119. (March 2023) Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban — The Tabletop Roleplayers' Book Club

Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban Q2: Inland

Apocryphal — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 16:05:30 +0000

The setting of this novel is Inland, which we understand (not least from the map) that this is a future version of Kent, or at least eastern Kent, maybe historic Kent. It's in the future, and after some kind of apocalypse (nuclear is hinted at). How far in the future, I'm not sure we know from the text. Was the setting convincing? Did he capture anything else apart from placenames and language? What about local topography and culture?

Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban Q4: The Punch

Apocryphal — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 16:15:02 +0000

What, would you say, are the major and minor themes of the book, and how are these related to the events?

Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban Q3: The Chayjis

Apocryphal — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 16:13:11 +0000

Many futuristic setting elements are introduced, but are at best explained in local vernacular and without much in the way of context for the reader of today. We are largely left to figure these things out on own. Since finishing the book, I've read a few reviews that explained what some of these were - Oh, how I wish I'd had a foreward in the book do that for me!

What's your take on The Chaynjis, Punch and Pooty, Mr Clevver, Mr. On The Level, The 1 Big 1, Eusa, the Other Voyce Owl, The Lissener, Littl Shynin Man, or any of the other mystifying elements that you can think of?

Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban Q1: Riddleyspeak

Apocryphal — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 16:02:03 +0000

This novel is narrated by Riddley Walker (who is both Riddley and a Walker). He's writing to us from a far future, one seemingly without writing, or at least without writing conventions. He writes much like he talks, and that's with a Kentish dialect (as Neil shared elsewhere). His spelling is phoenetic, and he's not too enamored of commas.

How did you get on with it? Was it interesting? Was it Shakespearean?

Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban Q5: The Jeu di(scussion)

Apocryphal — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 16:17:40 +0000

Are there any particular gaming elements you might draw from this novel?

Riddley Walker - Notes on the dialect

NeilNjae — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 10:16:05 +0000

I found this site of notes on Riddley Walker, including some notes on the dialect used in the book.

And talking of the dialect... I grew up in Sussex and my grandfather was a groundskeeper. I had some contact with older rural men who still spoke with a Sussex country accent. and that was late 70s, early 80s (the same time as the book was written). It was more like a West Country accent than the RP/Estuary accent you now associate with South-East England. But, I can definitely hear echoes of that accent in the dialect used in Riddley Walker.

Riddley Walker - About the author, Russell Hoban

RichardAbbott — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 09:01:01 +0000

Russell Conwell Hoban was an American expatriate writer. His works span many genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magical realism, poetry, and children's books. He lived in London, England, from 1969 until his death.
(Goodreads)

Riddley Walker Cover blurb

RichardAbbott — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 23:31:14 +0000

'This is what literature is meant to be' Anthony Burgess

'O what we ben! And what we come to...' Wandering a desolate post-apocalyptic landscape, speaking a broken-down English lost after the end of civilization, Riddley Walker sets out to find out what brought humanity here. This is his story.

'Funny, terrible, haunting and unsettling, this book is a masterpiece' Observer

'A timeless portrayal of the human condition ... frightening and uncanny' Will Self

'A book that I could read every day forever and still be finding things' Max Porter