Customer Reviews

Escaping Reality

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I have now learnt how to get passwords, break out of
prison, survive on the moors, squatting laws and so
much more. Yet this is no textbook. Geoff Nelder kept
me reading from cover to cover with a hero made of
self-deprecating humour to survive his ordeals. I want
to try Glod, his favourite drink. I never knew that
sex could be so enhanced with bubble-wrap!

Escaping Reality is a fugitive story set in the UK and
Amsterdam. By having it written in the first person,
you really feel for the framed unfortunate Gerry. He's
a kinda antihero at first but somehow gains strength
when he survives everything thrown at him from Nature,
the police, the Dutch mob and amorous ladies. I
laughed out loud reading this on the bus, so be
warned.

This book is a kinda road book and should be a road movie!

LOL This book is incredible! I AM Wendy, the lusty busty librarian. Maybe Geoff Nelder has seen me in one of the libraries I work in. Hi Geoff have you been stamped in Edinburgh or Glasgow recently? He he. OK so, the Wendy in the book is a bit of a slapper unlike me, but her life, wit and erm desires are just me. And it's so cool to find a book that doesn't relegate librarians to dour sad wimps shushing readers all day. On a more literary note, I really liked the way the pace of the book changes, especially leaving the reader breathless in the last third leading to a clever denouement. More sex in the sequel, Geoff please.

ESCAPING REALITY - GEOFF NELDER
If you like your prison escape stories written with ironic humour, your international jewel theft books full of quirky musicians and your librarians sexy, this is the book for you. If you're never considered any of these apparently jarring concepts, now's your chance. Ostensibly a straightforward "I've been framed and I'll prove it" novel, Escaping Reality itself escapes reality and turns into a tour-de-force of plot-twisting, fell-walking, identity-hiding computer-hacking riotous turmoil. As a stiff-necked literary critic might say, it also underlines the existential meretriciousness of solipcism. The rest of us might say that it reaffirms the fact that we are all, ultimately, on our own. But don't let that get you down - the protagonist (he's no hero!) triumphs, gets his own back to some extent and even manages to have a surprising amount of naughty stuff on the way.
The book reads as if it has two parts - the opening mystery/who-dun-it set-up during which you think "That's couldn't have happened" and "That's just unlikely" and the second half - more of a thriller - in which you see that "Ah! THAT'S how it happened" and "Of course, that makes sense", all laced with quips, humour and an acceptance that bicycles sometimes have minds of their own. The action takes in prison life, what it's like to be a jobbing musician, good cops, bad cops and atmospheric, detail-drenched settings in Cumbria and non-tourist Amsterdam. Any more would give it away, and the plot deserves to be discovered as you read (and re-read, because you just won't get all the darker and complex undertones first time around).
Comparisons are invidious - and there's no other book to compare it to, anyway - but imagine an Alistair Maclean novel written by Robert Rankin after looking at too many Salvador Dali paintings on a rollercoaster. Or something like that. Better still, buy it and read it - you won't be disappointed.
But you might wish all librarians were a bit more like Wendy.

There are few books which have really grasped my attention over the past year, but Geoff Nelder's 'Escaping Reality' is a real page turner, in the digital sense. Once I started reading, I really didn't want to stop and only heavy eyelids got in the way of enjoying the novel in one session.

Geoff's writing is engaging and witty, but not at the loss of atmosphere in the many tense and adrenaline-pumping situations which protagonist Gerry Ricketts finds himself in. Like real life, there are smiles even in challenging times, and this solid thriller is all the stronger for Geoff Nelder's sense of humour.

Great writing from a great writer!

This is a sneaky book, Geoff Nelder. It masquerades as an escapist adventure book, a boy's own story with a dash of sex; like that Liverpool reader says like a road book that should be a movie. But there are subtleties that lure the reader into deeper undertones, of plot twists, cunning subtexts and a rollercoaster of emotions. Women, don't be put off by the macho cover art, this book is for us too.

If you like a book that is a good "out-loud" read to your Significant Other, this is it. From motorcycles in the living room, sleeping under troughs, camping out in a old boat, wallowing in bubble wrap or decorating Christmas trees, it's a hilarious read. Never know what will happen next to our so-called "innocent" hero but still it all flows together. Not for the young but definitely for the young at heart!

Geoff Nelder's Escaping Reality opens with the main character, Ricketts, finding himself in a truly precarious situation. When a professional musician is charged with theft and manslaughter, the next stop isn't his usual booking at a local nightclub, it's a place called Stonelodge Prison. Unlucky Ricketts is given a choice-patiently await the outcome of a slow moving appeal, or take matters into his own inexperienced hands. From the title alone, any reasonable person can guess which option the character opts to select. In hopes of finding adequate evidence to prove his innocence, Ricketts trades fear for hopes of clearing his name and embarks upon an action-packed journey that proves to be much more than he may have bargained for.

Although Ricketts illustrates that his fair logic begins to dip and waiver, he manages to concoct various ambitious plans to escape his most recent reality as a convict. A sexy siren named Wendy proves to be his enabler to move forward toward his chosen path of escape-a bridge to assist him making his first major move, and many other that soon follow. Although trouble finds the man on the run at mostly every turn, occasional sizzling sex scenes lighten his troubling load, while also feeding his carnal desires. From camping excursions and bike rides, to living in an abandoned home, and hiding out on a houseboat, the plot continues to advance with many more adventurous activities. Staying committed to fighting his personal fight, Ricketts manages to secure a job, map out routes, and dodges a close call with Asian exotics. The man on the run proves there is no rest for a weary, wanted man. His stamina, nerve, and ability to progress as far as he does without being captured sometimes proves to be on the edge of unimaginable, but these items simultaneously allow for resolution to build to a boiling point, in the last third portion of the book.

