Brian - novel about fans and fandom

[lauraxsynthesis]

It's not just about that, but there's a lot of that in there.
https://fitzcarraldoeditions.com/books/brian

If you've read Stoner, it's got a similar vibe. Sad man has quiet life with lots of understated sadness. Brian starts going to see films at BFI, becomes a film buff with a particular interest in Japanese films, hangs out with the other film buffs and resists getting too close to anyone around him. Has problems with anxiety.

I thought I'd have a look at this one because I'm currently spending a lot of time at the BFI myself. The anthropological detail of "The Buffs" makes me think the author Jeremy Cooper must have first-hand knowledge, but maybe not. It's an empathetic portrait of fandom which is nice to see and unexpected. Also it made me look up films and filmmakers I'd never heard of.

It's my second read from this publisher after Olga Tokarczuk's "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead" which was also bleak at times but great.

[Red82]

Woah. The description of Brian there is a bit close to the bone. I'm not called Brian though, thankfully.

[Gladys]

It's not just about that, but there's a lot of that in there.
https://fitzcarraldoeditions.com/books/brian


It's my second read from this publisher after Olga Tokarczuk's "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead" which was also bleak at times but great.

I have 'Drive Your Plow...' which is excellent, and also a few other Fitzcarraldo books which are always worth a look. Vanessa Onwuemezi's brilliant collection 'Dark Neighborhood', Patrick Langley's post-apocalyptic novel 'Arkady' and Camilla Grudova's 'The Dolls Alphabet' are well worth a read. I also have Tokarczuk's massive 'The Books of Jacob' on the to-read pile. It's a bit intimidating in its size so I might keep it for a long hospital stay or prison sentence.

Brian sounds very interesting. I'll check it out.

[Famous Mortimer]

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

That's a very good book. Presumably someone on here recommended it ages ago, as it's not the sort of thing I'd find on my own normally.

[Blinder Data]

this was my brief review in the newish fiction thread

Brian by Jeremy Cooper

about a bloke who goes to the cinema. that's it. one of those slice of life novels where it's just stuff happening but it's mostly him watching arthouse films. I like that sort of stuff and at 180 pages it didn't outstay its welcome, but I could see readers struggling through the copious information about films and its plain style, and come away thinking "was that it?" at the end

Stoner was also the first thought I had, but I found that very moving compared to the humdrum life described in Brian

my other thought was that Cabbers might find it a bit too close to home!

[Mobbd]

This sounds awesome, Laura, and I'm going to read it. I'm fond of Stoner.

I trust Fitzcaraldo. I too read their edition of Drive Your Bones and Flights too. Lovely stuff.

I strongly recommend Pretentiousness from the white cover nonfic side of things. Helps that it looks pretentious. Ideal for the bus.

[holyzombiejesus]

I've read about 50 pages so far and I'm really enjoying it.

Brian and his buffs remind me of a specific group of people I always used to see at the Cornerhouse in Manchester, although the BFI ones seem a lot less braying/ irritating than their Mancunian counterparts.

[lauraxsynthesis]

Was at the BFI library today researching for my upcoming Powell & Pressburger film location walks. I ran into @Squidy for the second time in 3 months and got a little bit of Brian's experience of familiarity in the place. I'd love to have a group of film nerds to hang out with there but my gregariousness would terrify them if they're like Brian's buffs.