This was a rather enjoyable darkly satirical novel that reminded me a lot of Boyd's earlier work, A Good Man in Africa. It tells the story of Lorimer Black, an insurance loss adjuster in London. His job is to investigate claims made by clients, with a view to lowering them. The novel opens with his discovery of a client who has hanged himself. Subsequently, his life seems to spiral out of control.Most of the various areas of Lorimer's life are well-drawn. His family, recently descended from Eastern European refugees, provide an interesting backdrop. He becomes embroiled with a posh but incompetent colleague who leads him into a world of ludicrous parties and ghastly people. His insomnia means that he also has a close association with a researcher into lucid dreaming. Throw in an elderly neighbour obsessed by her own mortality, an aggressive flower salesman, and a builder with a grudge, and you have a colourful and lively cast. Lorimer himself is a rather reactive character, but that works well in this context, I thought.The characters are well-rounded, and the plot is certainly involved - perhaps too involved, as it gets rather convoluted towards the end. Some things were a little unconvincing. Neither of his love interests impressed me much, and I didn't particularly care for the ending. But, though not Boyd's best work, this is still a pleasant read.
Armadillo is the story of Lorimer a.k.a. Milo, an insomniac loss adjuster with a personality crisis and an obsession with collecting antique helmets who simultaneously falls in love with an actress glimpsed briefly in a taxi and becomes inadvertently embroiled in an elaborate fraud perpetrated by his own company. There's a straightforward narrative and a parallel set of excerpts from Lorimer's journal which provide a commentary on the action. I chose to read this book after reading two of Boyd's later works and enjoying them because they seemed unpretentious and entertaining while still achieving a depth of field that made them qualify as bona fide literary thrillers.Unpretentious Armadillo is not. One Amazon reviewer described it as 'the literary equivalent of bad Jazz. Incredibly self indulgent and so cloaked in over wordy description without hint of any story.' Another reviewer wrote, 'Every supporting character felt fake, one-dimensional, a function of the need to construct a filmable narrative.' I couldn't agree more, though I should point out that many more Amazon reviewers thought it was wonderful. In my opinion the writing is monstrous, the characters totally unsympathetic, the milieu implausible and the whole thing reads like a study in egoism. I struggled to get to the end of it and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
What do You think about Armadillo (1998)?
I like William Boyd but, for me, this wasn't one of his best. It was just too surreal, too murky, the characters too unpleasant, and it took too long to gather momentum in terms of plot. It would be unfair to say it wasn't well written or didn't conclude effectively, but if this was his usual style I wouldn't be a fan. I had to force myself through the first hundred pages because it took that long to become coherent for me. I did enjoy the discussion on sleep disorders, particularly the conclusion. And I would never say he wasn't an intelligent and gifted storyteller.
—Chris Maxwell
Pretty good story. William Boyd is only slightly pretentious in his writing such as when he writes of Lorimer's appearance as a recording studio floor manager complete with stubble, or when he spends a few pages talking to his tailor about the accessories that make the well-dressed English chap. Necessary for the story, perhaps, as Lorimer invents his own life to his own ideal, but the only bad part, and it's not really "bad".The character Hogg is great, as is Lorimer's brother. The whole family reminds me of watching "Keeping up Appearances" on the BBC. Oh, and Torquil... probably the best character in the novel.
—John Bateman
An enjoyable enough book about modern day Londoners that lacks any truly unique style or particularly exciting, enchanting characters. One of the tough things about building a book around a mild-mannered hero is that he rarely comes off as truly interesting. The book moves nicely and is easy to read, but it feels like a snack, ultimately, and you can't help feeling, even after the climax that leads Lorimer to pursue a less "safe" existence, that his life will still ultimately be a bit of a let-down to anyone looking for more than an amiable stroll- Lorimer included.
—Stuart
