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Endland
Kings, lords, liars, usherettes, goal-hangers, gun-men and prostitutes, Whether or not these stories bear any relation to life as it is lived in Endland (sic) is not my problem and good riddance to all those what prefer to read about truly good, lucky and nice people – you won’t like this crap at all.
A comical and brutal weave of parables gone wrong, Endland holds a broken mirror to England. In its garish but strangely familiar world of empty tower blocks, 24-hour cyber cafes and bomb sites, a motley collection of misfits, wanderers and charmed drunks do their best to survive. Nothing is stable in Endland and what’s more, the gods have started drinking at lunchtime, which can only lead to trouble.
Conjured in a mix of slang, pub anecdote, folktale and science fiction, Endland is the nightmare unfolding just outside the window – a glitchy parade of aging bikers and ghost children, cut-price assassins and witless wannabe celebs.
The world fashioned by Thatcher, Google, NATO, ICANN, Brexit, Big Brother, Bin Laden and Trump needs new narratives to make sense of it. In Endland, with feverish wit and a broken compass, Etchells unpicks the myths and strange realities we’re caught up in.
A comical and brutal weave of parables gone wrong, Endland holds a broken mirror to England. In its garish but strangely familiar world of empty tower blocks, 24-hour cyber cafes and bomb sites, a motley collection of misfits, wanderers and charmed drunks do their best to survive. Nothing is stable in Endland and what’s more, the gods have started drinking at lunchtime, which can only lead to trouble.
Conjured in a mix of slang, pub anecdote, folktale and science fiction, Endland is the nightmare unfolding just outside the window – a glitchy parade of aging bikers and ghost children, cut-price assassins and witless wannabe celebs.
The world fashioned by Thatcher, Google, NATO, ICANN, Brexit, Big Brother, Bin Laden and Trump needs new narratives to make sense of it. In Endland, with feverish wit and a broken compass, Etchells unpicks the myths and strange realities we’re caught up in.
370 pages, Paperback
First published November 19, 2019
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212 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 22, 2019
And the Gods looked down on Endland (sic) and tbh they were pretty unhappy how it turned out
Endland is a sort of England. As the back of this book declares:
In Endland, nothing is stable. Its world is one of empty tower blocks, 24-hour cyber cafes and bomb sites. Landscapes haunted by Thatcher, Brexit, folktales and science fiction are populated by a motley collection of misfits, wanderers and charmed drunks. A comical and brutal weave of parables gone wrong, Endland holds a broken mirror to England.”
This is a collection of short stories that are linked by being episodes about life in the bizarre country of Endland. “About Lisa” is the opening story and is about a girl who works in a chip shop. “Shame of Shane”, the second story, is about a mad biker. These are the first two stories and they sound sort of normal when put like that. But they are not normal. Lisa’s sister is murdered and she takes revenge on the man she thinks is the killer and this triggers chaos in her own life (The ways of the Gods are mysterious tho.). In Shane’s story, the king of Endland decides to decimalise time and Shane is one of the unfortunates who loses his birthday in the process which means that he simply stops aging.
These are surreal stories. One of them, The Chapter, is a 12-page list of names of people belonging to or associated with a biker gang. The author explains in a note at the end of the book that this list is ongoing having started in 2001 and gradually grown over the years. Of this story, the author writes:
It takes a different approach than the other pieces here, but its core device - vivid minimal information which invites or obliges the reader to build fiction - is at the heart of the book
As I was reading the book, I got to roughly the halfway point and thought something had changed. The stories seemed a bit different, there were suddenly multiple references to Brexit, Trump, Johnson etc.. But there was no break in the book to indicate a new section. I looked back to the contents page and there was, indeed, a break indicated between two of the stories even though nothing marked that in the main text. Reading the note at the end of the book makes it clear that we are reading two sets of stories. The first group have already been published back in 1999. The second group has evolved since then with many of them being much more recent. When you know this, the changes become more understandable.
I wasn’t completely convinced by the collection. Etchells is a performance artist (the artistic director of Forced Entertainment, an experimental performance company founded in 1984) and many of these pieces began life as commissions for performances. It is hard to escape the feeling that a lot of these stories would work better when read out loud, when performed, rather than when read in your head from the comfort of an armchair. There is a lot of humour. The comedy is often by means of crazy names (the gods Codswallop and Meth Head, the people Crude Laverne and Great Uncle Dole Man - these examples selected by opening the book at random and there are literally hundreds more), or famous names re-appropriated so that the person you associate with that name suddenly appears in your mind’s eye in the wrong context. It’s the kind of thing you image a crowd laughing uproariously at when it is part of a performance but I am not sure it works so well when written down and read silently. The book also has a cavalier (deliberately so) approach to grammar and spelling with a lot of shorthand: large parts of the text give the impression of notes written down in a hurry or by someone more accustomed to slang (so obviously becomes obvs, once become 1ce, didn’t becomes dint and couldn’t becomes something I can’t really write here). The spelling of a character’s name often changes several times through the course of a story, again suggesting someone writing at speed and not looking for consistency. I was willing to go with both the humour and the language for a while, but I did find it started to grate as I progressed through the book. Again, seeing the pcs performed and hearing them individerlly wld probs be a hole diff kettle of fish.
Endland is a sort of England. As the back of this book declares:
In Endland, nothing is stable. Its world is one of empty tower blocks, 24-hour cyber cafes and bomb sites. Landscapes haunted by Thatcher, Brexit, folktales and science fiction are populated by a motley collection of misfits, wanderers and charmed drunks. A comical and brutal weave of parables gone wrong, Endland holds a broken mirror to England.”
This is a collection of short stories that are linked by being episodes about life in the bizarre country of Endland. “About Lisa” is the opening story and is about a girl who works in a chip shop. “Shame of Shane”, the second story, is about a mad biker. These are the first two stories and they sound sort of normal when put like that. But they are not normal. Lisa’s sister is murdered and she takes revenge on the man she thinks is the killer and this triggers chaos in her own life (The ways of the Gods are mysterious tho.). In Shane’s story, the king of Endland decides to decimalise time and Shane is one of the unfortunates who loses his birthday in the process which means that he simply stops aging.
These are surreal stories. One of them, The Chapter, is a 12-page list of names of people belonging to or associated with a biker gang. The author explains in a note at the end of the book that this list is ongoing having started in 2001 and gradually grown over the years. Of this story, the author writes:
It takes a different approach than the other pieces here, but its core device - vivid minimal information which invites or obliges the reader to build fiction - is at the heart of the book
As I was reading the book, I got to roughly the halfway point and thought something had changed. The stories seemed a bit different, there were suddenly multiple references to Brexit, Trump, Johnson etc.. But there was no break in the book to indicate a new section. I looked back to the contents page and there was, indeed, a break indicated between two of the stories even though nothing marked that in the main text. Reading the note at the end of the book makes it clear that we are reading two sets of stories. The first group have already been published back in 1999. The second group has evolved since then with many of them being much more recent. When you know this, the changes become more understandable.
I wasn’t completely convinced by the collection. Etchells is a performance artist (the artistic director of Forced Entertainment, an experimental performance company founded in 1984) and many of these pieces began life as commissions for performances. It is hard to escape the feeling that a lot of these stories would work better when read out loud, when performed, rather than when read in your head from the comfort of an armchair. There is a lot of humour. The comedy is often by means of crazy names (the gods Codswallop and Meth Head, the people Crude Laverne and Great Uncle Dole Man - these examples selected by opening the book at random and there are literally hundreds more), or famous names re-appropriated so that the person you associate with that name suddenly appears in your mind’s eye in the wrong context. It’s the kind of thing you image a crowd laughing uproariously at when it is part of a performance but I am not sure it works so well when written down and read silently. The book also has a cavalier (deliberately so) approach to grammar and spelling with a lot of shorthand: large parts of the text give the impression of notes written down in a hurry or by someone more accustomed to slang (so obviously becomes obvs, once become 1ce, didn’t becomes dint and couldn’t becomes something I can’t really write here). The spelling of a character’s name often changes several times through the course of a story, again suggesting someone writing at speed and not looking for consistency. I was willing to go with both the humour and the language for a while, but I did find it started to grate as I progressed through the book. Again, seeing the pcs performed and hearing them individerlly wld probs be a hole diff kettle of fish.
June 5, 2020
I really did not “get” this book. I liked the premise for the short stories, but found the material quite shallow. It seemed like the pseudo-insightful ramblings of an intoxicated person, which may well be it’s appeal/USP. Not for me.
July 2, 2024
lots of positives to be said about this collection of short stories but also quite a few negatives!
endland is a brutal & harsh read that really sinks its teeth into you. it’s comedic satire rarely often made me crack a smile whilst actually reading, it’s definitely there but the overarching themes & ugliness of the texts far overshadowed most of its comedic moments. if you’re looking for a text that really makes you feel disgusted by country/world around you this is a good place to start!
i found the writing to be pretty engaging, with only brief sections really zoning me out. (eg. incredibly long lists of names that sometimes pop up) the style is very rough which adds to the overall character and aesthetic this book is going for. every story in here is about some form of class struggle / exploitation etc etc, so the text being in such loose, informal, at times text-speech style gives it a more gritty feel.
unfortunately my biggest grievance is just its overall length! 370 pages felt exceptionally long to get through, especially with the stopping/starting between each story. this could definitely be shortened imo, since there are quite a few stories that either reach nowhere near the heights as others, or are simply too muddled with the whole mixed realities/sci-fi elements.
a whole bunch of artistic merit, just one i wish was more precise, more cutting. all killer no filler etc.. maybe a book to pick through over the course of a month or so
endland is a brutal & harsh read that really sinks its teeth into you. it’s comedic satire rarely often made me crack a smile whilst actually reading, it’s definitely there but the overarching themes & ugliness of the texts far overshadowed most of its comedic moments. if you’re looking for a text that really makes you feel disgusted by country/world around you this is a good place to start!
i found the writing to be pretty engaging, with only brief sections really zoning me out. (eg. incredibly long lists of names that sometimes pop up) the style is very rough which adds to the overall character and aesthetic this book is going for. every story in here is about some form of class struggle / exploitation etc etc, so the text being in such loose, informal, at times text-speech style gives it a more gritty feel.
unfortunately my biggest grievance is just its overall length! 370 pages felt exceptionally long to get through, especially with the stopping/starting between each story. this could definitely be shortened imo, since there are quite a few stories that either reach nowhere near the heights as others, or are simply too muddled with the whole mixed realities/sci-fi elements.
a whole bunch of artistic merit, just one i wish was more precise, more cutting. all killer no filler etc.. maybe a book to pick through over the course of a month or so
December 15, 2019
Oho, most excellent collection of oddball off kilter state of the (Endland) nation stories.
My favourite opening line from the story "Taxi Driver" is:
There was an obstreperous Greek taxi driver called Antagonistes.
My favourite opening line from the story "Taxi Driver" is:
There was an obstreperous Greek taxi driver called Antagonistes.
April 26, 2020
It's grim up North. It was in the 1990s, and apparently it still is. Old England is dying.
A combination of a 1999 collection and more modern pieces, these are dark tales which mix pop references, myth, social comment and everything else. Some of the stories work, but it's all very bleak.
Anyone looking to escape from the awfulness of the world right now, well, this is an unfortunate time to publish this. Interesting but ultimately too depressing. In Jarvis Cocker's introduction to this book he writes: 'I respect this book - but I never want to read it again.' Indeed.
A combination of a 1999 collection and more modern pieces, these are dark tales which mix pop references, myth, social comment and everything else. Some of the stories work, but it's all very bleak.
Anyone looking to escape from the awfulness of the world right now, well, this is an unfortunate time to publish this. Interesting but ultimately too depressing. In Jarvis Cocker's introduction to this book he writes: 'I respect this book - but I never want to read it again.' Indeed.
April 10, 2020
Tim Etchells, a Sheffield based artist and writer and leader of the Forced Entertainment performance group, is the author of this strange, day-glo pop art collection of stories.
Set in the dystopian tabloid nightmare that is “Endland”, Etchell’s prose is like listening to someone tell you a drunken story in a Norther boozer, full of weird syntax and colloquialisms. A burnt out, fast food nation, a parade of failed reality stars, wannabes, misfits and drunks, this is the land that festers below the surface of the one we live in.
The first half of this collection is a set of stories first published in the 90s, the second longer half contains stories written since then. Echoes of Ballard, Milligan and Mark E Smith fill stories of a run down them-park Britain, seen through the prism of daytime TV, tabloid headlines and distant wars. It’s a nation under surveillance, one both current and post-apocalyptic.
It’s a wild ride and it’s full of humour as well as horror and satire. Etchell’s has created a unique vision that’s like nothing else I’ve ever read. To be honest it gets a bit wearing towards the end, an overdose of bleakness perhaps. But it’s well worth your time.
Set in the dystopian tabloid nightmare that is “Endland”, Etchell’s prose is like listening to someone tell you a drunken story in a Norther boozer, full of weird syntax and colloquialisms. A burnt out, fast food nation, a parade of failed reality stars, wannabes, misfits and drunks, this is the land that festers below the surface of the one we live in.
The first half of this collection is a set of stories first published in the 90s, the second longer half contains stories written since then. Echoes of Ballard, Milligan and Mark E Smith fill stories of a run down them-park Britain, seen through the prism of daytime TV, tabloid headlines and distant wars. It’s a nation under surveillance, one both current and post-apocalyptic.
It’s a wild ride and it’s full of humour as well as horror and satire. Etchell’s has created a unique vision that’s like nothing else I’ve ever read. To be honest it gets a bit wearing towards the end, an overdose of bleakness perhaps. But it’s well worth your time.
April 17, 2020
So many favourite books. The favourite I want to shout about here is Endland by Sheffield theatre man, artist and writer Tim Etchells. He nails the state of the country we live in, with comic, wild, dark tales born of South Yorkshire. It’s strange, and so true. And it’s been a bit of a fairy tale for us at Sheffield press And Other Stories to publish him. Seeing a few of his older stories exhibited in an Off the Shelf festival event at Site Gallery in 2018 was the spur to asking if he was still writing fiction. He was. He’s been writing Endland for thirty years. Now the world is catching up and reading it.
Reviewed by Stephan Tobler.
Stefan Tobler is a translator and founder of And Other Stories, a Sheffield based, independent publisher. And Other Stories publishes some of the best in contemporary writing, including many translations. They aim to push people’s reading limits and help them discover authors of adventurous and inspiring writing.
www.andotherstories.org
January 14, 2025
Hmmm... should I rate a book I haven't finished? Controversial but I will give it a go.
So, I did enjoy the style of this book. It's refreshing and creative, forget everything you might think you are heading to get- it's different to anything you could imagine. Yet, I don't feel the need to finish it. You get the point fairly quickly and I feel like it probably doesn't have to go on for another 300 pages to prove it.
Some stories are right on terrifying- the sheer amount of useless violence, gore and cruelty can put you off leaving the house if you live in Endland.
It should probably come with a generic trigger warning- whatever you might be sensitive to, even if you think you are not easily distressed, it is going to cause you a lot of discomfort, just trust me on this.
So have a go at few chosen stories but don't feel too bad if you don't want to spend few afternoons subjecting yourself to trauma.
So, I did enjoy the style of this book. It's refreshing and creative, forget everything you might think you are heading to get- it's different to anything you could imagine. Yet, I don't feel the need to finish it. You get the point fairly quickly and I feel like it probably doesn't have to go on for another 300 pages to prove it.
Some stories are right on terrifying- the sheer amount of useless violence, gore and cruelty can put you off leaving the house if you live in Endland.
It should probably come with a generic trigger warning- whatever you might be sensitive to, even if you think you are not easily distressed, it is going to cause you a lot of discomfort, just trust me on this.
So have a go at few chosen stories but don't feel too bad if you don't want to spend few afternoons subjecting yourself to trauma.
January 30, 2020
Endland is a collection of short stories based in a fictional dystopia based on England. It delves into a fantasy underworld featuring many odd characters with some characteristics you might recognise if you watch the news, read the tabloids, or visit the post war apartment blocks you find in cities across the country. It's not a pleasant place.
All the stories feel experimental. Some are a lot better than others. Some are simply lists. Others are actual stories. They all contain deliberately misspelled words and slang. There's a lot of brands that people from England will recognise. As a result, it will probably confuse people with little connection to the U.K.
All the stories feel experimental. Some are a lot better than others. Some are simply lists. Others are actual stories. They all contain deliberately misspelled words and slang. There's a lot of brands that people from England will recognise. As a result, it will probably confuse people with little connection to the U.K.
February 25, 2021
I can see why so many people give up before finishing this book. However, I would say that the second part- the newer stories are more cohesive and less jagged. Etchells explains very clearly what the stories are and how they are constructed in the afterword. Grotesque fables, many absurdist and definitely ugly - no happy endings to be found. Yet, these stories do convey important essences of life and language in the UK, especially in the north of England.
January 12, 2020
This was exactly what (I thought) I was looking for just after the jolly holidays: raw. But culturally most of the Brexit themes just went over my head. The literary devices were annoying © especially as an ebook. I kept wondering if the print version would be as distracting, as though the ebook went unedited. Good writing at times. Raw, yes. Relatable? Not for me. Nope.
January 8, 2020
Bold, brash, funny, brutally satirical, this is an eye-opening collection of stories, reflecting our world and/or portraying a ghastly mirror dimension that if we're not careful, we could create. Delightful in its wordplay, biting in its vision, highly recommended.
November 8, 2022
Visionary, gritty, hilarious, scathing, repetitive. These short stories make their point well, again and again, with diminishing returns. I’d recommend that everyone begin this book, and give up as and when they feel inclined. There are undoubtedly some real gems within.
January 30, 2021
I rarely give up on a book but only got up to page 47 on this one.
I enjoyed the introduction by Jarvis Cocker.
I enjoyed the introduction by Jarvis Cocker.
December 15, 2021
I thought I didn’t like absurdism, but perhaps I hadn’t read anything absurd enough.
July 14, 2024
bonkers and fantastical portraits of “England” in all its tacky, scary, rich hooliganism. V funny and surreal and bizarre.
April 18, 2025
some of the stories were great! other times he just wanted to hear himself talk (literally)
June 7, 2020
Dark and satirical, these are a two sets of Burroughsian routines about England - in the 90s and in the new century. Etchells says his biggest influence is Mark E Smith, and that shows.
November 3, 2019
DNF at 85 pages.
I was sent this from And Other Stories for review.
This book is very very bleak but it is very clever. I had to stop reading this because I found it too dark to read at this moment in time. It is set in the city I live in and shows a dystopian post-brexit world that scarily feels close to England's current reality.
Jarivs Cocker writes the introduction to this edition and states how brilliant this book is but will never read it again and this is how I feel. I do want to attempt to read this again at a later date (when I hopefully have some distance from brexit) but at this moment I have had to put this down.
I was sent this from And Other Stories for review.
This book is very very bleak but it is very clever. I had to stop reading this because I found it too dark to read at this moment in time. It is set in the city I live in and shows a dystopian post-brexit world that scarily feels close to England's current reality.
Jarivs Cocker writes the introduction to this edition and states how brilliant this book is but will never read it again and this is how I feel. I do want to attempt to read this again at a later date (when I hopefully have some distance from brexit) but at this moment I have had to put this down.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews