childhood in a sort of hippie commune.
All of this was interesting to read with a view to how a book like the Mermaid was conceived - this one is less substantial, but still a very enjoyable book, rather shorter than its 390 pages would suggest and not at all difficult to finish in two days.
July 26, 2024
Written in 2002, this is Monique Roffey's debut novel.
It's a strange fictional story about a 33-year-old man named August, who works in a deli. He's very shy and socially awkward.
One December night, weird things begin to happen to August's body. His skin becomes cold as frost, and icicles start forming under his arms. When the warmer weather comes, his skin peels off, and he begins to grow flowers on his body. Toward the end of the book, all of the hair on his body falls off. 🤔 August suspects that the changes to his body are caused by his father.
There has always been a doubt of who August's real father is. His mother tells him it's a man named Luke, but August looks nothing like him. When a charasmatic gentleman named Cosmos walks into the deli one day, August's life takes an unexpected turn.
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This is my fourth book by the author, and although I didn't care for this one, it won't be my last. I typically like her stories.
It's a strange fictional story about a 33-year-old man named August, who works in a deli. He's very shy and socially awkward.
One December night, weird things begin to happen to August's body. His skin becomes cold as frost, and icicles start forming under his arms. When the warmer weather comes, his skin peels off, and he begins to grow flowers on his body. Toward the end of the book, all of the hair on his body falls off. 🤔 August suspects that the changes to his body are caused by his father.
There has always been a doubt of who August's real father is. His mother tells him it's a man named Luke, but August looks nothing like him. When a charasmatic gentleman named Cosmos walks into the deli one day, August's life takes an unexpected turn.
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This is my fourth book by the author, and although I didn't care for this one, it won't be my last. I typically like her stories.
February 22, 2017
Enchanting and magical it will draw you in from start to finish as you follow August, the main character, and how he deals with his weird but strangely ordinary life. A modern day supernatural fantasy you won't want to put down.
May 12, 2018
The first novel I've read by Trinidadian Monique Roffey, and I was immediately drawn to her style and presentation and fascinated by her imagination. This tale explores the life of a young man during just about a year, when his past and the seasons play an important role in his existence...
August 2, 2019
I really enjoyed the characters. Original idea, too. And, having worked in a deli very much like this one, I felt the old food cravings return...
August 30, 2012
Quaint and quirky….those are two good adjectives for this book. Though not as accomplished as Roffey’s later work (The White Woman on the Green Bicycle, 2009 and Archipelago, 2012) August Frost is quite good for a debut novel.
August Chalamin, the protagonist of the novel, is a shy awkward man in his 30s who works at a gourmet food delicatessen. Two events occur which cause him to begin reflecting on his childhood growing up in a commune with a promiscuous mother and a mysterious (and absent) father. The first of these events is when a former commune member moves into the neighborhood and insinuates himself into August’s life. The second thing that happens to August is quite bizarre - his body begins to change to mimic the seasons. He develops frost on his skin in winter, plants sprout from his body in spring, he looks like a parched desert in the summer, and he begins shedding hair and fingernails like trees losing leaves in autumn.
As August deals with these freakish body abnormalities, he is also searching for information about who his father really was, and falling in love, and watching his friends fall in love, and learning about the lives and secrets of the people in his neighborhood. August Frost is simply a slice of life novel, with the body/nature connection providing a light touch of magical realism while also being employed as a symbolic device of how August changes through the story.
The novel is well written and engaging but it never really wowed me to any extent. For those interested in discovering Roffey, I would suggest one of her other novels instead of this one. For those who are already fans, it’s a worthy read.
August Chalamin, the protagonist of the novel, is a shy awkward man in his 30s who works at a gourmet food delicatessen. Two events occur which cause him to begin reflecting on his childhood growing up in a commune with a promiscuous mother and a mysterious (and absent) father. The first of these events is when a former commune member moves into the neighborhood and insinuates himself into August’s life. The second thing that happens to August is quite bizarre - his body begins to change to mimic the seasons. He develops frost on his skin in winter, plants sprout from his body in spring, he looks like a parched desert in the summer, and he begins shedding hair and fingernails like trees losing leaves in autumn.
As August deals with these freakish body abnormalities, he is also searching for information about who his father really was, and falling in love, and watching his friends fall in love, and learning about the lives and secrets of the people in his neighborhood. August Frost is simply a slice of life novel, with the body/nature connection providing a light touch of magical realism while also being employed as a symbolic device of how August changes through the story.
