Fionnáin reviewed Lanny by Max Porter
A boy, an artist, a mother, a village, a myth
4 stars
Max Porter has a truly unique and fascinating process of storytelling. His debut Grief is The Thing With Feathers is one of my highlights of recent years, and this follow-up is just as strong, bleak, compelling and engrossing. It centres on a boy called Lanny, who is not really like other boys, and who begins to learn art from a local artist who himself is a misfit character.
The premise remains narrow, yet Porter's incredible ability to bring flat characters to life is astounding. The green man, a mythical figure, oversees the adventure, and becomes central to it in a hypnotic and dreamlike section near the end. Every page drips with poetry, with each character made flesh through the skill and ability of Porter. A brilliant book, and it is exciting to have a writer like this making work today.