Gold

Rhodes’ fifth book came out in 2007, and this is what it looked like:



Since then it’s won the Clare Maclean Prize for Scottish Fiction, and has been nominated for the IMPAC Prize. This is what we had to say about it all those years ago:

It’s another beauty from Canongate. The Canongate US edition is due out in September, and other foreign editions will follow – we’ll let you know when they do. We’ve read it and we love it. But what do other people think? Let’s see some early reviews (n.b. some of the linked full reviews give away the ending, so click with caution):

“Both hilarious and acutely affecting, perhaps even profound. *****” INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY. (Full five star review here)

“Smashing. Dan Rhodes comes close to perfecting the fragile balance of sadness and humour that has marked out his books as special for some time. This is a damn funny book… had me snorting like a hippo in mud.” SUNDAY HERALD. (Full review here)

“In all his books there beats a heart so sweet that to encounter it can be painful; this hones even further the razor edges of heartbreak when they inevitably come. Absolutely flawless comic writing – Gold is original, fresh and funny.” THE OBSERVER (Full glowing review here).

“Laugh out loud funny. An amusing, original read – we recommend it.” HEAT

"This is a heartbreaking comic gem, with real pathos lurking underneath." SUNDAY BUSINESS POST

“Oh, how we love Dan Rhodes…. Reliably odd but fabulous” THE GUARDIAN (The Measure).

"Literary novels can be a pain, but Dan Rhodes’ Gold brings nothing but blissful relief… Rhodes creates a remarkably full and convincing universe in a book that is less than two hundred pages long. Couched in perfect prose, and full of beautifully-pitched character writing (who but Rhodes can weave so seamlessly the hilarious and the pathetic, in its best sense?), Gold is a great and deceptively wise little book. Read it. *****" THE SKINNY (The genius Michael Gallagher’s full five star review can be found HERE.)

“Welcome to the world of Dan Rhodes, a literary destination full of curiosities… It’s difficult enough to write funnily, but to achieve what Rhodes does here and effortlessly sustain immaculate comic timing throughout a novel – well, that’s just rude. What could have been merely an amusing tale of Welsh country life acquires a touching depth as unexpected tragedy seeps through. *****” Five stars from TIME OUT

“Both affectionate and richly humorous.” 3:AM MAGAZINE. (Full review here).

Of course these reviews don’t give the complete picture. Inevitably the book has fallen into the hands of a few dim bulbs who Just Don’t Get It. We have collected a few of the more dismal reviews and posted them HERE. This site has an unashamedly pro-Rhodes bias, but it is only fair for us to warn you that if you’re a bit thick and have neither taste nor a sense of humour, then there’s a strong possibility that you won’t enjoy his books.

And let’s not forget that Gold spent an entire month in Heat magazine’s Top 10, which trumps everything.

Happy reading, everybody.

---------------

We have compiled a brief pictorial guide to the World of Miyuki.

A beach with some rocks on it:



Many, many bourbon biscuits:



Contact lenses on a wood burning stove:

Some scenery:



A short stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path:



Some wild ponies (one of whom bears an uncanny resemblance to Bryan Ferry):


And now, by popular demand, here are all the available editions so far.

Canongate, First UK edition. ISBN: 9781841959535

This edition contains one or two charming minor printing errors. It is not recommended for anybody called Siân:

Alfaguara, Spain. ISBN: 9788420473659

Our scanner doesn’t do this magnificent edition justice – in real life the bubbles are a dazzling gold:

Sammakko, Finland. ISBN: 9789524830775

Yet another winner from our friends in Turku:

Tiderne Skifter, Denmark. ISBN: 9788779732988

Rhodes’ bid to become the biggest-selling author in Denmark continues:

Netherlands, De Bezige Bij. ISBN: 9789023426912

Gold’s Dutch publisher trades under the name “The Busy Bee”. Why can’t all publishers be called things like that?

Canongate, Scotland. Mass market paperback. ISBN: 9781847670489

The definitive, Siân-friendly edition:

US, Canongate. ISBN: 139781847670168:

The same as the UK edition, but with a curiously empty glass:

More to follow…