The novel is well written and engaging but it never really wowed me to any extent. For those interested in discovering Roffey, I would suggest one of her other novels instead of this one. For those who are already fans, it’s a worthy read.
October 23, 2014
Plenty to feast on in here, I do like a book where I have to re-read sentences, although a couple of times when I did have to do this, it was in puzzlement ('his father was 2 weeks old when he died?? oh, HE was two weeks old when his father died' kinda thing) but most of the re-reading was to be savoured.
'Often sleep deceived him, soothed him, appearing to rearrange reality overnight. August frequently dreamed he was someone else and would wake up with this possibility faintly traced, as though with the juice of an onion, on his cool, white eggshell skin.'
I didn't enjoy The White Woman on the Green Bicycle' but I loved this book.
'Often sleep deceived him, soothed him, appearing to rearrange reality overnight. August frequently dreamed he was someone else and would wake up with this possibility faintly traced, as though with the juice of an onion, on his cool, white eggshell skin.'
I didn't enjoy The White Woman on the Green Bicycle' but I loved this book.
October 8, 2021
I first read this book shortly after it was published in 2002. It was one of the novels that set me on the track for reading magic realist novels and for writing in the magic realist genre myself. The main character is a man called August who has the 'palest of blue eyes': 'Eyes filled with a kaleidoscope of the most delicate shades of ice. They were the eyes of a veal calf.' What an evocative introduction to a character (who also has bright ornage hair) but who works in a Shepherd's Bush deli. It's that mixture of the very real world and the fantastical that I love. It's an unusual love story combined with a journey of discovery. Other people have dubbed it 'Bewitching' and a novel 'with a big heart' and both these descriptions are spot on.
November 16, 2025
I rated this as a 4 when I read it but I’ve never forgotten this book and its probably the first thing that comes to my mind when I’m asked about my favourite book. I want to open a Deli because of this book. It gives modern magical realism in the best way.
June 24, 2022
Can't believe I managed to finish this book! There was no obvious plot, just a bunch of day-to-days that can be quite uninteresting and boring at times. Reminds me of Sally Rooney's books but with less angst and more magical/fantasy elements, I'd say. Not much to be said except the only thing that kept me going was my desire to understand August's condition. Which made me say "OHH" out loud so that's why I gave it one star. Sorry but this novel is not for me. I saw good reviews for this but I can't relate :/
November 19, 2022
I read The Mermaid Of Black Conch last year and thought it was a excellent novel. I knew I wanted to read a second Roffey. This book was luxurious, it was a relatively simple tale but had such beautiful characters, not least Gus whi changed with the seasons trying to understand his past and his day to day life. The imagery used in the deli alone was stunning. Landmine cheeses was amazing. I will be surprised if Roffey's works are not on academic reading lists one day (if not already) as moder classics. A stunning book.
April 28, 2024
My favourite kind of story, about real people and their relationships. Oh but wait! What about the fantasy part? Yes, the writer has achieved in making that seem a reality.
So many well written quirky characters. I loved all of their stories, but not necessarily them. But that is the truth of people. We all have flaws. The story slowly reveals the truth of each character and August's past.
I wanted someone to love August. He is a gentle person who cares about others.
I'm ready to read more from this author.
So many well written quirky characters. I loved all of their stories, but not necessarily them. But that is the truth of people. We all have flaws. The story slowly reveals the truth of each character and August's past.
I wanted someone to love August. He is a gentle person who cares about others.
I'm ready to read more from this author.
May 17, 2019
Roffey is so skilled at creating believable worlds that feature otherworldly norms. Some great lines in the book. Believable characters, with a somewhat predictable outcome, but thoughtful interweaving of a rare cheese into the story. Did not like this nearly as much as White Woman on a Green Bicycle or Archipelago but definitely worth the read.
September 30, 2021
Expected more from this book. I have read 'mermaid of the black conch' and 'the woman with the green bicycle' and as this was her first novel I was expecting a ground breaking literary beauty but was a bit disappointed. Didn't really love any of the characters and felt the story was a bit bland, maybe I was missing something.
January 19, 2023
I loved this story, how the seasons were woven throughout for August & how it came to light & together at the end. There was a lot covered with the different characters & so beautifully written. I wish I hadn’t finished it! I’ll be checking out other books written by Monique Roffey as this was my first book read by this author.
October 19, 2023
This was an interesting read. I was put off by August at first, especially when I learned that he was a 33-year-old man with these kinds of thoughts. But as the book progressed and we learned more about his childhood, it made sense. I've never read a book like this, I enjoyed it but didn't at the same time. weird.
May 5, 2024
This is the first book I’ve read by Monique Roffey. I could not put it down! August, the main character has recognisable symptoms of those that lack confidence in themselves and yet are seen otherwise by the wise. I loved him.
The writing is rich, imaginative, absorbing. Like beautiful food. Visionary.
I will be looking for other books by her. Totally hooked
The writing is rich, imaginative, absorbing. Like beautiful food. Visionary.
I will be looking for other books by her. Totally hooked
August 7, 2020
A most unusual book about change, loss and healing. I love the comfort of the deli background, especially in these days when open displays of food are hard to imagine! The changes to August’s body are intriguing and imaginative.
June 12, 2021
This is a strange, interesting, quirky and beautifully written book; easy and fun to read. It’s really quite magical in parts. Based mainly in London’s Brooke Green where I worked years ago, I could really picture a lot of the book. I liked all the foodie references too!
April 3, 2025
August Frost is one of my favorite books of all time! I reread it often. It's a beautiful, introspective magical realism story about a young man whose body changes with the seasons. It's rife with meaning and creativity. I hope you pick it up.
September 20, 2025
I rescued this book from a friend’s pile destined for the charity shop. So glad! Not only did I discover it was signed with a personal message it was also a really magical read from start to finish and I delighted in the characters and the story arc. A real treat.
October 31, 2017
What a gem this book is. So much fun to read and so interesting too. The characterisations in this are just wonderful! I loved it!!!
October 12, 2020
3.5 stars. It's a beautiful book and I enjoyed reading it but I wasn't fully in love with the story, but would definitely read more from this author!
April 14, 2022
An odd but beautifully written tale, ticked all
my boxes!
my boxes!
November 2, 2022
This is a first book where the author demonstrates future talent and lots of interesting ideas, but didn't blow me away. Read the Mermaid book deffo!
July 31, 2023
The author described genitalia unnecessarily detailed
July 10, 2025
Awful. Couldn’t finish
September 16, 2021
"Dancing and sadness went together, like lemon on fish, or butter on bread, dancing enhanced the flavour of sadness."
About: Something strange is happening to August. Of course, he's always been a bit strange: blood-orange hair, awkwardly built, excessively shy. His childhood, too, wasn't exactly normal. But now his strangeness is seeping out of him. Like a bad rash. He's either allergic to the new cheese at work, or perhaps the re-appearance of someone from his past, someone he wished he could forget, is the cause of the changes in him.
The Good
This is a really unique story and beautifully written. August is a very likeable character and what I especially enjoyed was the feeling that all the secondary characters were actually important to the overall picture of the story. The subplots never felt like subplots, but were part of a sense of growth that everyone went through during the course of the novel; it wasn't just August's journey. And I loved so many of the other characters, they were all so different and so vital. The dialogue was often funny and made me feel as though I was part of August's life - a life which felt fully realised. The fantasy element to this story was also very interesting to read, it being wonderfully bizarre. You do also get wrapped up in August's love for food, dancing and sex, all the great joys of life.
The Bad
There wasn't really a sense of purpose to the novel. The plot sort of gently passed by with no sense of drive and no obvious conflict. August was in this way fairly passive. But the pace did feel intentional and it was never not enjoyable to read, it just wasn't a page turner.
The Somewhat Iffy
Although I thought the writing was beautiful, I also had to re-read a lot of action passages as they would be littered with metaphors or similes that took me away from picturing what was actually happening in the moment.
There was also quite a judgemental moment regarding sex that didn't seem to fit in with the overall messaging of the novel. A character confides a partner's sexual preferences to someone and describes it as being perverted, which is perfectly fine for the character to have this opinion, but it's the only opinion shown. In August's narration as well as subsequent scenes with the offending 'pervert', the view is suggested that his sexual preferences were a warning to the violent behaviours he later displays. In my opinion, that's not a healthy portrayal of sex as his 'perverted' views were not things that needed to be shamed and are also not precursors to domestic abuse.
Also there's a trans character in the novel which August accepts and the character does have a positive representation in many aspects, however I really didn't enjoy the suggestion that it 'clicked' for August why he'd never been attracted to her.
Overall
If you don't normally read fantasy, this is a easy introduction to adding in the fantastical to real life. If you don't normally read contemporary, this is a great adult contemporary novel with an air of mysticism. The characters make the novel and while the story is not a page-turner, it does make you think.
