Black Comedy (Press, 9 January 1982)

In his novel "A Wind up the Willow," Alan Brown, published by John Calder and Riverrun Press in 1981, delivers a piece of black comedy that delves into the darker aspects of human behaviour. The narrative features a cast of unpleasant characters, each depicted in a way that showcases their flaws and vices. Brown employs themes of cannibalism, rape, sodomy, homosexuality, and torture, presenting them as commonplace occurrences rather than taboos. The story revolves around a group of small-time British gangsters who wreak havoc in the lives of individuals already struggling with their own inadequacies. The plot evolves as these gangsters leave a trail of mutilated and vivisected bodies, only to have their actions lead to a reorganisation among the surviving miscreants, who then continue their violent ways. Brown, who has experience as a television scriptwriter, embraces his freedom from television censorship in this work. He appears to revel in the extremes of the grotesque, suggesting that there is an element of humour to be found in such severe themes, thus challenging the reader's perceptions and moral boundaries. The novel treads a fine line between comedy and horror, as it depicts the absurdities of life through the lens of its morally bankrupt characters. In this way, "A Wind up the Willow" not only entertains but also provokes thought about the nature of evil and the absurdity of human behaviour.

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