Darke Matter

James Darke helped his beloved wife, Suzanne, die. And now he is holed up in his house waiting for his daughter, Lucy, son-in-law, Sam, and beloved grandson, Rudy, to arrive for Christmas.

But what James does not realise is that Sam is still troubled by the part James played in Suzanne's recent death. Thus, the events that will come to tear apart the family - and force James to confront one of the most difficult moral dilemmas of our age - are set in motion.

Praise for DARKE:

'An original and bleakly funny portrait of grief' - Economist

'A supreme example of a natural and skilled storyteller' - Colm Toibin

'Surprising . . . with a warmth that is genuinely and unexpectedly moving' - Guardian

'A wondrous book with two fathers, Kingsley Amis and Dante' - Sebastian Barry

'Makes for dark, thrilling reading . . . In James Darke, Gekoski has created a powerful, raging voice' - Spectator

'I was beguiled and charmed by the vivid personality being revealed. By that, and by the fact that I couldn't stop reading. Gekoski puts words together with a sure touch and deep craftsmanship' - Philip Pullman

'Rick Gekoski's impressive debut novel . . . Darke is both a tender and hard-hitting examination of grief and the slow, singular healing process . . . A brilliantly vivid creation . . . life-affirming and life-shattering' - The Herald

'Stuffed with more wisdom, bile, wit and tenderness than many writers create in a lifetime. In James Darke we have a hero as troubled and eternal as King Lear . . . And in Rick Gekoski we have a late-flowering genius of a novelist who proves it's never too late to start a glittering career in fiction' - The Times

'An immensely enjoyable elegy . . . done with precision and patience' - The Scotsman

'Debut delight . . . Just how this gleefully conjured misanthrope came to wall himself off from the world is the mystery at the heart of a singular first novel that evolves into a moving meditation on loss and redemption' - Mail on Sunday

“Clever, witty and perceptive . . . Gekoski writes movingly about love, loss and grief, while handling the difficult issue of assisted dying with considerable balance and finesse. Beautifully written, engrossing and heartbreakingly funny”

-- Simon Humphreys Mail on Sunday
A funny and stylish novel provides light in the dark . . . The central, delicate issue of assisted dying is given a fully rounded perspective by a range of intelligent voices . . . It's hard to fault Gekoski's writing, or the splendid character he has created. This book is even more stylish, funny and daring than his last. It enthusiastically embraces so many subjects, from the nothingness-but-everythingness of words to how foie gras should never come out of a tin. Contrary to its punny title, the clarity and energy of Darke Matter fill you with light -- Melissa Katsoulis The Times
A winningly sweet and sour grumpy-old-man comedy, mixing knockabout gags with heart-swelling tenderness -- Anthony Cummins Daily Mail
Harrowing, funny, tender and nearly always beautifully written -- Matthew Adams Sunday Times
Supremely accomplished Economist
Gekoski writes with pace, wit and a lovely eye for telling detail . . . his command of the issue of assisted dying is masterly . . . a fine read. It should go straight into the A-Level English syllabus as a set text Jewish Chronicle
But what enriches this novel beyond the predictable is the skilled way Gekoski entwines his protagonist's nightmarish experience of being hounded and vilified . . . The Critic

Rick Gekoski came from his native America to do a D.Phil at Oxford, and went on to teach English at the University of Warwick. In 1985 he became a full-time rare book dealer, specialising in important twentieth-century first editions and manuscripts. He lives in Salisbury and spends time each year in New Zealand.

James Darke helped his beloved wife, Suzanne, die. And now he is holed up in his house waiting for his daughter, Lucy, son-in-law, Sam, and beloved grandson, Rudy, to arrive for Christmas. But what James does not realise is that Sam is still troubled by the part James played in Suzanne's recent death. Thus, the events that will come to tear apart the family - and force James to confront one of the most difficult moral dilemmas of our age - are set in motion. Praise for DARKE : 'An original and bleakly funny portrait of grief' - Economist 'A supreme example of a natural and skilled storyteller' - Colm Toibin'Surprising . . . with a warmth that is genuinely and unexpectedly moving' - Guardian 'A wondrous book with two fathers, Kingsley Amis and Dante' - Sebastian Barry'Makes for dark, thrilling reading . . . In James Darke, Gekoski has created a powerful, raging voice' - Spectator 'I was beguiled and charmed by the vivid personality being revealed. By that, and by the fact that I couldn't stop reading. Gekoski puts words together with a sure touch and deep craftsmanship' - Philip Pullman'Rick Gekoski's impressive debut novel . . . Darke is both a tender and hard-hitting examination of grief and the slow, singular healing process . . . A brilliantly vivid creation . . . life-affirming and life-shattering' - The Herald 'Stuffed with more wisdom, bile, wit and tenderness than many writers create in a lifetime. In James Darke we have a hero as troubled and eternal as King Lear . . . And in Rick Gekoski we have a late-flowering genius of a novelist who proves it's never too late to start a glittering career in fiction' - The Times 'An immensely enjoyable elegy . . . done with precision and patience' - The Scotsman 'Debut delight . . . Just how this gleefully conjured misanthrope came to wall himself off from the world is the mystery at the heart of a singular first novel that evolves into a moving meditation on loss and redemption' - Mail on Sunday

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