Glister by John Burnside
Published by Vintage and out in paperback 7 May 2009
The children of Innertown exist in a state of suspended terror. Every year or so, a boy from their school disappears, vanishing into the wasteland of the old chemical plant. Nobody knows where these boys go, or whether they are alive or dead, and without evidence the authorities claim they are simply runaways. The town policeman, Morrison knows otherwise. He was involved in the cover-up of one boy’s murder, and he believes all the boys have been killed. Though he is seriously compromised, he would still like to find out the killer’s identity. The local children also want to know and, in their fear and frustration, they turn on Rivers, a sad fantasist and suspected paedophile living alone at the edge of the wasteland.Trapped and frightened, one of the boys, Leonard, tries to escape, taking refuge in the poisoned ruins of the old plant; there he finds another boy, who might be the missing Liam and might be a figment of his imagination. With his help, Leonard comes to understand the policeman’s involvement, and exacts the necessary revenge – before following Liam into the Glister: possibly a disused chemical weapons facility, possibly a passage to the outer world. A terrifying exploration of loss and the violence that pools under the surface of the everyday, “Glister” is an exquisitely written, darkly imagined novel by one of our greatest contemporary writers.
The only think that I know about John Burnside is that I bought his poetry collection The Asylum Dance for £1 in WHSmith a few years ago. I don’t think I even have it anymore. I just had to check – nope I gave to a poet friend of mine. I should buy more poetry. I used to buy lots of it but now only now and again. The last was Long-Haul Travellers by the amazing Sheenagh Pugh (no relation).
Anyway, we have missing boys, figments of imagination and wastelands – Glister, maybe a disused chemical weapons facility or maybe a passage to the outer world, whatever that is.
Oh and I love the woodcut illustration. Amazing.
I've got a copy of this on my shelf. Although not with this appealing cover. I read Burnside's pieces in the LRB sometimes and love his writing style. I also read his 'The Dumb House' a few years back, and enjoyed it, so I've got high hopes for this. I might bump it up the pile now you've reminded me.