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The Brilliant & Forever
On an island like no other, the annual Brilliant & Forever festival is a much anticipated event; its participants a story away from either glory or infamy. This year, three best friends – two human, one alpaca – are chosen to compete, so victory is not only about reward.
The glitterati descends, the festival begins: thirteen performers, each have their own story to tell. Who will be chosen by the judges? Who will be chosen by the people?
This is a novel like no other; a whip-cracking, energetic, laugh-out-loud satire on what we value in culture, and in our lives. And yet, written with exquisite warmth and empathy, The Brilliant & Forever is also a moving exploration of integrity, friendship and belonging. It’ll split your sides and break your heart.
The glitterati descends, the festival begins: thirteen performers, each have their own story to tell. Who will be chosen by the judges? Who will be chosen by the people?
This is a novel like no other; a whip-cracking, energetic, laugh-out-loud satire on what we value in culture, and in our lives. And yet, written with exquisite warmth and empathy, The Brilliant & Forever is also a moving exploration of integrity, friendship and belonging. It’ll split your sides and break your heart.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
16 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Kevin MacNeil
32 books17 followersKevin MacNeil is a Scottish novelist, poet, and playwright. He is a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Stirling. His books include Robert Louis Stevenson: An Anthology Selected by Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares, The Diary of Archie the Alpaca and The Brilliant & Forever. He lives in Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 1, 2018
They say everyone has a book in them and that is certainly the case on this Scottish island where everyone is working on a story – including Archie the alpaca. A cross between metafiction, farce and tragicomedy, this surreal celebration of the art of writing is also a sharp satire on literary pretensions and the publishing industry. Give yourself a tonic, suspend disbelief - and immerse yourself in the wacky world of these endearing characters.
(A word of warning to the sensitive reader: you might want to spare yourself the tragic ending - it was too sad for me).
Reviewed for Whichbook.net
(A word of warning to the sensitive reader: you might want to spare yourself the tragic ending - it was too sad for me).
Reviewed for Whichbook.net
March 10, 2016
Wacky, ridiculous, endearing and totally unique!
I must confess that when I first started this book I was pretty determined not to like it. After all, a remote Scottish island where people and alpacas live side by side and all compete in a writing festival; the Brilliant and Forever of the title!! A place where the unnamed male narrator, his female friend Macy (not his girlfriend!) and their alpaca friend Archie all propose to enter a story in this year’s festival. Seriously?! Well actually, probably yes; Kevin MacNeil has written a wacky and endearing novel which challenges the reader to let go of preconceptions and to consider the values of our times albeit in a humorous guise.
The island is home to the native ‘Blackhousers’, the up and coming ‘Whitehousers’ and two tribes of alpacas. Archie is a southern alpaca living in the north and trying to move on from a difficult divorce. Strange as it may seem, Archie is the most thoughtful and erudite of the three friends; his catchphrase is ‘It’s like a jazz thing you don’t get’; remember that, it is important later.
The first part of the book sets the scene and explores the friendship of our three ‘heroes’. The second part covers the festival and its aftermath. Both parts invite you in and immerse you in the story and in the closeness of a genuine friendship and the divisions of competition.
The festival requires the entrants to read aloud a piece which has previously been submitted to the organisers. Each piece will be judged by the Official judges and by the People’s choice. The festival entrants are mostly islanders including Archie the alpaca with one or two visitors; all are strikingly individual, weird even, but each story has something to say about the human (alpaca) condition.
The writing is sensitive and accomplished and there are some truly wonderful lines, for example: “We built this island on rock and roll. Except for the graveyard. We built that on death metal.”
Against all my expectations the Brilliant and Forever is Brilliant! Open your mind, read it and you will see why!
Pashtpaws
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
I must confess that when I first started this book I was pretty determined not to like it. After all, a remote Scottish island where people and alpacas live side by side and all compete in a writing festival; the Brilliant and Forever of the title!! A place where the unnamed male narrator, his female friend Macy (not his girlfriend!) and their alpaca friend Archie all propose to enter a story in this year’s festival. Seriously?! Well actually, probably yes; Kevin MacNeil has written a wacky and endearing novel which challenges the reader to let go of preconceptions and to consider the values of our times albeit in a humorous guise.
The island is home to the native ‘Blackhousers’, the up and coming ‘Whitehousers’ and two tribes of alpacas. Archie is a southern alpaca living in the north and trying to move on from a difficult divorce. Strange as it may seem, Archie is the most thoughtful and erudite of the three friends; his catchphrase is ‘It’s like a jazz thing you don’t get’; remember that, it is important later.
