The Card
by Graham Rawle
Atlantic
(e-book)
When do new-fangled e-books struggle to replicate the effect of their poor old paper cousins? When the materiality of the original is central to the effect. For most novelists, this isn't a problem: text is much the same on paper as on screen. But British artist and writer Graham Rawle isn't most novelists. Whether he is re-creating The Wizard of Oz with children's toys or cutting up women's magazines to create a story of pre-feminist life (Women's World) he has combined word, image and typography to construct ingenious narratives. His brilliant new 'novel' is The Card, which tells the story of Riley Richardson's quest for meaning in a chaotic world. Riley is obsessed with playing cards and is writing an article for 'Card Collector Monthly' as the action begins. He begins following random cards in the belief he can save Diana, Princess of Wales, from being killed. On the page this adventure is a sensual experience: some of the cards can be removed. This tactile dimension is lost on screen, although the colour Kindle version is vastly superior to a black and white version. The book may be dead, but long live the book!
Extras: Kindle versions in colour and black and white.