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REVIEWS and INTERVIEWS

Elephantina - the cover of the first edition Reviews of the original 2006 edition
What some of them said...
  • Scottish Review of Books. 'Unforgettable... A rattling good read...'
  • Scotland on Sunday. 'A proper treat and a joy to consume...'
  • The Courier Mail, Brisbane. 'Everything about this book is delightful and quirky....'

But don't take my word for it - scroll down, if you wish, to read some of these reviews and interviews in detail... (Click on any Read it... to read the full review...)

 

Scottish Review of Books, February 2008 click here to read it
'Unforgettable... This tale is sufficiently absorbing to form what is usually termed a rattling good read... A sure grasp of periods and tone.'


The List, 24 April 2008 click here to read it
'Drummond tells this unlikely story well...and has a lot of fun with the effect this giant animal has on the citizens of Dundee.'


Scotland on Sunday, 18th May 2008 click here to read it
'You'll never forget this tale of an 18th century pachyderm that passed away in Dundee... Yet again Drummond convincingly and consistently captures the speech patterns of the time... The depth of Drummond's research allows for a read in which "nothing is lost between Nature and Depiction", but in which everything is gained by [his] playfulness with the facts... A proper treat and a joy to consume, with something to learn at its heart.'


The Scotsman, 31st May 2008 click here to read it
'Andrew Drummond's first two novels...have marked him out as an original and witty writer. Elephantina will enhance his reputation. It's a ludic novel, lightly written, with nice touches of agreeably pedantic mock-scholarship... The reader is likely to be persuaded of the authenticity of the narrative and notes, partly because it is all droll and amusing.'


The Skinny, 17th July 2008 click here to read it
'A very pleasant and ... rewarding read.' (Awarded 4 Skinnies)


The Courier Mail, Brisbane, Australia, 23rd August 2008 click here to read it
'Everything about this book is delightful and quirky. The construction, content and style, all of it smacks of an artful and intelligent designer, a human one.'


PopMatters web-site, 30th October 2008 click here to read it
'Andrew Drummond's Elephantina could be a text-book case on how to mimic the style of a bygone era... Drummond is scarily authentic.'
(Awarded 6 out of 10: it has to be said that the reviewer does not rate this much as a novel - but I'm not about to weigh my reviews page down with only good reviews...)


Amazon, Customer Review, 29 June 2014 click here to read it
'A final irony: this book about a huge beast is easily his shortest and sparest so far. But that doesn't mean there's any lack of the usual wit, fascinating detail and thought-provoking strangeness that characterises Drummond`s writing' (5 stars)


The New York Review of SF 261, May 2010 click here to read it
'Tasty, with a decided charnel-house whiff; darkly funny and very odd.'


...and interviews...

I was interviewed by Ursula Pool of The Dundee Courier (16th May 2008) - click here to read it   (But did the editor really have to describe me as The Elephant Man, I wonder ? Probably a gentleman from Broughty Ferry, seeking revenge...)