An Overview of Reviews for The Magic of Deben Market by David Bowmore
In putting together David Bowmore's next book - Tall Tales and Short Fiction, available in October- I had the opportunity to read again some of the reviews for his first collection, and thought they were worth sharing with you:
"It's rare to find a short story collection of such power as this: adjectives such as 'haunting', 'poignant', 'vivid' and 'rich' come to mind, but these are clichés which fail to capture the enigmatic and dynamic magic locked inside this book. Bowmore weaves a complex tale of interwoven characters around the imaginary coastal town of Deben Market on Britain's east coast, but he does this with such skill that you'll immediately find yourself wanting to read these stories again and again. In effect, the book is a kind of quasi-novel, layered, soul-stirring, utterly gripping - at times, wistful, at times comic, and at other times breathtakingly suspenseful and supremely thrilling. Do yourself a favour: come to Deben Market. The magic may never leave you."
Discovering The Magic of Deben Market
David Bowmore has the amazing ability to create characters that enthrall and entice you to always want more. After reading The Magic of Deben Market, I felt like I had the distinct honor of being welcomed into the lives and homes of each person on these pages. Not only did I enjoy this book immensely, I felt the need to turn back and start again to make sure I hadn't missed anything. This book is truly Magic and I recommend reading it today.
Awesome Book!
Everyone stop what you are doing and buy this book right now! It's not often that I say this, but I was up till 3 in the morning reading because I couldn't put it down. I am drawn to fully fleshed characters. David delivers this with a backhoe. Moony Moore will now be one of my lifetime favorite people. Yes, the individuals inhabiting these pages become that real. You experience a sense of dislocation when you finish the book to find yourself in your own home and not in Deben Market. The story unfolds with vivid description, painted by a master storyteller. Not a word is out of place, everything has been carefully crafted, you can see the work that went into this book. The end result is something that sucks you in and stays with you long after you put it down. As writers, we study other people’s work, how they write, the words they use and the way they string them together to accomplish the things they want to do. This is a writer worthy of watching. His lyrical style is unique, effortlessly evoking emotional responses from the reader. This is what we aim for. When something so beautiful comes together you want the experience to last forever. It does when it lives in your memory like this. I can honestly say David Bowmore has become one of my favorite authors. I'm so glad to have found him. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
Captivating Stories
If The Magic of Deben Market was a book full of quirky characters living in an eastern seaside town in Britain, it'd be one heck of an entertaining read. And it is entertaining, believe me, but, man, it's so much more. You've got a guy who becomes friends with a ghost; a lady who develops a better relationship with her new electronic PA than she ever had with her departed husband; a man who may or may not have been abducted by aliens, and Gilbert, who decides his fate by flipping a coin. And then there's Matt - I'll never look at my reflection in the mirror the same way again. The true magic of the book, however, is the ability of the author to bring his characters to life through the brilliance of his writing. He is a confident and imaginative story teller who uses well crafted sentences and dialog to take the reader deep into the mind of his characters. It's stunning. After every story I sat back and thought, well that was great. It's my favorite. Then I'd read the next one and I'd like it even better. And the same with the next, and the next, until I finally gave up picking a favorite. I loved them all. In fact, toward the end I slowed down to savor each exquisite story, not wanting the book to end. Then I said to myself to heck with it. I'll just read The Magic of Deben Market again. And I will. Soon. Highly recommended.
A Magical Journey
In the small town of Deben Market on the coast of the North Sea, David Bowmore takes you on a tour of the town residents. He gracefully weaves stories of ordinary people who sometimes do extraordinary things, of ghosts and bank robbers, murders and gentle goodbyes. Each character is crafted in a unique voice, one that shows the flaws, the hopes, and the tribulations of living, all drawn to this village by the sea, where old fishing boats transport people from the reality of the streets of Deben Market through the veil of the supernatural. David Bowmore is an extraordinary artist, painting pictures with his words that draws me back again and again to Deben Market, well after the final chapter.
I've read a lot of books and then along comes David Bowmore’s The Magic of Deben Market—if you want to get lost in a special place, take a visit to this unseeming little coastal town and experience the magic. You’ll find that everything adds up in the end for one plus one is two. Simple as that! I LOVED everything about The Magic of Deben Market. I finished it, sitting outside on the yard swing, the wind blowing just right, the river water crashing against the rough rocks, a steaming cup at my hand...this was amazing. The story is in me, sinking in deeper and deeper, the characters coming back to the center of my mind like actors in a play coming to take a bow on center stage. I'm still thinking of the right words to say—about how I feel after reading this, and thought, well, I'll start with— Brilliant—to me—in every sense of the word. Maybe it touched me so because it's so close to the kinds of stories I love, the Spoon River tales, my own imaginary Tinta Town. I'll be walking around for a long time absorbing this.
Really good! The further through this collection of intriguing tales I got, the further I wanted to go! The more the stories start to interweave, the more exciting this book becomes. An interesting volume of stories with one of the most satisfying endings of a short story collection I've read. I've read a few of David Bowmore's stories in the past, but he has really outdone himself with The Magic of Deben Market.
Perfect Holiday Escapist Read
Bought the paperback version. Wonderfully fluid tales, entwining the lives of the inhabitants of an idyllic Engligh coastal village. But deep undercurrents of mystery and intrigue make this a perfect holiday read. Spine- tingling. Could not put it down. When is the next one out ? Gabrielle
Get a paperback or Kindle version here.
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