The Underground Man

The Underground Man - I got this book from my library because it said it was nominated for Booker Prize and I just wanted some real literature and not the fluff that my library offer consists of mostly.Then I found out it was about a weirdo who digs up tunnels.When I started reading it I realised the said weirdo is also the narrator so I would have to struggle through 260 pages of his ramblings.I thought "Oh no, what have I got myself into?" - being obsessive-compulsive as I am I just need to finish every book I start.Luckily before I knew it I was drawn into Mick Jackson's most elegant prose. He created an intriguing fictional character loosely based on the real fifth Duke of Portland. His Grace's curiosity of a child, obsession with tunnels, his own body and its organs, all his eccentric ways make it quite of a page-turner even if there is not much of a storyline. It was disturbing at times and laugh out loud funny at others. My favourite funny bit must be when the Duke discoveres a worldwide conspiracy involving whalebones and women. All in all, definitely a character-driven novel, but what a character.