Walking the Lights

by Deborah Andrews

Recently graduated young actor Maddie lives the slacker life in mid-90s Glasgow with deadbeat boyfriend Mike. Estranged from her mother due to a violent step-dad, most of the young couple’s meager resources go to drink and drugs. Maddie and some friends harbor hopes of putting on their own production of The Tempest. As she moves from one low-paid acting role to another, and from the abusive relationship with Mike to talented actor Alex, can Maddie confront the past and find a way of living in the present? This book perfectly evokes 90s Britain and those living on the margins, while others prosper. This is a compelling study of one young woman learning the life of an actor, as she learns how to live life, negotiating the self-destructive temptations of young adulthood

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Novels

299 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2016

About the author

Deborah is an award-winning theatre practitioner turned novelist. Most notably her theatrical adaptation of Dream State: The New Scottish Poets won a Scotsman Fringe First Award; she established the first year-round Deaf Youth Theatre in the UK; and she co-founded Solar Bear theatre company (of which she was Artistic Director 2002-09). Her knowledge of the theatre world inspired her debut novel Walking the Lights (a feminist Withnail and I). Born in Windsor, Deborah moved to Glasgow to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She went on to work as a performer, director, workshop facilitator and writer, and gained an MLitt (Distinction) and an AHRC-funded PhD in creative writing from Glasgow University. She now lives in Lancaster where she teaches creative writing. Her short stories have been published in several anthologies and she is currently writing her second novel.

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot for me to love about this book, but equally there were things I found really disappointing. But it's all about the potential right? And Deborah Andrews I can see is definitely a talented author so I'd be keen to see what she puts out next.

Hopefully something again Glasgow-based as one of the things I enjoyed the most about Walking the Lights was how cosy, familiar and nostalgic it felt. I'm a sucker for books set in my home city, and I'm also a sucker for a 90s setting (my childhood decade), so this was a double win for me. I also really love reading books about artists, and the acting elements of this were really exciting. The production of The Tempest in this book sounded absolutely breathtaking, I'd love to see something similar!

But I found that the deeper themes of the novel were lost a little due to a lot of meandering sections. We follow Maddie around various parts of Glasgow, as well as Stirling and some other areas. And that's all well and good. But a lot of the time the book is just that - her wandering, her taking drugs and drinking, her feeling cut up about her various love interests as well as her absent father. And at the beginning, these elements are given a solid basis and you feel like they're going to be a major element of the book. But they just... aren't? Certain characters who originally feel central become inconsequential, and the book takes a turn that I really didn't see coming but which only partially worked for me.

I found the ending very touching, and I did feel a little touch of the emotions at some points - like I said, Andrews definitely has talent and potential! But as a whole package this didn't quite come together in the way I had hoped it would. Still, let's see what the future brings eh? And also, I really want to read The Tempest now.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who's formative years were in the 1990s this perfectly echoes the experiences, anxieties and triumphs of that decade. As a young actress in mid 90s Glasgow our heroine has to face her childhood issues to take control of her life. A brilliant read that brought tears to the eyes of someone who was a young actress in Glasgow in the 1990s.

[Mystica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the 1990s in inner Glasgow I presumably think the less salubrious side, Maddie's life opens in this story on a rather squalid note. I had no hopes for either Maddie or the story and thought it was just another druggie story going from bad to worse and was rather sickened by the saga as it unfolded.

With no hope for betterment and no wanting it to be better Maddie and Mike live from moment to moment hoping to find money for their next fix, scrounging and borrowing what they could, where they could till Maddie gets an opportunity to work in the field she likes and despite all odds is able to make something of her life. Its a hard crawl out of the gutter but she does it.

For me it was reading something that belonged to an era and time I know nothing about so it was an eye opener but which I presume was true and representative of a time and people who lived the way they did!

Starting off with very negative feelings about the whole saga, my interest was piqued by the story as it progressed.

[Andi Is Awesome · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a shame I had such a long hiatus on this book. As someone familiar with both Glasgow and Stirling in the 90s, this was a nostalgic trip of a story. The description of election night in particular was fantastic

[Kirsty Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 90s nostalgic trip, being from Glasgow made it easy to relate. Ending felt a bit rushed but well written characters that were fully formed

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ✨

[Weezelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for Walking the Lights by Deborah Andrews. It’s been shortlisted for this year’s The Not the Booker Prize; it’s published by an independent Scottish publishing house that gave us last year’s The Not the Booker Prize winner (Fishnet by Kirsten Innes); it’s set in Glasgow, and its blurb promises that it ‘perfectly evokes 90s Britain and those living on the margins, while others prosper’. A winning combination, I thought.

However, Walking the Lights was a total disappointment. It started off well, quickly setting the scene and the tone for our protagonist, Maddie. We learn, all in the first 20 pages, that Maddie’s dad isn’t around, her boyfriend is a loser, her mum’s remarried a thug, she’s just finished acting school, she’s unemployed and any cash she has goes on dope.

"She rolled a single skinner then poured boiling water into the mug. The fridge was nearly empty – a few sauce bottles and a packet of bacon, Callum’s. No milk. But Mike said he’d borrowed money off Gnasher. Later they’d have a full cooked breakfast. There might even be enough to buy shampoo. She’d used washing up liquid last time, now even that had run out."

Andrews has an eye for detail and uses it to excess to paint for us Maddie’s Glasgow. By the end of the book we have toured almost the whole city and its landmarks (‘the M8 was jammed and the journey slow, but finally she caught a glimpse of George Square. It was strung with Christmas lights’), a lot of well-known drinking establishments (Brel, Clatty Pat’s, Bar 91, Blackfriars) and we’ve been up and down many of the city’s roads from the West End through to the East End, and some bits in the middle. We’ve also travelled with Maddie to Stirling, Edinburgh, Lenzie and Loch Lomond. We’ve been to a hogmanay party and watched Tony Blair win the 1997 General Election.

In the end, the hammering detail about the city was just too much. Andrews needs to take a leaf out of James Kelman‘s book (in particular How Late It Was, How Late), or even Denise Mina‘s. These writers can portray Glasgow so that it churns away in the background, giving the narrative further depth and yet also delivering a different perspective on the city. I felt like Deborah Andrew’s Glasgow was the metaphorical equivalent of a garish Scottish souvenir shop on the high street, rather than Kelman’s pokey wee pub down the road.

But my biggest problem with this book was that nothing happened. I’m okay with Nothing Happening. I just finished and quite liked Our Souls At Night where largely, Nothing Happened. But if you’re going to have a book where Nothing Happens, there has to be something else, otherwise it’s just 300 pages of empty dialogue. For a large part of Walking the Lights I felt like I was trapped in a narrative loop of: Maddie wandering around Glasgow, Maddie going in and out of other people’s flats, Maddie scrounging for a joint, Maddie turning to her friends for support, Maddie feeling despondent, Maddie wandering around Glasgow, Maddie going in and out of other people’s flats…. Nothing Happened, in every sense.

There was something of a climax towards the end of the book which enlivened it a little, but even in the most dramatic scenes there was still a lot of Maddie wandering around Glasgow. And unfortunately, the very ending of the book bordered on a cliche.

Deborah Andrews describes her book as a feminist Withnail and I. I think she’s pitched her book a little high – I didn’t get a lot of feminist insight, or in fact, any insight into much at all. I didn’t learn anything new about ‘living on the margins’ in 90s Scotland, what it’s like to be a struggling actor or how it might be like to come from a poor, fractured family. At the beginning, I did get a kick out of revisiting the sights of Glasgow and beyond, but given this was largely all his book left me with, I could’ve just read Lonely Planet’s Glasgow or perhaps the Walking in Scotland edition. Either would’ve been more engaging and they would’ve delivered what their blurbs promised.

[Ophelia Sings · Rating 5 out of 5]

​The mid 90s were a wonderful, confusing, frightening, exciting time to be young. The heady mix of a new Labour government after, quite literally for many, a lifetime of Tory rule; the raw urgency and joy of the soundtrack of our youth, all too soon hijacked by the bland fashmag-approved gloss of Cool Britannia; the embryonic internet and the emerging world of young dotcom millionaires; the poverty and hopelessness of millions, Thatcher's cruel legacy. Deborah Andrews' breathtaking debut beautifully and evocatively captures the truth of youth in mid 90s Glasgow in a tale so deftly woven and beautifully written, it is every bit as addictive as the substances which powder the pages.

Maddie is a jobbing actor fresh from drama college without a penny to her name and a boyfriend who prefers the bottom of a bottle to her company. Struggling to survive between dole payments and all but alienated from her family thanks to a boorish, abusive stepfather, she attempts to anaesthetize herself with an array of drugs; a daily escape from the harsh reality of her life. Eventually breaking free of boyfriend Mike, she embarks on a relationship so fulfilling and life-affirming she allows herself to believe that life may be beautiful after all; her involvement in a retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest becomes her other passionate focus. But a tragic revelation threatens Maddie's already tenuous hold on reality; will her hard-won new life unravel, and will encroaching paranoia and madness claim her?

In Maddie, Andrews has created a damaged heroine so warm, likeable and credible the reader is powerless to resist falling for her. We root for her and cry with her, and feel keenly the losses and fears she feels. She is a beautifully drawn, multifaceted character; the dizzying sense of disorientation and powerlessness as her life slides out of view is palpable and frightening, and we care deeply what becomes of her. The supporting cast of friends are instantly recognisable to all who were young in 1996, particularly if your group was of the arty persuasion. The delightful Roger is especially memorable, flamboyant yet warm and genuine as he is. The crush of nightclubs and the rush of neverending nights are headily evoked - we are reminded simultaneously of the carefree all-nighters and adventures of youth, and, too, the crushing come-downs and fears for the future. We long for those days, while glad that they are far behind us.

Walking the Lights is a love/hate letter to youth, but also a straight love letter to Scotland - from the grand desolation of remote lochs to the hustle and deprivation of inner-city Glasgow, Andrews paints an affecting and compelling portrait of the country and its people. Her theatrical background ensures that the mechanics of a production - and the lives of those involved - hum with authenticity. Lines from The Tempest are judiciously woven into the narrative like sequins, adding to the other-worldly feel and theme. The writing shimmers, poetic and lyrical, hallucinogenic and ethereal. It has been a long time since a book transported me in the way Walking the Lights has; the way in which Andrews conjures magic and beauty from grit and suffering is testament to her immense skill.

Walking the Lights is, unequivocally, the finest debut of the year and one of my books of 2016. Deeply moving, hypnotically beautiful, utterly compelling and ultimately redemptive, this is a book whose characters - particularly the complex, damaged, wonderful Maddie - will stay with you long after the last page is turned. Stunning.

My sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jackie Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Walking the Lights, by Deborah Andrews, takes the reader through a year in the life of recently graduated drama student Maddie McGuire. When the book opens Maddie is living in a squalid house share with her boyfriend, Mike. They exist on state benefits and short term loans, prioritising both legal and illegal drugs over food. They watch as others from their college course find work, unable to fathom how they will manage to make happen the big break they dream of.

Maddie harbours a deep resentment over her upbringing. She has vague, happy memories of her father who left the family home when she was young. She now wonders why he did not keep in touch, believing he cannot have cared. Her mother remarried and Maddie has always disliked her volatile stepfather. The feeling appears to be mutual.

Although now choosing to distance herself from her family, Maddie has a close circle of friends from her drama course who she can rely on. Amongst them is Jo. This young woman, unlike Maddie, is able and willing to seek out opportunities for work. She puts Maddie in touch with some of her contacts that her friend may find at least some casual employment from time to time. Maddie and Jo talk of putting on their own production, an adaptation of ‘The Tempest’, and Jo sets out to make it happen.

The story charts the progression of Maddie’s relationships with partners, family and friends. As each of the characters is developed the reader is offered scope to empathise, despite their flaws. I could not warm to Maddie though. Throughout the narrative she remained self centred and dependent. I wondered at her friends’ loyalty.

Maddie does not appear able to contemplate moving away from her home town of Glasgow. As an aspiring actress this struck me as odd. When she gets together with Alex and he ponders pursuing further education elsewhere she does not consider going with him. I wondered what tied her so tightly to a place which is presented as damp and drab, where the family she resents can demand attention and her career is in stasis. It is as if she is unwilling to grasp the life she claims to desire, waiting for others to provide.

The writing is abrupt in places, although the reader is offered vivid descriptions of the effects psychotic drugs have on the mind. Alex’s role is centralised and then sidelined. I was unclear as to why Maddie needed a friend to suggest she try to contact her father, why she did not think of this herself. I enjoyed the descriptive sections, it was the neediness and inertia Maddie portrayed that seemed at odds with her apparent talent and desire for more. Despite my reservations I was moved by the denouement.

This is an enjoyable enough read but lacked coherency and depth. The perspective offered on young actors lives is interesting, but ultimately the whole left be unsatisfied.

[Michael]

A book that celebrates a time and a place that was Glasgow in 1997. Struggling actors, difficult relationships caused by dysfunctional upbrinings and confused personal histories, set on a backdrop of "The Tempest", the Scottish highlands and the pill-popping craze of the late 90's. An interesting read that was both intimate and raw, and light and hopeful. Deborah Andrews is a new Scottish voice to watch.

[Whatthelog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Walking the Lights is the debut novel of Deborah Andrews, published by Freight Books. It follows Maddie, a young, mostly-unemployed actor living in Glasgow as she attempts to understand where she went wrong and how she can pull herself out from the margins.

This is post-university life as it is in reality. Broke and struggling, Maddie struggles to find a job, and herself, in this inexpressibly Scottish novel. Much like Three Craws, Scotland feels essential to Walking the Lights. Grim and delightful and real, I’m kind-of loving my foray into Scotland this year.

This isn’t an easy read, by any means. Death, drugs and depression hound Maddie as she attempts to pull herself together enough to play Miranda. (When I saw that The Tempest was going to be central to Walking the Lights, I knew I had to read it. I love the play, and with its themes of fathers and daughters and shipwrecked souls, it absolutely fits 90s Glasgow.) Saying that, however, there are also some truly amusing moments as eccentric and outrageous drama students band together to create.

My one slight problem is with blurb on the back of the book, actually. It states that this is a feminist version of Whithnail and I. Other than the fact that the protagonist is female, I really don’t know what makes it specifically feminist. There are some fabulous female characters but the male characters are equally important and interesting. It could maybe be called feminist because Maddie attempts to pulls herself together, and understands the way she has been trapped within semi-abusive relationships throughout her life. And that’s a huge realisation, don’t get me wrong. I just hoped for something a bit more overt and empowering than that.

Nominated in the Not the Booker Prize, Walking the Lights is a novel that strikes right at the heart of the realities of life as it is, and how, with a bit of luck, it could be.

[Elizabeth Madden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have two, quite distinct reactions to this novel. My initial feelings about it were very negative. Having looked at other, enthusiastic reviews, I decided that I was obviously not in the right age group to really enjoy and appreciate the depiction of 1990s post student life, as my own postgrad days took place 20 years earlier and were very, very different. Consequently, I found I had little empathy with the main characters, most of whom struck me as being rather flat, unengaging souls, particularly Maddie, the main character, and that the lives they lived were tedious, repetitive and lacking in any real point and purpose; consequently, until about the middle of the novel, I felt the novel itself lacked any real impetus and I was reading on purely because I was going to write a review at the end. However, from the point where Maddie thinks she has discovered her real father's whereabouts, I felt that the storyline found its focus and energy, and the sections depicting both Maddie's drug induced psychosis and her stay in a unit for the mentally ill were highly credible and interesting to read. The sections concerning the devised theatre piece, too, engaged me a great deal, and I thought the idea of interweaving the Maddie/lost father/Miranda/Prospero themes was good, if not entirely successful, in terms of plausibility. I'm glad I persevered with this novel, and am sure that the author's next will be worth seeking out.

[Wonderkell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a reasonably good read with a few positive points & a few frustrating cons that left me disappointed in the end.

I chose this book because I thought that as a struggling theatre artist myself, I would find something to relate to. And I did relate to the struggles with confidence, the dreams of doing work deemed worthy & successful, feeling like taking work in role play training ( which I also do ) is somehow lowering your standards. But that is probably where my similarities & understanding of Maddie's situation ended. I found myself frustrated with a character who wanted to work as a successful actor, but was unwilling to get off her butt & stop smoking pot long enough to put in the hard work. Even when we finally got an insight into Maddie's family circumstances & the results, there is never a proper examination of why Maddie feels the need to punish herself through drugs, poor relationship choices & self sabotage. There are also some other beautiful characters in Roger, Jo, Alex & Wren that never got the full amount of effort they deserved. Less time detailing Maddie's drug trips & more fleshing out relationships & characters might have made a less frustrating book.
That being said, I did love the use of William Shakespeare's The Tempest as a narrative device. It was quite nicely used & worked rèally well.

[Angelica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is written thoughtfully, as Maddie's journey through life gradually unfolds. I loved Andrews' narrative which is well paced and cleverly reveals Maddie's character, little by little. Her struggle as a young actress on the fringes of society is both moving and fascinating. Andrews manages to keep the plot moving and describes 90s Glasgow in wonderful detail. The protagonist is engaging even though she makes a series of questionable decisions along the way. This debut novel is definitely worth the read and I enjoyed every moment of it.

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unflinchingly raw and heartbreakingly real insight into the life of a struggling actor in Glasgow. By the final section I just couldn't put it down - I can't wait for Andrews' second novel already!

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie's story as she leaves university in Scotland, and starts out as an actress. Living on benefits with a drug addicted boyfriend and a disfunctional family life, we follow her life as she breaks free from her past.