Product Description

Adam Spark, eighteen going on eight-and-a-half, fast-food worker, queen fan, last in the queue for luck - on waking from an accident in which he saves a child, he has the distinct impression that all is far from right. What are these curious lights that seem to surround people? Why are animals and machines trying to speak to him? And can he really control time? Is it just his imagination, or has Adam Spark been chosen to become Scotland's first, and only, superhero? This, however, is the least of his problems. The local gang is luring him into deeper and darker peril. His sister and lone carer, Jude, is giving all her love to another woman. And if Jude abandons Adam - or Adam drives her away - all the superpowers in the world won't be able to save him.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #679496 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Big Issue in Scotland
'Every page treads a fine line between belly laugh and tear-jerker. Bissett's colloquial mastery sucker-punches you with effortless style'

Scotland on Sunday
‘Sparky is a virtuoso literary creation. [Bissett] is taking his animated and emotionally raw prose to another level'

Scotsman
‘There's nothing quite like Alan Bissett's fizzy, upbeat fiction... He totally inhabits the mind of his main characters’

Customer Reviews

You know what they say about judging a book by it's cover.
Incredible indeed.

This is the story of Adam Spark, an 18 year old fast food worker who suffers from learning difficulties. After being hit on the head while saving a "ween" at a American football game Adam finds that he has acquired superpowers that allow him do things like speed up time and slooooooooooooooow it down. But these powers make up little of this book and it's the story of Adam's relations with his sister Jude and girlfriend Bonnie that really carry it through.

This book is told in a broad Scottish accent but if you are familiar with the likes of Irvine Welsh then you'll find this no problem (I actually quite like reading literature in a scotch accent, dunno why). It's one of those books where you can just fly through the pages. Each sentence flows into the next with skilful ease and once you're past the opening few pages there is no chance of you getting bored.

Adam himself is a character that is easy to sympathise with despite that fact he is violent, has misguided attitudes and in places is down right weird but these are all things that he cannot help and Alan Bissett deftly keeps you aware of this. Adam's sister Jude kind of doubles up as his carer and you feel for her as she longs for a life of her own with her girlfriend and not have the burden of looking after Adam holding her back but she is scared of how Adam will react.

I won't ruin the story by giving you anymore detail but I'll let you know that Adam does redeem his failings and his superpowers (or supposed superpowers) do come in use.

This is book that is humorous and heart breaking in equal measures. A book that a basis in the true reality of working class life and one you sound definitely read. The only criticism I can really have of this book is the cover, which kind of makes it look like a kid's book which it really isn't. But, you the old saying......Never judge a book by its cover.

WELL WORTH A READ
This book is both a comedy and a tragedy with a protagonist who manages to be lovable and creepy at the same time. There's also a lot of political content and the writer's socialist views, hate of McDonalds and love of comic book heros are evident! If you can get your head around reading Scottish dialect (ie, if you enjoyed Trainspotting or James Kelman stuff) you'll really like this book. I laughed and almost cried throughout - parts of it just really ring true, even to someone from Yorkshire! It's rife with intercontextual references so you have to get most of these to fully appreciate. If you're easily offended, probably not the best thing to read, although all the non-PC words and phrases do not come across as the writer's views but just an excellent attempt at realism, unrestrained by censorship. I didn't really expect to enjoy it as much as I did - I actually only bought it because the writer used to teach me - but I took it on holiday for a bit of beach reading and finished it well before the week was up.

Sparky, but not incredible.
Good reviews abound for this, the author's second novel. IMHO, having read a couple of them, they seem to skip over some issues I think detract from it a little.

It is a well-written, fun book, and one of its strong points is the narrative voice: we hear Adam Spark clearly and effectively, in the same dialect/accent vein as Irvine Welsh gave us Trainspotting's characters. There is some unevenness though, and the voice sometimes slips into Bissett's own authorial tone. Other minor but common interruptions undermine the quality of this voice.

Other strong points are the depiction of Sparky and his sister's relationship, and the flashbacks involving their parents. There is strong characterisation here and pathos that does, however, occasionally slip into sentimentality.

The conceit of super powers is an engaging and comic one, but by the end of the book (I won't spoil it!) I was unsure what they amounted to. And the moral, I think, is overdone and a bit obvious. There seems to be some degree of social awareness box-ticking: bullying, learning difficulties, domestic violence, early parenthood, disability/illness, low pay, big corporations, exploitation, eco-politics, war, justice, growing up, morality, responsibility... heartfelt but somehow I wasn't that convinced. Perhaps too many issues?

Bissett does write strongly when he is telling a good yarn. He has a flair for the voice of his characters, and a good eye for appropriate detail. The pace is slow at first but that's no bad thing, as the scene-setting is important. By the middle of the book it is a page-turner. Bissett also uses occasional typography to good effect; "down" repeated over the page like bubbles struck me as neat.

There are real moments of "oh that's good" in this book, moments when the writing shines, but I'm afraid the overall effect was tempered for me by the sentimentality and my lack of really believing in Adam. Some things about him did not ring true, and he seemed sometimes too contrived.

But overall: it is enjoyable, funny, warming and is an interesting step. I'd like to see where Bissett goes next. I think if he irons out the little problems he will become a very good writer.