Welcome to my stop on the Random Things Tours for Philip Bowne’s debut novel! This book was released on 24th September, 2020 by Neem Tree Press and was longlisted for the Guardian’s ‘Not The Booker Prize’.
From the Publisher
From debut novelist, writer for The Wombles and winner of the Spotlight First Novel prize, this hilarious and poignant coming-of-age odyssey catapults 18-year-old Billy across pre-Brexit Europe.
Literary fiction resonating with themes of family, faith, race, love, loss, taking risks, borders and barriers, downward mobility, and growing up under the shadow of Brexit.
“Bowne’s touch is light, but his themes resonate: faith, family, race, and (whisper it) Brexit.The prose sparkles like sunshine hitting the English Channel.” — D. Johnston, author of Peace, Love & Petrol Bombs
“Laugh-out-loud hijinx with moments of true poignancy… a cast of eclectic, authentic characters. Billy is a brilliant narrator-pilgrim for the next generation.” — Tyler Keevil, author of No Good Brother
“Innovative, punchy and tender… stiletto-sharp wit. — Ray Robinson, author of Electricity
“…a fresh take on the classic rite-of-passage, in the mould of The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi and Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin.”— Marion Urch – Spotlight First Novel Prize
Synopsis
17-year-old Billy has just left school with no A levels and he’s desperate to escape middle England. As a grave-digger, he’s working the ultimate dead-end job. Billy’s home life isn’t any better. In the evenings, he observes his dysfunctional family: his Grandad’s engaged to a woman half his age, his xenophobic Dad’s become obsessed with boxing, and he suspects his deeply religious Mum is having an affair.
All the while, celebrities are dropping like flies and Britain is waiting for the EU referendum. Everything is changing, and Billy hates it.
Meeting Eva, though, changes everything. She’s Swiss, passionate about Russian literature, Gary Numan, windfarms and chai tea, and Billy gambles everything for a chance to be with her.
When things start to go wrong, Billy’s journey across Europe involves hitch-hiking with truckers, walking with refugees, and an encounter with suicidal cows. But the further he goes, the harder it is to be sure what he’s chasing – and what he’s running from.
My Review
Regular visitors to my blog know that I am always looking for funny books. Put the words ‘humour’ into a blurb, or ‘laugh-out-loud hijinx’ (as is mentioned on the back of this very book) and I am first in the queue. Take my money now!
So I jumped at the chance to take part in this blog tour and read a first novel by someone who I really hopes writes a whole lot more.
Right from the start, I was drawn to the character of Billy who – at the beginning of the story – totally lacks direction. He has quit school and his Mum has got him a job gravedigging at the local church. He has a dysfunctional family, including a dad with some anger issues and a grandad (GG) who is marrying what the family consider to be an unsuitable women. Brexit is looming on the horizon and celebrities seem to be dying in huge numbers.
So far, so many opportunities for black humour and Bowne does not hold back with the laughs, from the acquisition of Billy’s unfortunate nickname at work, GG’s unconventional way of making money and one of the most awkward fish and chip dinners I’ve ever had the (uncomfortable) pleasure to read!
However, even at these early stages, it is evident that Bowne is not going to shy away from serious issues as well and we do get a real sense of Billy’s confused and – at times – quite sad internal life through his first person narration.
The story then shifts to Eastbourne Summer School for International Students where Billy gets a job and meets Eva who is Swiss and unnerved by the anti-EU feeling emerging in the UK around the Brexit referendum. It absolutely isn’t love at first sight for Billy, but we see a developing relationship which feels very real and believable.
I really don’t want to give plot spoilers, but it is safe to say that the course of true love doesn’t run smoothly and Billy embarks on some fairly outlandish schemes in order to be reunited with Eva. This culminates in a trip across Europe which is full of interesting people (I loved Cooper in particular), strange events and a lot of growing up for Billy.
As I mentioned before, this book really does have some very funny moments and Billy is a fabulous – if slightly misguided – character who the reader does really root for. I found myself desperate for it to work out for him, while also not really knowing what that would look like for the best.
However, this book also has some very poignant moments that mean it isn’t a wholly comic novel. Little snippets of tragedy infiltrate Billy’s world – the Syrian refugees, the Museum of Broken Relationships, people whose problems are beyond anything in Billy’s experiences to that point. This all adds to the sense that Billy is being forced into maturing and his road trip – regardless of outcome – will be the making of him.
As a reader, the switches between the humour and tragedy are unnerving. One minute, you can be laughing out loud and the next shocked at the poignancy of what is being related. This makes the novel an absolutely compelling read, although it is not always a comfortable experience.
Overall, I would highly recommend the novel; I was totally invested in Billy’s story and raced through the book, always keen to find out the next scrape he found himself in and to meet the next set of quirky characters. I genuinely loved this book and look forward to seeing what Bowne produces next.
With thanks to Random Things Tours for inviting me onto this blog tour and for providing my copy of the novel in return for an honest review.
About the Author
Philip Bowne lives in London and works as a writer for The Wombles, a children’s entertainment brand.
Like his protagonist, Billy, Phil attended a failing and severely under-resourced school in Bicester, Oxfordshire. However, unlike Billy, Phil ended up studying English Literature and Creative Writing at university.
While studying, Phil published short stories in literary magazines and anthologies in the UK, US, Canada and Germany. After graduating, Phil spent time in Europe and the US, working and volunteering in various roles and settings: repairing boats at Lake Como, housekeeping at a mountain lodge in California and working with charity Care4Calais in the former Calais ‘jungle’ refugee camp.
‘Cows Can’t Jump’ is Phil’s debut novel, which he worked on while managing a bar in London. As well as a writer for The Wombles, Phil also works on a number of independent writing projects, including a musical set in 1970’s Soho and a sitcom set in a failing leisure centre.
