Stickleback

by John McCabe

A tale of office life, drink, drugs, friendship, love, clubs, football, computer programming, breakfast and a perfect financial heist.

Genres: Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 1998

Reviews

[Karan joshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first novel of sir John McCabe, fast paced funny novel buy it and read it!

[John Carlsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Handlar först och främst om datakonsulten Ian som lever ett ganska inrutat liv (med undantag för div drogutflykter). En dag har hans kollega Archie kidnappats och han blir tvungen att utföra kriminella handlingar.

"Ung, smart, snabb brittisk humor av idag" står det på framsidan men så jättekul hade jag faktiskt inte när jag läste...

[Basia Korzeniowska · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started off quite well but in the end it was a nasty book about some pretty nasty people. I read it to the end hoping for some redeeming features, but they were few and far between. Rollicking it was not.

[Jayne Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has nothing to do with fish beyond the comparison drawn in the very first line with the main character’s life. It is, however, a highly entertaining look at the ins and outs of Blokedom. The plot, involving a piece of high-tech fraud, is a sort of coat-stand on which to hang the various components of main character Ian’s life – the friends he plays football with, the girlfriend he has recently split up from, the drugs he takes with varying results, the apparently anal colleague that irritates him at work.

The writing is sharp and insightful, and innovative without being in-your-face (the elongated sentence describing the nightclub being a case in point). I guessed the twist at the end without too much trouble and expect many other readers will too, but the plot was secondary as far as I was concerned – I really felt as though I learned something about the opposite sex from reading this book, and had many a laugh along the way.

[Rchbus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quirky book with English sardonic humour. Ian works in a dull office opposite equally dull Archie. I thought Stickleback was going to be a witty observational book on the ridiculous things of modern life, but the plot got quite dark halfway through. Ian gets on the wrong side of 2 seedy characters who get him to bug the office with disastrous results. Some incisive observations come about from Ian’s introspection, which made me empathise with his predicament. Ian is like a fish out of water when hurled into a world of blackmail and betrayal. I’m not sure it is an edge-of-the-seat type of thriller, but some good plot twists.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little novel this. Both funny (VERY funny, in places) and at the same time menacing. Ian is a great protagonist - smart, yet at the same time utterly hapless and a lot more vulnerable than he likes to think. I read this in two sittings start to finish - recommended.

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

from my 2002 notebook: read this mainly because it's set partly on the number 11 circular bus route round Birmingham (UK) which passes the bottom of my road. I love the number 11 bus (when it finally arrives) but I didn't love this - pretty crap. One or two laughs.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but I don't know about it being a "thriller."