The first part of the book sets the scene and explores the friendship of our three ‘heroes’. The second part covers the festival and its aftermath. Both parts invite you in and immerse you in the story and in the closeness of a genuine friendship and the divisions of competition.
The festival requires the entrants to read aloud a piece which has previously been submitted to the organisers. Each piece will be judged by the Official judges and by the People’s choice. The festival entrants are mostly islanders including Archie the alpaca with one or two visitors; all are strikingly individual, weird even, but each story has something to say about the human (alpaca) condition.
The writing is sensitive and accomplished and there are some truly wonderful lines, for example: “We built this island on rock and roll. Except for the graveyard. We built that on death metal.”
Against all my expectations the Brilliant and Forever is Brilliant! Open your mind, read it and you will see why!
Pashtpaws
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
March 9, 2017
Sorry this just didn't work for me. I did like the standard of the writing which portrayed some nifty penmanship, so I wouldn't mind giving Mr MacNeil another go another time- however I really struggled to get into the story at all. It was engaging at the start and I quite liked the concept of a remote Scottish island where people and alpacas- for goodness sake- live side by side. Once I could sense the direction it was heading though it felt like the author was just using it as a trojan horse (alpaca?) to throw together some short stories that he didn't know what to do with- which themselves took up half the book and were pretty meh. About 3/4 of the way through and it was too contrived for me and it was a relief to just have it finished - it wasn't particularly brilliant and felt like it was dragging on forever.
January 17, 2018
Fun and quirky read
January 11, 2017
This wonderful book celebrates the power of great storytelling and it's ability to bring people together. It's a real tonic - life affirming, warm, witty and overflowing with empathy, it tells the story of three friends on a small island who enter the annual literary festival. One of the friends happens to be a talking alpaca (a small llama) but don't let that prejudice you, he's cool. The book follows their hopes, dreams and aspirations in the run up to the storytelling competition and then we get the competition itself, which is almost like a collection of terrific little short stories within the book itself. The tone overall is light and the banter is razor sharp and funny, but there are also real moments of clarity and connection here where life is encapsulated in a way you never realised could be put into words. It really is superb writing. The author grew up on an island and he captures the quirks and foibles of island life brilliantly. Dramatic tension is provided by an endemic prejudice on the island towards talking alpacas (these are the times we live in alas) and there are huge consequences for both the winners and losers of the literary festival - there are poignant moments here too. But overall the book is worth ten times it's weight in mindfulness and will give your headspace the rocket boost you didn't realise it needed.
August 15, 2016
When I began this novel I thought it was going to be a bit weird - an island where every inhabitant was an aspiring author, a minority population of talking alpacas and a literary festival where the winner gets a publishing deal and the loser gets something much worse. Then after the first couple of chapters things started to resonate with me. At first I thought the book might be an analogy of the publishing industry where crime and celebrity have most focus even when the writing is bad. And then I thought, this could also be an analogy about society as a whole and the alpacas were representative of all minorities; pick any minority and the treatment of the alpacas fitted the bill. Whatever meaning the author intended takes nothing away from the joy of reading this unusual novel. All the short stories read at the festival were excellent and the author did a grand job of using different writing techniques to suit the different contestants. By the end of the book I was filled with admiration for the writing but felt a little depressed because my interpretation did not give me much hope other than the fact the main character found his true vocation. Maybe that is the message and I just need to keep searching for mine.
April 3, 2017
When reading about this book I thought it had so much potential. The reviews in the book and on the back gave me hope that it would be a good read... However, there are not many books that I can't finish and this book is one of them. The plot was slow and by the first 50 pages I felt like I had read the same conversation 3 times. The talking Alpaca should have added to the story, making it more exciting and challenging some issues within the world we live in, but failed to do so. And the book did not flow well and felt a bit disjointed. Additionally, the author puts unnecessary references to Homer, Virgil, Borges and other authors/poets. If you haven't read those books you suddenly become alienated as a reader,and can no longer relate to the book. At one part in the book a character is laughed at for not knowing how to say Borges. This almost felt like an insult to everyone who isn't familiar with his work.
Admittedly I have only read up to page 116 of this book and maybe it gets better, maybe it doesn't but I wont be finding out.
Also how does an Alpaca hug ... that's the something I can't quite figure out.
Admittedly I have only read up to page 116 of this book and maybe it gets better, maybe it doesn't but I wont be finding out.
Also how does an Alpaca hug ... that's the something I can't quite figure out.
May 12, 2016
A charming little book that somehow added up to less than the sum of its parts for me. A funny and surreal story around an annual literary competition on a remote island (clearly modelled on the Outer Hebrides, where the author is from) where humans and alpacas live, speak and write stories. The framework permits the author to incorporate a number of separate, unconnected pieces into the novel -- and just to signpost it, the first chapter is titled "If on a Summer's Night an Alpaca." As a big Italo Calvino fan, I appreciated the joke, but Calvino pulls it off with much more aplomb.
This is a nice read, but I can't help being a bit disappointed by it, as I'd had my expectations puffed up by a review in the Guardian, a review which, by the way I urge you to avoid, as it contains just enough spoiler to have seriously affected my reading of the book. In fact, that may be the reason for my disappointment. Why can't all professional reviewers get the idea that relating the plot or giving away details, however much you try to anonymise them, is not book reviewing?
This is a nice read, but I can't help being a bit disappointed by it, as I'd had my expectations puffed up by a review in the Guardian, a review which, by the way I urge you to avoid, as it contains just enough spoiler to have seriously affected my reading of the book. In fact, that may be the reason for my disappointment. Why can't all professional reviewers get the idea that relating the plot or giving away details, however much you try to anonymise them, is not book reviewing?
October 1, 2016
Loved it! Definitely one of the most original books I've ever read and beautifully put together. Did not expect the ending though, honestly thought I'd misunderstood but just shows this is not a predictable book at all! Left me feeling very introspective.
June 28, 2016
Fairly Buddhist, and overly quirky.
August 26, 2024
A unique book that had me hooked from the opening line. The main three characters are wonderful, and stayed with me long afterwards. If the idea of a strong lesbian best friend with a tattoo of a watch on her wrist that simply says "NOW" makes you smile, you'll love it. If you have Buddhist leanings and have ever lived on an island, this will totally speak to you. My only criticism would be the ending, which is abrupt and, on first reading, seemed to come from nowhere. It made more sense on my second reading, though the foreshadowing is too subtle.
July 30, 2018
I'm shattered! This was an excellent read: I truly appreciate MacNeil's forays into writing short stories from the POV of each character. It seems that he had great fun with it, so it was fun to read...and troubling. Not to give spoilers, but I can't see that the story could've gone any other way, dammit.
P.S. I'll be watching for the Haiku-kuri (how'd he spell it?) book ;0°
P.S. I'll be watching for the Haiku-kuri (how'd he spell it?) book ;0°
April 23, 2018
I love a book i find hard to categorise and this fits the bill. Part social commentary, philosophy and short story anthology. I found this hard to put down and difficult to forget; a joy to read. Oh and it has talking alpacas. What's not to like.
December 12, 2016
Great beginning, then the firm totally changes and it loses everything. The end then changes back and its good again. Meh. Clever, but could have been executed much better.
January 4, 2018
I felt very mixed about this book. I loved it at the start, then the middle was a bit mixed and the end felt too quick. I liked it in parts but overall I felt dissatisfied.
August 2, 2018
This is one of the oddest books I've read in a long time. There were parts I loved and parts I thought were indulgent and weird. An interesting read!
January 24, 2019
Funny and original writing. Loved the style, the storyline and the message. And despite a talking, novel-writing alpaca being one of the key protagonists, it's never too hard to suspend disbelief.
October 8, 2019
Utterly odd allegory of everything featuring Alpaca equality and some excellently embedded short stories.
April 19, 2020
This is one of those books where you have to sit quietly for a long time after reading the last page.
May 24, 2020
Started like gangbusters but ran out of steam once it got into the competition and never grabbed me again. The tragic ending seemed out of place.
July 20, 2020
Crazy funny
November 2, 2020
Quirky and beautiful language but the end upset me!
December 15, 2016
The Brilliant and Forever (B&F) of the title is an annual literary competition set on a Hebridean island, an island inhabited by humans – and talking alpacas. Everyone (and alpaca) on the island seems to be a writer or at least aspires to that state. The B&F is the highlight of the year and open to outsiders. There are two Decisions to be made, one by the Judges and one by the People. The judges’ winner gets signed up to a prestigious agency and an advance on a book deal.
The situation allows MacNeil to explore different kinds of demarcation. Not only is there discrimination and prejudice between (some) humans and the alpacas but the humans are divided between whitehousers (privileged) and blackhousers (less so) and there is even distinction among the alpacas from the island’s north and its south.
