This is a wonderful wonderful piece of writing. It is a rare teat to come upon an author who can capture the characters in his book and deliver them to his reader in such an honest and open way.

I came upon Andrew Blackman by chance when I read his great review on the recently published "Beside the Sea" by Veronique Olmi...another fabulous book. It was on the strength of that review and seeing his own novel on LibraryThing, that led me to order "On the Holloway Road" from my local library. Am I glad I did?

Not everyone is lucky enough to meet a character like Neil Blake who wants to live life to the full. Yes, he does so at the expense of others and is annoying in the extreme. Doesn't that make you in awe of him though? Isn't your life less complete without him?

It made me cry too and left me feeling totally bereft....just as it should have done.

A must read. ( )

'On the Holloway Road' by Andrew Blackman, is an exceptional piece of writing. I found it absorbing and insightful;there are many memorable paragraphs which stay with you long after you have read them. This is an amazing debut novel which has already won an award: 'The Luke Bitmead Award 2008'.
It's the story of Jack and Neil, two young men who are as different to each other as it is possible to be: Jack is a struggling writer, trying unsuccessfully to finish his first novel; he lives with his mother in the house he grew up in and feels like he is not really living at all until Neil walks into his life one dark night on the Holloway Road. Neil is an energetic, anarchical character who doesn't like authority and wants to experience life to the full. Somehow they form a strong bond and unlikely friendship, based on their love of Jack Kerouac's book 'On the Road', and their shared sense that somehow there is more to life than what they are seeing. They embark on a road trip inspired by the book. They decide to travel from London to Scotland to the furthest point North they can reach, following the Great North Road (from Holloway Road).
We follow Jack and Neil on their action-packed adventure, filled with many interesting characters and scenarios. The ending is surprising and touching.
It was a joy to read and I think most people will be able to relate to the concept of the struggle for autonomy in an increasingly regimented world. The two main characters are realistic and well drawn. Most people will relate to the character of Jack, an average man with dreams and aspirations for a more exciting existence. It is the type of book which has potential to change the way people view the world.
Highly recommended. A page-turner. ( )