I've long been an admirer of this comic genius. Alexei Sayle is the master of off-the-wall lunacy, tinged with a hard edge of political satire. With Barcelona Plates, he has announced himself as an outrageously talented author. This is a collection of 14 apparently unrelated short stories. They read, however, almost like linked chapters in the bizarre comedy/tragedy that is modern life. At times extremely dark, sexually explicit and downright brutal, there is however, always a "Wow!" moment in each tale which, if not giving us exactly a belly-laugh, certainly provides a frisson of comical empathy with Sayle's splendid characters. Each instalment is a minor masterpiece, designed to make you question your personal values. The final tale - The Last Woman Killed in the War, has the most memorable last line of any book I can remember. My only caveat is that I am unsure how well Sayle's humour will travel. The quirks of English eccentricity, the menacing sarf London atmosphere and the incongruity of a sex act in a genteel tea-room may not be fully appreciated "over the pond". Do give it a try though, eh? Highly recommended!

Alexei Sayle has always been someone that I've enjoyed watching on television. His rants on his own television series were brilliant, and his characters on The Young Ones could sometimes be quite brilliant, but every now and then he gets on a tangent and it seems only he really knows what he's on about.

I read this complete book last night, so it could be considered light reading. At the same time, for the full four hours I was reading it, I never put it down. It's a collection of short stories, and I would say that only one of them failed to make an impression on me, called "Nic and Tob", a satire of the sad lives of so called comedy greats Vic and Bob.

The rest of the stories were either funny, very touching, or sometimes quite scary.

Not the most incredible thing I've ever read, but a nice read all the same. I'd like to see more from Alexei Sayle.