The author allows Ricketts to encounter a character named Grootebroek, who coyly parts with many pieces to the puzzle. The thing is, when they begin to assemble during a discrete meeting, Ricketts hits a brick wall in his "detective act." A sudden twist complicates a long journey and causes it to become a bit longer. At this point, the man in the spotlight is forced to explain some of his behavior to Sergeant Cuyphoven and Detective Hals, of the Amsterdam Police. The pressure the pair adds to an already intense situation that will either ultimately lead Ricketts to earn his freedom, or accept that his ship has sunken for good, only with a host of added criminal charges.

Nestled in between of the pages of Mr. Nelder's novel, all of the answers await those who enjoy original reads speckled with mystery, complex hypothetical situations, and mind-boggling riddles. The author obviously took great care in inserting international destinations that can appeal to readers who enjoy details of this nature. Indulge in this journey if you dare to escape reality. Then and only then will you find out if becoming a man on the run proved to be worth all of one man's very ambitious efforts.

Reviewed By: Andrea Blackstone, Black Butterfly Review

Escaping Reality By Geoff Nelder

As soon as I read the dedication in this book, I had a feeling I'd like it. It says: "To Tibor Fischer for his inspirational novels." Now, first off, I thought, "This guy knows Tibor Fischer! Damn, what a lucky guy!" That thought, was followed by, "Oh, dummy, maybe he just really loves Fischer's work." And, after reading the book, I suspect that Mr. Fischer did indeed inspire Mr. Nelder.

If you'd like to play with words, become a better punster, and toy with phrases just to hear how they roll around in your mouth (remember the "bowl with a soul" in the Collector's Collector?), then this book is for you.

If you'd like to learn about Cumbrian villages, pubs and the upcountry of the UK, garden spot of the winter-worn moors, and the place most likely to freeze your tootsies off as you're running like hell after escaping from prison after being convicted for something you didn't do, then this book is for you.

If you like naughty bits about sex on bubble-wrap with a librarian who helps a wrongfully convicted prisoner escape, or being tied up on a bed and in various other exotic positions and locales, then this book is for you.

If you want dull and boring, this book is NOT for you.

If you want any genre, other than adventure/suspense/thriller/humor, this book is NOT for you.

If you want to use this for a book report for school, this book and this review is NOT for you.

This book is outstanding. I thoroughly recommend reading it. It's authentic, raw and honest. Has a very unpretentious feel to it and is chocked full of subtle British humor. I haven't been so amused reading a book since I picked up my first Bill Bryson book.

The title says it all. Geoff Nelder's <cite>Escaping Reality</cite> is a lighthearted romp which will drag the reader away from any mundane reality into the slapstick pleasure of his saxophonist protagonist Gerry Rickett's world. Although the coyish self-deprecating Ricketts accuses himself of being gormless, he manages to survive a range of boys-own adventures on his way from the bottom up with "jack-the-lad" cunning. The story puts the reader in the picture immediately as the book opens with Rickett's arrest for jewellery theft and murder.

As the novel is written in first person, the reader is immediately sympathetic to the cocky Ricketts, whose innocence is accepted by the reader without question. His dawning sense of the unreliability of those around him, along with the odd but effective combination of humorous sarcasm mingled with incredulity makes Ricketts an excellent protagonist, keeping the reader involved through the force of his personality. Ricketts refuses to feel sorry for himself, and hatches a plan to break out of prison and clear his name. Bubble wrap sex, a computer virus, and a white van are all part of the serendipity as Rickett's works his way out of prison and away from his Dickensian fellow prisoners, who steal his phone cards and lumpy porridge.

At times the plot does strain credulity, and Ricketts' sexual exploits, however well drawn, are about as likely as his eventual victory over bureaucracy, a drug cartel, and to a lesser extent, the forces of ennui. He almost makes being on the run sound easy, although there are plenty of cold, wet nights, brakeless cycle rides, smelly sheds, and a little farmhouse nookie. Because this is such a fun story, and Rickett's such a compelling character, verisimilitude is the least important thing about Escaping Reality. Nelder builds suspense well, using foreshadowing, pacing and rhythm to speed up the book where necessary.

Never do we doubt Rickett's story, since the first person narrative places us on the road with him. The reader wants and expects Ricketts to find the real criminal and get his compensation. Rickett's crimes are small (stealing a prized motorbike, humiliating his girlfriend and putting his friends in danger), especially in comparison to the real bad guys, and he never intends to do any harm. Like his friend Preston, whose name he uses while on the run, his mal-used wife, and his (reasonably mal-used) moll (who has a few secrets of her own), the reader is prepared to not only forgive, but support Gerry Ricketts, making this a very satisfying read.

The unlikely heroism is also bolstered by an authentic and well drawn setting. Nelder's prison avoids cliché, as it focuses, with great humour, on the day to day details of life.

Nelder's description of Amsterdam is rich with detail, taking us around the docks and deep into the heart of Westerdok. The mystery reveals itself bit by bit through a number of straight and crooked policemen, along with a few cases of Glod beer, plenty of camaraderie, and another continental shift. Well written, clever and full of black wit. Escaping Reality is a hard to put down, stylish romp. There are laugh outloud moments, in prison, on the run, and back in prison again, plenty of twists, a compelling cast, an evocative setting, and heartbeating drama. This is the kind of book you can read in a few days or less, and then pick up again for another round, solely for the pleasure of it.

Magdalena Ball is the author of Sleep Before Evening
"There is so much beautiful writing here, soaring passages." Ruhama Veltfort, author of The Promised Land