Brian: Jeremy Cooper

A lovely quiet study of a lonely man, but I found the endless lists of films (most of which I haven't seen) a bit tedious

Recommendation by mr David nicholls. This was a lovely read. No chapters, just the life of Brian who sought a life in films.

I read this after hearing it reviewed on A Good Read on BBC Radio 4. I was intrigued as the reviewers were Irvine Welsh and Andrew O'Hagan and they both said it was a book which surprised them and it's easy to see why. The protagonist is a quiet soul who lives alone with no network of friends and family and only feels safe within the limits of his daily routines. Fortunately for him, he lives in London and is able to expand his fairly casual interest in cinema when he discovers the huge range of films available continuously at the British Film Institute on the Southbank. Through this, his horizons expand and he becomes, in his quiet way, a respected member of a small group of film buffs who informally gather there and discuss what they have seen as well as engaging with people in a way which in the past he would not have thought possible or even desirable.Do not expect great drama or action, or even an exciting conclusion. However the book is a satisfying exploration of how art, culture- call it what you will - can have powerfully redemptive qualities and move us to places which we might have been too wary or ignorant of to know even existed. Although it is not a very long book, be prepared to take some time reading it because you will spend quite some time looking up the references, if you are anything like me, and like the main character, feel considerably enriched by doing so!

I’m quite surprised, but I loved that book. May be it’s a bit sad, but the guy is nevertheless touching. The numerous movies references aren’t annoying either. They were a kind of remembering of that period in my life when I too visited movie clubs. All the great were there, quite enjoyable.

If you are looking for action look elsewhere. Nicely written and moving tale of the life of a man on the autism spectrum.