Our unnamed narrator – a devotee of haiku-kery, a culinary style limited to a certain number and kind of ingredients - is best friends with the human Macy and the alpaca Archie, who has the unfortunate habit of dribbling constantly (and therefore has to be accompanied everywhere by his spittoon) and is attempting to promulgate a catchphrase, “It’s like a jazz thing you don’t get.” As a writer himself Archie has entered the B&F - the first alpaca to do so for some time.
The entries to the competition are given in full. If you were to be uncharitable you could say MacNeil has found a way to shoehorn more than a few totally unrelated short stories into the format of a novel but you also have to admit it’s ingenious.
In amongst all this we have the aperçus, “‘Somehow, despite it all, something will be okay. That’s the best anyone can hope for,’” and “‘a writer tells lies to reveal greater truths and a politician tells half-truths to reveal greater lies.’”
The landscape description is a typically Scottish trait, here exemplified by, “In the broad expanse below - the mellow moorland and the flat, mirrored lakes and the muted sea and the sleeping villages - ” (though that lakes really ought to be lochs,) and there was a nice pun I hadn’t seen before; Lance Pharmstrong.
I was not entirely convinced by the stated response to the consequences following on from the People’s Decision but I shall not indulge in any spoilers. MacNeil’s is certainly an idiosyncratic and unique voice in the modern Scottish novel.
The situation allows MacNeil to explore different kinds of demarcation. Not only is there discrimination and prejudice between (some) humans and the alpacas but the humans are divided between whitehousers (privileged) and blackhousers (less so) and there is even distinction among the alpacas from the island’s north and its south.
Our unnamed narrator – a devotee of haiku-kery, a culinary style limited to a certain number and kind of ingredients - is best friends with the human Macy and the alpaca Archie, who has the unfortunate habit of dribbling constantly (and therefore has to be accompanied everywhere by his spittoon) and is attempting to promulgate a catchphrase, “It’s like a jazz thing you don’t get.” As a writer himself Archie has entered the B&F - the first alpaca to do so for some time.
The entries to the competition are given in full. If you were to be uncharitable you could say MacNeil has found a way to shoehorn more than a few totally unrelated short stories into the format of a novel but you also have to admit it’s ingenious.
In amongst all this we have the aperçus, “‘Somehow, despite it all, something will be okay. That’s the best anyone can hope for,’” and “‘a writer tells lies to reveal greater truths and a politician tells half-truths to reveal greater lies.’”
The landscape description is a typically Scottish trait, here exemplified by, “In the broad expanse below - the mellow moorland and the flat, mirrored lakes and the muted sea and the sleeping villages - ” (though that lakes really ought to be lochs,) and there was a nice pun I hadn’t seen before; Lance Pharmstrong.
I was not entirely convinced by the stated response to the consequences following on from the People’s Decision but I shall not indulge in any spoilers. MacNeil’s is certainly an idiosyncratic and unique voice in the modern Scottish novel.
April 24, 2016
Kevin MacNeil had me from the first paragraph of this beauty. He made me do a double-take while reading, and then laugh, and any author who does that in the first paragraph is likely to win my bookish heart. Besides, this book is about an island of writers who are gearing up for the annual literary festival: a festival unlike any other and one which exposes the preferences, prejudices and tensions within the island society. Which might make the reader think about their own society and its mentality, whether an actual island or one merely in terms of its attitude towards outsiders.
If you're a writer or have ever been to a literary festival or a book event, this will especially appeal to you. There are egos, stories and every sort of writerly character here for you to enjoy. But it also works if that's not your thing because it's a novel about community and friendship, hierarchy and class, happiness and fulfilment, creativity, society and perceived outsiders. And Kevin MacNeil tells his story with a deal of quirk, whimsy, humour through the prism of three friends, one of whom is the novel's narrator. And you probably won't realise just how much is at stake for all of them until it's too late and you find yourself caring and deeply upset when events take a turn in the book. Great read - it is brilliant and I wanted it to last forever.
If you're a writer or have ever been to a literary festival or a book event, this will especially appeal to you. There are egos, stories and every sort of writerly character here for you to enjoy. But it also works if that's not your thing because it's a novel about community and friendship, hierarchy and class, happiness and fulfilment, creativity, society and perceived outsiders. And Kevin MacNeil tells his story with a deal of quirk, whimsy, humour through the prism of three friends, one of whom is the novel's narrator. And you probably won't realise just how much is at stake for all of them until it's too late and you find yourself caring and deeply upset when events take a turn in the book. Great read - it is brilliant and I wanted it to last forever.
April 11, 2016
A brilliant novel that at first glance is a quirky book about the friendship of two humans and an alpaca as they prepare for the island's annual short story literary competition: The Brilliant and Forever. Though I feel it takes a while for the plot to pick up momentum, it is the start of the competition, where through the competitor's short stories that we get a real understanding for the characters.
The novel is however a critique of human behaviour and the inhumane backwards acts/thinking that are still practiced and camouflaged by the word 'tradition'. Pointless and unnecessary cruelty is a running theme and how as humans we choose to voluntarily participate in adhering to old fashioned backward thinking all because of the sake of old tradition and customs.
MacNeil really blends humour in what turns into a dark tale beautifully. Though I think there are aspects to the plot that needed more attention such as - the mysterious figure on top of Hill Fuji, but overall the novel was a pleasure to read and really took me through a full spectra of emotions and lead me to an ending I certainly did not see coming. A great short read!
(For anyone who particularity liked how differently it ended I would highly recommend reading the short story called 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson.)
The novel is however a critique of human behaviour and the inhumane backwards acts/thinking that are still practiced and camouflaged by the word 'tradition'. Pointless and unnecessary cruelty is a running theme and how as humans we choose to voluntarily participate in adhering to old fashioned backward thinking all because of the sake of old tradition and customs.
MacNeil really blends humour in what turns into a dark tale beautifully. Though I think there are aspects to the plot that needed more attention such as - the mysterious figure on top of Hill Fuji, but overall the novel was a pleasure to read and really took me through a full spectra of emotions and lead me to an ending I certainly did not see coming. A great short read!
(For anyone who particularity liked how differently it ended I would highly recommend reading the short story called 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson.)
January 30, 2016
On a small island three friends – our nameless narrator, Macy and Archie the alpaca – prepare for the annual Brilliant & Forever Festival. The participants will each read a sample of their own writing, and the overall winner will be presented with a publishing contract.
“On our island, everyone – human and alpaca alike – wants to be a writer”
The festival is the high point of the calendar, and everyone becomes increasingly tense as the day approaches. When it does, the 13 contestants prepare to be judged – not only by those who will award the lucrative publishing deal, but also by the people…
The Brilliant & Forever is laugh out loud funny, but with an ending that will leave you reeling. My full spoiler free review can be found at:
http://josbookblog.co.uk/2016/01/27/t...
“On our island, everyone – human and alpaca alike – wants to be a writer”
The festival is the high point of the calendar, and everyone becomes increasingly tense as the day approaches. When it does, the 13 contestants prepare to be judged – not only by those who will award the lucrative publishing deal, but also by the people…
The Brilliant & Forever is laugh out loud funny, but with an ending that will leave you reeling. My full spoiler free review can be found at:
http://josbookblog.co.uk/2016/01/27/t...
July 25, 2016
On an invented Scottish island, where half the population is made up of intelligent, literate alpacas, the Brilliant and Forever is an annual literary festival.
Can Archie, the greatest alpaca poet ever win this most prestigious event and prove that alpacas are as good as humans?
This is an entertaining, insightful novel, dealing with issues such as human rights and cultural diversity but also full of humour. I love the idea invented here of haiku-cookery, the rules of which include (I paraphrase):
The first meal of the day contains 5 ingredients
the second meal of the day contains 7 ingredients, and
the third meal of the day includes 5 ingredients
all meals must include seasonal produce
Read this book for an alternative take on Scottish island life and culture. And alpacas.
Can Archie, the greatest alpaca poet ever win this most prestigious event and prove that alpacas are as good as humans?
This is an entertaining, insightful novel, dealing with issues such as human rights and cultural diversity but also full of humour. I love the idea invented here of haiku-cookery, the rules of which include (I paraphrase):
The first meal of the day contains 5 ingredients
the second meal of the day contains 7 ingredients, and
the third meal of the day includes 5 ingredients
all meals must include seasonal produce
Read this book for an alternative take on Scottish island life and culture. And alpacas.
August 15, 2016
Am just a bit uncertain about this book - blurb and reviews described it as funny, but I was pretty stony-faced throughout, and ultimately it felt a bit tricksy and phony. Have handed it over to the men in the family to see if this is a female vs male reader thing. Basically, not as clever as it thinks it is...
January 11, 2017
What an amazing book. A must read for other writers, I would say. Very metta. As a writer, at times I felt that MacNeil was inside my head exploring dilemmas and contradictions I'm familiar with, although the exploration itself was unique and unexpected and brilliant. I Ioved this book. I loved the characters, the sentences, the scenarios and the friendships.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews