Out of the blue, vain and naive former drama teacher, Tristram Randolph, is offered the job of headmaster at a new school in Diskebapisbad, dysfunctional capital of a despotic post-Soviet state. Little does he know-- although the signs are obvious to all but him-- that the school is the pet project of the ruthless president's spoilt daughter. Randolph hires a motley crew of teachers, each of whom embodies one of the seven deadly sins. Swineforth International, a franchise of a third rate public school in England, is built on a half-finished campus in the desert. The food is appalling and there's no escape as the foreign faculty have had their passports retained. When inspectors Swainson and Dare arrive from Swineforth in England, their grave reservations about the new school and Randolph's ability to manage it are confirmed. Matters come to a head when a revolution breaks out, the school is shut down and Randolph is accused of aiding and abetting the rebellion. His only hope now lies in winning a presidential pardon by giving the performance of a lifetime as a pantomime dame.
Praise for the author's debut novel, 'A Blindefellows Chronicle'... “A sprightly, inventive novel, rich in amusing characters and situations. I enjoyed every word of it.” Tony Connor, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
My Thoughts:
I was delighted when author Auriel Roe approached me about reviewing her second novel Let The Swine Go Forth. A Blindefellows Chronicle was published last year and I adored that, you can read my review here. I wondered what could possibly follow that up and I wasn't quite prepared for what did...
Let The Swine Go Forth contains the signature melding of ideas and thoughts that made me love this authors writing. The slight edge and the quirkiness that pulls the reader in, knowing that there is nothing quite like this around and if there is I haven't come across it.
Let The Swine Go Forth is full of humour but with an underlying seriousness and some political points are touched upon with great aplomb. Set in a school under a totalitarian regime where the teachers each represent one of the seven deadly sins.
There is much to be admired here in the characterisations in particular as they are led by Tristram Randolph who it has to be said has a naivety that makes him all the more appealing. His adventures prove to bring much hilarity.
This book has further cemented my admiration for this author who brings her teaching experience to the page with massive dollops of humour and an imagination without boundaries. I fail to see how any reader would not be belly laughing whilst reading this and it would also make a cracking film.
Totally recommended.
About the Author:
My debut novel, Blindefellows, was #1 in humour in Amazon US, UK and Canada last November making me - albeit briefly - the funniest person in the English-speaking world. Hoping to attain that accolade again with novel #2, Let The Swine Go Forth. In the early part of my career I was a teacher of art, drama and English. Somehow, this alchemic mix of subjects lead me to a writing career. It wasn't planned, I simply woke up with a story in my head which was subsequently shortlisted in a major UK short story competition. This short story then morphed into a novel, with said short story becoming the last chapter. I am also an artist with a couple of shortlisted Royal Academy pieces. Shortlisting is a bit of a theme here and I feel honoured to have got so far but to win, ah, to win...
You can find the author on her website:
or on Twitter: @auriel_roe
Please do have a look at some of the other stops on the blog tour.
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