Product Description

Dylan is the only boy living in the tiny Welsh town of Manod. His parents run the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel garage - and when he's not trying to persuade his sisters to play football, Dylan is in charge of the petrol log. And that means he gets to keep track of everyone coming in and out of Manod - what car they drive, what they're called, even their favourite flavour of crisps. But when a mysterious convoy of lorries trundles up the misty mountainside towards an old, disused mine, even Dylan is confounded. Who are these people - and what have they got to hide?

A story inspired by a press cutting describing how, during WWII, the treasured contents of London's National Gallery were stored in Welsh slate mines. Once a month, a morale-boosting masterpiece would be unveiled in the village and then returned to London for viewing. This is a funny and touching exploration of how Art - its beauty and its value - touches the life of one little boy and his big family in a very small town.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #106349 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 312 pages

About the Author

Frank Cottrell Boyce, father of seven, is an established British screenwriter whose film credits include WELCOME TO SARAJEVO, HILARY AND JACKIE and 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE. He lives in Merseyside with his family.

Customer Reviews

Recommended
Reading this book gave me the feeling prevously experienced when watching a certain type of auteurish foreign film. The sort where nothing overly significant happens but the characters are so interesting you don't want the film to end. Early in the book I found myself surrounded by a group of beautifully defined and believably idiosyncratic characters who I would gladly have shared time with regardless of the plot. It is one of those books to relish rather than to rush. I'm looking forward to sharing this one with my own children and will be gathering postcards of the featured paintings to use as bookmarks for that journey. Just like Dylan and co, a young reader could have their eyes opened to the life affirming beauty of art by this book. (How about an edition with colour plates of the artworks?) In both this title and in Millions before it the author has demonstrated his perceptive knowledge of children and their relationships with each other and with adults - he has certainly found a niche in this genre, while being skillful enough and resourceful enough to write two very different books. I'm certainly looking forward to the next one.

a real joy
Millions was very charming, but Framed is, for me, really a joy of a book. Frank has beautifully captured the essence of small-town life in North Wales and bottled it along with a splendid central boy character, Dylan, adding top notes of naivety, humour and hopefulness. The result is pure Frank - who's a "top man" as they say in the North-West and as nice as they come. More books, please, and how about one set in Cheshire?

'Framed' Frank Cottrell Boyce
A hilariously funny and imaginative novel based on an true story from the Second World War when paintings from the National Gallery were stored in Welsh slate-mines for safe-keeping.

Follow the saga of Dylan and Co. and the little town of Manod as they discover millions of pounds worth of paintings in the mines and then plot to commit the perfect(!) robbery.

Written in parts as a log book from the SNOWDONIA OASIS AUTO MARVEL, this book is easy to read and difficult to put down.

A really heart-warming story that'll make you laugh your socks off!!