The Horned Whale by Jeremy Schanche

The Horned Whale by Jeremy Schanche

The Horned Whale is a collection of two stories, a novel, some poems and a ‘Dream Manifesto’
There are even three drawings.

I began with the poems which being shorter are easier to digest.
I liked the manifesto with its echo of the American constitution.

My favourite was the ‘Ghost-Hulk of a Phantom’ which swept me willingly along a flood of allteration, lists, fantasy, made up and foreign words, rhythmic repetition and  humorous surprises in a pleasurable ride to its hero-rescuing climax which made me laugh out loud in a delighted way.

The other two parts are similarly fanciful. The Kramvil has more plot but even then that  could be summarised in a few sentences- it’s the whirling deluge of language that is striking. Occasionally certain words I found over used such as ‘pullulating’.
Again the hero encounters physical dangers and falls for a beautiful woman with whom he exits the tale in a rosy tinted halo of glory.
There’s not much character development or emotional enquiry.
It’s not the sort of writing I usually go for but it’s remarkable, unusual and flows under its own head of romantic steam.

Jeremy Schanche lives in Penzance and as well as writing is a versatile musician.