We were never being boring

The Canal by Lee Rourke


As well as writing about music and/or myself I’m going to try and start reviewing books. My first is The Canal by Lee Rourke, just published by Melville House.

The Canal is a debut novel that is undoubtedly astonishing and in some ways paradoxical: it’s a short book and a quick read but leaves you with the feeling of being well nourished like after reading an epic novel; the premise of the book is about boredom but it’s full of interesting characters, themes and plot turns; and the two main characters are not really sympathetic - particularly the unnamed woman who claims to have carried out despicable acts - but as a reader you are still rooting for them.

The story takes place on the Regents Canal between Islington and Hackney. The unnamed male narrator quits his job and decides to embrace boredom. He meets the unnamed woman on a bench on the canal and they begin a relationship of sorts. He falls in love with her whilst she slowly begins to tell him some of her dark secrets. The most impressive part of this impressive book is the sharp dialogue between the two main characters. It is only the most skilful writer who can make the woman’s silence (‘...’ ) seem at different times funny, meaningful and moving.

Although The Canal is not really a violent book, there are violent scenes and a feeling of threat throughout. A young gang, themselves bored, try and fill the void through violence and stealing: ‘There’s nothing else for them to do. Money affords them the lifestyle they are told they need’ the woman explains. The story becomes as much about the man’s obsession with the gang, particularly after they beat him in, as it is his yearning (despite himself) for the woman. He can never really be bored because there’s too much to think about (including his family history), and too many things going on around the canal, like an affair being conducted in the office block across from the bench.

The part of the canal where the book is set is described as a very unpleasant place to be. The people are either drunk, unhinged or both, the water is disgusting and there’s graffiti everywhere – it’s like Club Tropicana for Suede fans. But the writing is so vivid and evocative, and there is such a sense from the narrator that he loves being there, it makes the reader want to walk along the canal to see for themselves (I’m going next week). There are a number of other places mentioned close to the canal, such as pubs and cafes, that I’m also keen to visit, I suspect The Canal wasn’t written as a travel guide but it works as one.

The Canal made me think about what it is that leads people to make the decisions they make. In the canal most of the decisions go against any sort of logic, and they are not always driven by love either. Quite a lot of the time it feels like the characters do or say things instead of doing nothing, or just to see what will happen. In our current era of cultural conservatism where the default position is to take (or affect) offence for anything that diverts from conventional thought or behaviour, it is refreshing to read a book where characters do and say things because they want to, not because they feel they are expected to. It’s a book about morals, about those who choose to be part of society and those who opt out and the damage that both can do, whilst avoiding a judgemental tone.

This is an odd, unconventional novel. It’s written beautifully, it’s in parts hilarious but it’s also dark and sad. It’s a tremendous piece of work.