About: Something strange is happening to August. Of course, he's always been a bit strange: blood-orange hair, awkwardly built, excessively shy. His childhood, too, wasn't exactly normal. But now his strangeness is seeping out of him. Like a bad rash. He's either allergic to the new cheese at work, or perhaps the re-appearance of someone from his past, someone he wished he could forget, is the cause of the changes in him.
The Good
This is a really unique story and beautifully written. August is a very likeable character and what I especially enjoyed was the feeling that all the secondary characters were actually important to the overall picture of the story. The subplots never felt like subplots, but were part of a sense of growth that everyone went through during the course of the novel; it wasn't just August's journey. And I loved so many of the other characters, they were all so different and so vital. The dialogue was often funny and made me feel as though I was part of August's life - a life which felt fully realised. The fantasy element to this story was also very interesting to read, it being wonderfully bizarre. You do also get wrapped up in August's love for food, dancing and sex, all the great joys of life.
The Bad
There wasn't really a sense of purpose to the novel. The plot sort of gently passed by with no sense of drive and no obvious conflict. August was in this way fairly passive. But the pace did feel intentional and it was never not enjoyable to read, it just wasn't a page turner.
The Somewhat Iffy
Although I thought the writing was beautiful, I also had to re-read a lot of action passages as they would be littered with metaphors or similes that took me away from picturing what was actually happening in the moment.
There was also quite a judgemental moment regarding sex that didn't seem to fit in with the overall messaging of the novel. A character confides a partner's sexual preferences to someone and describes it as being perverted, which is perfectly fine for the character to have this opinion, but it's the only opinion shown. In August's narration as well as subsequent scenes with the offending 'pervert', the view is suggested that his sexual preferences were a warning to the violent behaviours he later displays. In my opinion, that's not a healthy portrayal of sex as his 'perverted' views were not things that needed to be shamed and are also not precursors to domestic abuse.
Also there's a trans character in the novel which August accepts and the character does have a positive representation in many aspects, however I really didn't enjoy the suggestion that it 'clicked' for August why he'd never been attracted to her.
Overall
If you don't normally read fantasy, this is a easy introduction to adding in the fantastical to real life. If you don't normally read contemporary, this is a great adult contemporary novel with an air of mysticism. The characters make the novel and while the story is not a page-turner, it does make you think.
March 21, 2025
Whoa. One of the weirdest books I've read in a long time. I was dragged along by the poetic words, both fascinated and repulsed by them. What got me to read this book was my interest for August's character. I like reading about shy, awkward guys. He was both adorable and pathetic. I couldn't choose which. I liked him, but was a bit put off by him as well.
I did however, like how the story fell together in the end. *spoilers* Finding out that Rose used to be Ross was an interesting shocker. Having August find out who his father was and connect it with the "gift" was good. And I liked how he got with Leola and not Henry (whom I liked at first, but got retarded annoying later on).
But the last couple of pages threw me off. I can see how August wanted to go back to Stone Hall to make his peace with it. But when he went to unbury a secret about his dad, and it was... TA-DA! A garden spade? Really anti-climactic. I mean, yeah, I get it. His father was a gardener. Garden spade. But who the heck was Flora? And how did she know about what was going on? Maybe I'm missing something...
I did however, like how the story fell together in the end. *spoilers* Finding out that Rose used to be Ross was an interesting shocker. Having August find out who his father was and connect it with the "gift" was good. And I liked how he got with Leola and not Henry (whom I liked at first, but got retarded annoying later on).
But the last couple of pages threw me off. I can see how August wanted to go back to Stone Hall to make his peace with it. But when he went to unbury a secret about his dad, and it was... TA-DA! A garden spade? Really anti-climactic. I mean, yeah, I get it. His father was a gardener. Garden spade. But who the heck was Flora? And how did she know about what was going on? Maybe I'm missing something...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2011
Way too much going on in this book - too many themes - too many secondary characters that don't get explained, etc. The idea of a man's body that mirrors the seasons, with symptoms that respond to mood, is kinda cool. But not sure what this has to do with his journey to discover the truth about his parentage or why there is also a clear food/culinary theme throughout the book as well. The language itself is very simplistic and almost as if the author is ESL, with use of some adjectives that I"m not sure were really appropriate for the context. Intriguing enough to finish, but I can't say it was all that entertaining or insightful. May have been better as a pared down short story...or a longer novel that developed the secondary characters more or told the story through previous generations as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews