Damascus

by Richard Beard

In his first novel, X 20: A Novel of (Not) Smoking , Richard Beard demonstrated his love for variations on a theme, examining obsession from many different perspectives. In Damascus , he rings his changes on the nature of time as his characters are born; grow to adulthood; and experience tragedy, disappointment, and disillusionment before finally finding love--all on a single immutable day. It is the first of November 1993 and somewhere in the Kingdom, in Quarndon or Northampton or Newry or York, in Kirkcaldy or Yeovil or Lincoln or Neath, a baby girl is born. Her name is Hazel. On the same day in another part of Britain, a baby boy named Spencer also makes his entrance into the world, and 12 years later--also on November 1, 1993, he and Hazel are destined to meet during a holiday at the beach. Another 12 years will pass before the two meet again (on November 1, 1993) and make passionate love for the first time. If the date remains unchanging, it's about all that does in this novel. This is the day, after all, when the European Union officially begins, the day after the deaths of film director Federico Fellini and actor River Phoenix. This is the last day in England for Henry Matsui, a somewhat deranged Japanese student in love with his teacher, Hazel, and he decides to make the most of it with potentially calamitous results. Most important of all, this is the day when Spencer hopes at last to find his "a sign, any sign, telling him that he and Hazel were right for each other and that therefore his life had changed direction overnight." Though the physics of Beard's novel might prove initially distracting, is isn't long before one is so drawn into the characters' lives that disbelief is willingly suspended. And for readers who like puzzles and have a lot of time on their hands, you might want to get a hold of the November 1, 1993, London Times --all but 12 of the book's nouns are drawn from that day's paper. --Alix Wilber

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

Richard Beard’s six novels include Lazarus is Dead, Dry Bones and Damascus, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. In the UK he has been shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award and longlisted for the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award. His latest novel Acts of the Assassins was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize in 2015. He is also the author of four books of narrative non-fiction, including his 2017 memoir The Day That Went Missing. Formerly Director of The National Academy of Writing in London, he is a Visiting Professor (2016/17) at the University of Tokyo, and has a Creative Writing Fellowship at the University of East Anglia. In 2017 he is a juror for Canada’s Scotiabank Giller Prize. Beard is also an occasional contributor to the Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Financial Times, Prospect and The Nightwatchman.

He studied at Cambridge, at the Open University, and with Malcolm Bradbury on the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia. He has worked as a P.E. teacher, as Secretary to Mathilda, Duchess of Argyll, and as an employee of the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. In the Mendip Hills Richard Beard looked after Brookleaze, a house owned by the Royal Society of Literature, and lived for three years in Japan as Professor of British Studies at the University of Tokyo.

He is one of several opening batsmen for the Authors XI Cricket Club.

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the acknowledgement page: “All except twelve of the nouns in Damascus can also be found in The Times (London) of November 1, 1993”

Also, the entire book takes place on November 1, 1993. And almost everyone in the book has the same few names, and I'm still not sure if we're supposed to think they're different people or the same (not helped by the author starting each chapter with "Today in Sussex or London or Bath a woman who works as a designer or author or barista" and so on. Still an interesting book. Recommended to me by my Book Lust calendar!

[Robert Natale · Rating 1 out of 5]

What did I just read???

[Marumaru · Rating 3 out of 5]

first review is the hardest thing so pardon me. well. reading beard's is interesting. confusing sometimes. everything could happen in it. that's why i love it. it had me at hello.

what i learned from this book:
love is a dark dark dark thing. and poison is underrated nowadays it hurts me. a bottle of poison for me, please. poisonoholic rules!

if i was one of the character i would be:
the nutty japanese guy.

words of wisdom:
'tomorrow never comes, spencer. everyone knows that.'(william)

[Kenneth]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13207608

[Jonesy_laaa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't bother