The Tooth Fairy by Graham Joyce
Despite critical acclaim, award-winning author Graham Joyce has never received the recognition he deserves. Perhaps this is because his books are difficult to categorise; they sit somewhere in between the literary mainstream and the less fashionable fantasy genre. Or perhaps it's because his work is often so dark and disturbing.
Image: The Tooth Fairy: A Novel
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Sorry, there are no results available from Amazon.Synopsis
The novel is set in early 1960s Coventry, a grey and depressing world that anyone would want to escape from. Sam is a young boy going through a less than wonderful childhood. One night he wakes up to see a strange creature in his bedroom - the Tooth Fairy. This Fairy is not the happy, smiling, cute creature of dreams. It is a twisted and bitter denizen of nightmare and it is most unhappy at having been seen.
Sam and the Tooth Fairy are now inextricably linked. Neither can get rid of the other, even when they want to. As Sam grows, the Fairy reappears to him at various times and in various guises - its own nature and sexuality changing along with Sam's. The Fairy is Sam's companion, supporter and confidante; it is his enemy, his tempter and taunt. As he grows in to adolescence the Fairy at times supportively holds his hand, at times shoves him cruelly in to the cesspit. The Fairy is a character in its own right with its own moods and emotions, a jealous friend capable of love and spite in equal measure. As Sam matures, so does the Fairy. Its influence becomes stronger - for both good and ill.
Analysis
This novel encapsulates a truth that is often conveniently overlooked: Childhood might be the "Wonder Years", however adolescence - at least for boys - is sheer hell. Joyce lays bare an ordeal that all men experience yet few choose to remember and fewer still discuss.
Conclusion
How else can you define reality?
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sabbatha wrote...
This is the first book of his that I read. It started me on a search for all of his books. I don't actually do that with many authors. His books are so eclitic, that I never tire of reading him like I do some other authors. Many authors are good to read in the begining but end up getting formalic if you read to many of them. Not Graham Joyce though. Definately my favorite author hands down.
Posted May 04, 2008
by trevorm
Hi, I'm Trevor and I live in Edinburgh - the capital of Scotland.
I'm interested in a wide variety of things and love learning. I intend to write a sim...
