Famous Like Me > Writer > B > Christopher Brookmyre
Profile of Christopher Brookmyre
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| Name: |
Christopher Brookmyre |
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| Date of Birth: |
6th September 1968 |
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| Place of Birth: |
Glasgow, Scotland, UK |
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| Profession: |
Writer |
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From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia
Christopher Brookmyre (b. September 6, 1968 is a Scottish novelist, whose debut novel, Quite Ugly One Morning, established him as one of the sharpest voices in the British fiction scene.
Subsequent works have included One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night, which he said was just the sort of book he needed to write before he turned 30, and is a career highlight so far, and All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses an Eye (2005), displaying a consistent high standard within the genre.
Comparable to Northern Ireland's Colin Bateman, but with a much more accurate ear for accents other than his own, Brookmyre mixes politics, social comment and action deftly with cracking good stories.
The majority of Brookmyre's novels feature the investigative journalist Jack Parlabane. Parlabane's unorthodox, occasionally criminal methods usually see him catching all manner of "white collar" villains, from murderous NHS Trust managers (Quite Ugly One Morning) to rogue Secret Service chiefs (Country of the Blind). The character is heavily anti-authority and frequently curses institutions such as the government, media and intelligence services. Through Parlabane, Brookmyre articulates what might be argued as a radical viewpoint, with the "bad guys" invariably belonging to the "establishment". Most vitriolic is Boiling a Frog, in which Parlabane tracks down massive corruption and murder in the Scottish Catholic Church. This novel is also notable for countering accusations that Parlabane had become just a little too good at his work, by seeing him imprisoned and stabbed by an inmate.
Brookmyre has stated that the inspiration for Jack Parlabane was Ford Prefect from Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. To quote Brookmyre himself: "I always adored the idea of a character who cheerfully wanders into enormously dangerous situations and effortlessly makes them much worse."
In 2003, Quite Ugly One Morning was dramatised in two parts by ITV. It gained a mixed reception from fans. So far, no other Brookmyre novels have been adapted for televison.
Brookmyre is married to a doctor (which is interesting in light of Quite Ugly One Morning) and supports St Mirren F.C., and Scottish football features frequently in his books.
Bibliography
- Quite Ugly One Morning, 1996
- Country of the Blind, 1997
- Not the End of the World, 1998
- One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night, 1999
- Boiling a Frog, 2000
- A Big Boy did it and Ran Away, 2001
- The Sacred Art of Stealing, 2003
- Be My Enemy, 2004
- All Fun and Games until Someone Loses an Eye, 2005
External Links
- Christopher Brookmyre's Official Site
- Christopher Brookmyre at www.contemporarywriters.com
- Christopher Brookmyre at the Internet Book List
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