I’m playing catch up on the wordpress these days, as I’m not had a ton of news to report, and have been writing the shit out of this new novel, while also putting together some other projects as well. After the publication of Im Kafig in Germany, by Polar Verlag, I haven’t had much book stuff to report on regarding the first novel and its translations.

But, I did see this one fine review of Im Kafig, in a Swiss-German paper Tages-Anzeiger, and it is worth sharing, so, you can click here and read it in translation, or in German if you are smart and cultured and whatnot or just actually speak German.

Hardcastle’s storytelling impresses. He describes the exciting story quite calmly. Mercilessly accurate. Very cinematic. Action. Dialogues. Hardly explanations. No inner monologues. Emotions only when they are visible. No superficial dramatizations. And yet, this book shakes you

– Hanspeter Eggenberger, Tages-Anzeiger

That’s a bit of the review from the translation I got on their site, four stars out of five overall, but do make sure to check out their hilarious rating system. I think our Canadian papers should take note of this and get their shit together about giving us the right amount of Spannungs, whatever the overall review says.

Thanks to Hanspeter Eggenberger and Tages-Anzeiger for covering the novel. If I get any others passed along, I’ll share them. Either way, at least I have been reviewed in German, which I probably did not think would ever happen with this novel about rural Simcoe County fisticuffs, poverty, mayhem, and family. Cheers. KH