Hardback by Jonathan Cape, priced £16.99 (ebook £6.99)
It’s the unexpected details that really stand out in Pillow Man. The two protagonists – William, a 50-something ex-rock musician turned department store salesman, and Lucy, a free-spirited part-time baker approaching her forties – are certainly not your typical leading man or leading lady. The novel follows the two insomniacs and their developing relationship in alternate chapters, William’s related in the first person, Lucy’s in the third.
It’s a beautifully written, thoroughly modern and witty exploration of love, relationships and getting older, with no sign of cheesiness or sentimentality. Author Nick Coleman is an eloquent writer, skilfully balancing the more tender and poignant moments with his characteristic dry wit and sarcasm.
This is the second novel from the London-based writer, whose debut novel The Train In The Night was shortlisted for the 2012 Wellcome Book Prize, and similarly it’s a moving, thoughtful and sensitive examination of modern life, which will, fairly frequently, make you snort with laughter.
