"The Death Of Bunny Munro" by Nick Cave

Keith introduces his Nick Cave fest

On Thursday 18th July 2013, the Hove Book Group took a trip over to the dark side.  Yes, Keith sparked up yet another cigarette before announcing why he had decided to curate a festival of Nick Cave.

It all started with one sweet little taste of the music.  Surely one song won't hurt?  Alas, within a few beats Keith was hooked, and by God he was now hellbent on converting the entire Hove Book Group too.

Don, who has a nose for danger, avoided the whole farrago, claiming he was unavoidably detained in Gloucester, with a Dr Foster.  

Mr Pusherman started by suggesting we read "The Death of Bunny Munro".  It's got a sweet little bunny on the front cover so it must be a lovely little tale we could read to our children.  That's what we were promised.  By the time we were a few pages in it was too late.  Far too late.

Keith let out a cackle as he gazed upon his work.  "So what did you think then?  Did you like my little story?  Did you like my friend Bunny?  Sweet little bunny wunny.  Would you like to have spent more time with him?"

A sweet little bunny

Why Keith?  Why?  

Because it's a classic.  A take it to the max - the Mad Max - extreme.  What about the language?  Oh the language.  What would Caitlin Moran say Keith?  How could you Keith?

Because it's got humour.  Because it's so well written.  Because I have an old sock under my car seat.  Because I hide my hard on with my copy of the Daily Mail.  Because I like it.  Because I say so.  Because you let me choose. Because, because, because.  And because I gave it 7/10.

Hamish actually let his wife read it.  Hamish's wife really liked it.  Hamish found these two "facts" as disturbing as anything in the book.  Hamish, looking ashen faced, said that he "didn't really enjoy it".  5/10.

Robin, with the shiny-eyed messianic stare of the newly converted, shouted "Genius!"  Yes, you heard right.  "Genius!"  Shagging a junkie corpse is not so bad.  We've all done it.  It all makes perfect sense.  Who needs a moral compass?  Who needs a compass?  Follow your groin.  9/10 from this cocksman.

Nick "lost his mojo"

Nick was not so convinced, bandying words and phrases like "lost his mojo", "iniquitous", "gone off the boil", "tedious", "waste of space", "perfidious", "gone to the dogs".  Where's the humanity?  I trusted you Nick.  You. Betrayed. Me. 2/10

Nigel wanted to like it.  He really did.  He's a fan you see. He saw Nick and Will Self at a launch event for the book.  The father-son relationship echoes "The Road".  Or does it?  Bunny barely registers his son's needs and feelings, and registers only the vaguest sense of love or responsibility. Bunny Munro is a monstrous character: vain, sex obsessed, egotistical, and deluded. Having created this monster, Nick Cave seems unsure what to do with him and the novel is essentially a sequence of meaningless attempted sexual encounters. There is no character development. Bunny's limited self-insight gives the character nowhere to go and his devoted son can barely work out what is going on. It all feels like a short story expanded into an overlong novel. Even the black humour generally falls wide of the mark. 4/10. 

Tristan was all about the splayed buttocks.  Vile filth, depravity, raw power, Butlins.  Yes Butlins.  Our True Intent is all for Your Delight.  Unlike "Hangover Square" the descent into alcoholism and self destruction was unrealistic.  The damage was shelf inflicted.  Where were the thundering old testament prophets?  The whiskey priests?  The horned killer?  OK, we'll give you the horned killer.  6/10

The Proposition

Keith saw all that he had made, and it was very good.  Wiping the splattered blood from his brow, he offered us The Proposition.  Was it historically accurate?  Does it matter?  It. Is. Believable. 7/10

Robin likes depravity, violence, and spaghetti.  7/10

Tristan praised the costumes, and the cinematography, and the slight flaws. 7/10

Nick was reminded of Mad Max.  Epic. 7/10

Hamish likes Australia, more than the USA. 7/10

Nigel says yes to Guy, Ray, Danny, John, David and Emily - and Nick and John H.  7/10

And, so finally, we were ready to face the music.  Live Seeds.  Fresh from a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds performance at Glastonbury, Keith was full of praise for Nick Cave who is his new favourite artist in the world ever.  I love it.  I LOVE IT. 9/10.

Robin didn't listen to it.  He was too busy listening to Mumford and Sons.  Perhaps.  Or just

Robin of Wildlife SOS takes another emergency call

too busy.  Too busy responding to Wildlife SOS calls.  

Nick loves The Mercy Seat.  It's his favourite song ever written.  Really.  He can't get enough of it.  He likes it more than Billie Jean, and Thriller. 7/10

Hamish, whilst stroking his chin, declared it was "an interesting album".  A departure from The Birthday Party. 8/10

Nigel likes it very much.  7/10

And so, with the rueful grins that frequently characterise trauma victims, and some chat about cartoon cats, the Hove Book Group broke up for the Summer.  Yes, it's the last gathering until September 2013.  In the meantime the band of brother's have Nigel's Summer-themed choices to sustain them through the long hot Summer.  

Remember the sun cream and wide brimmed stetsons.   Adios Amigos.