David Thewlis

David Thewlis has added his name to a growing list of actors whose sights are not limited to the edge of the stage. Thewlis, perhaps best known for his screen appearance in "Naked" and the "Harry Potter" movies, has thus far avoided the Wasteland of Self Promotion that has trapped many of his peers beneath self-titled records, colognes the color of mouthwash, and logo-laden clothing lines—not to mention smoldering wings. Instead Thewlis joins the company of contemporary actor-writers like show more Stephen Fry, Ethan Hawke, Miranda July and Blair Underwood who possess insatiable appetites for delivering lines—on screen and on page.

Given Thewlis' creative interests, it makes sense that his debut novel, "The Late Hector Kipling" would feature a visual artist with a penchant for dramatic monologues. Hector Kipling is the moderately successful painter of giant heads, a comically befitting task for a narcissist of his magnitude. The crux of the novel is Hector's breakdown that gains momentum amid his considerably-more-successful friend's nomination for the coveted Turner Prize; his girlfriend Eleni's return to Greece to care for her dying mother; his affair with a 24-year old American Goth girl with a penchant for poetry and S&M; his parents' ailing health after the unfortunate purchase of a ridiculously expensive settee; and the death threats he receives from a mysterious stranger who dowses his seminal painting with feces and acid.

Thewlis' delight in surreal events is reminiscent of the Theatre of the Absurd's interest in creating chaos for an observant eye. This will attract some readers and dispel others. In typical Absurdist fashion, Thewlis' involvement in the story is palpable. In the second half of the book, when bizarre events befall Hector at alarming speed, Thewlis feels like an apathetically intrusive puppeteer. Hector's stream-of-conscious narrative is uniquely honest and naïve, but his refusal to take responsibility for himself makes him a frustrating protagonist. This book contains no 'good' or 'bad' characters. None inspire empathy, which makes watching their demise such a wicked pleasure.

Thewlis' talents for dialogue and timing allow for numerous comical miscommunications between characters, and provide a tautness that requires little exposition. The characters, though emotionally latent, are highly developed. They are the sensationalized versions of ourselves and our peers. Throughout the novel Hector quotes Post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin: "The ugly may be beautiful, the pretty never." Without question, Thewlis offers a cast of ugly characters led by the everyman, Hector Kipling. In showing the hyper-grotesqueness of Hector, and of humans, Thewlis proposes that where ugliness exists, beauty lingers not far away. show less

This story about a man's descent from mid-life crisis into insanity is well written, with lots of quirkly characters and some black humour.

Hector Kipling is an artist whose life goes from normal to tragedy to bizarre over the course of a few weeks. His girlfriend returns to Greece to be with her critically injured mother, his father is in hospital, his mother appears to be having a mental breakdown, his best friend is nominated for an award based on a idea he stole from Hector, and he meets show more and begins an affair with a young poet with S&M tendencies. No wonder Hector's life falls apart. show less

Hector Kipling is an absolute success story. He’s made it as an artist, commading five and six figures for his work on ‘big heads’. He’s got great friends. He’s got a great girlfriend. He’s even great parents back at home. And yet, things just aren’t quite…great enough. Or good enough. Or…something. Deliciously diabolical and devlishly good, Thewlis’ debut novel will send you reeling around the unpredictable hairpin turns of Hector’s slipppery questionable mind. Within show more that mind is where jealousies lurk, frustrations crouch in wait, insecurities threaten and old resentments patiently naw at the fragile threads of Hector’s sanity. Peppered with real life figures from the London art world and a knowledgeable grasp of the absurdity of life in the public eye, Thewlis has drawn a witty, satirical look at the choices we make in life that in the end, can either make us or break us. Highly reccomended. show less

Love David Thewliss, but could not warm to the book. The blurb says "warm and witty" but "bleak and relentless" would be closer. I like a bit of grim, but this one was too much. Everything goes wrong for the hero - mainly his fault - who comes off a bit like Frank Spencer with more blood and sex. Perhaps I picked it up at the wrong time?