Lanny, by Max Porter

An unusual child who lives in his own sppecial world, Lanny is for the most part loved or tolerated in his English village, rather than bullied. His mother Jolie is a former actress, who impelled the move to the country for a better lifestyle. His dissatisfied father, Robert, commutes to London. Lanny spends a lot of time learning from Mad Pete, a well-known elderly eccentric artist. Old Papa Toothwort, some kind of ancient earth spirit, is drawn to Lanny and this could mean trouble for the village and the family. Told in three parts, this story has an unusual structure, with frequently alternating voices of Jolie, Robert, Pete, Old Papa Toothwort and a kind of Greek chorus of villagers. Toothwort’s thoughts literally slide around the page, presumably to emphasise what a different being he is, but it is really physically hard to read. Many aspects of society cop a serve in this tale, including the media and people’s tendency to assume the worst and pile on. A down-to-earth evocation of love, fear and tragedy is cloaked in almost poetic magical realism in this rather strange book.