The World is [Not] a Cold Dead Place by Nathan O’Hagan

“I have developed a detachment from the rest of the human race. I don’t fear them. I don’t consider myself above them. It’s just that I genuinely loathe them. There is no reason. I wasn’t abused as a child. There were no traumatic events in adolescence, no heartbreak or rejection in early adulthood. Nothing to account for the person I have become. I shall offer no explanation, no mitigation for what I am. But whatever the reason, I have come adrift from mankind, and that is where I intend to stay.”    

For the most part, when I read a book, I know roughly what it’s going to be about. Perhaps I read the book jacket, perhaps it was recommended to me, perhaps it’s based on real events. But there are some occasions when a book comes my way and I can dive straight into it with absolutely no idea what I’m letting myself in for. I highly recommend this approach! A little foresight may have been a good idea in this case, because like the protagonist Gary Lennon (nice nod to Merseyside!) I suffer from OCD, though thankfully not from contamination issues. To pay Nathan O’Hagan a huge compliment, I found it VERY triggering to read. He absolutely nailed the mindset of a person with OCD but even if you are fortunate enough not to identify with the character on a personal level, the book conveys the absolute agony of the situations he finds himself in so perfectly that it’s a very moving experience to read.

Now that I’ve stopped twitching, I have to say that I love love loved the book. Nathan cites Travis Bickle and Tyler Durden as inspiration but the character first reminded me of Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets, an unlikely hero who does his best to keep the world at arm’s length, to not inflict his repellant personality on others but not out of sympathy, out of utter repulsion. The story was hugely entertaining, a perfect combination of touching and hilarious, with excellent observations about our society, mental health issues and disabilities. I especially enjoyed the obvious gusto with which the inner monologues and razor sharp dialogue were written, I have massive respect for someone who can so beautifully craft a sentence that’s still liberally studded with the word “cunt” – very DH Lawrence!

Another stonking read from Armley Press and definitely one to add to your Christmas list.