Driving Short Distances
A journey through unexpected connections and everyday life
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:24th Aug '17
Should be back in stock very soon
In Driving Short Distances, Sam navigates the challenges of adulthood through an unexpected job with his father's cousin, Keith, revealing humor and insight in everyday life.
In Driving Short Distances, we meet Sam, a 27-year-old searching for purpose in his life. With the pressure of unemployment weighing on him, he encounters Keith, a man who claims to be a distant cousin of Sam's absent father. Keith offers Sam a job in his mysterious 'distribution and delivery' business, which turns out to involve a lot of driving and minimal actual work. As Sam embarks on this new chapter, he shares his experiences with his mother, highlighting the oddity of his new role.
As the days turn into weeks, Sam finds himself immersed in Keith's world, which includes trips to a trading estate and encounters with various interesting characters. He learns about Keith’s past, including stories about his first boss, Geoff Crozier, who played a pivotal role in shaping Keith's career. Alongside this, Sam meets Keith's friends, including the charming Hazel-Claire, who adds a touch of flirtation to their daily routine of buying pasties for lunch. The interactions reveal layers of both humor and poignancy in the seemingly mundane aspects of life.
Joff Winterhart, the author of Driving Short Distances, skillfully captures the intricacies of everyday life, blending humor with heartfelt moments. Following the success of his previous work, Days of the Bagnold Summer, Winterhart continues to explore the beauty found in ordinary experiences, making this novel a delightful read for those who appreciate the subtleties of human connection.
In Driving Short Distances Joff Winterhart has created an unforgettable central player, Keith Nutt, who deserves to join Keith Talent in the short but potent list of great British literary Keiths. He is an unforgettable character, beautifully drawn and exquisitely written, and he confirms Winterhart as one of the most talented graphic novelists in the UK. -- Zadie Smith
Masterpiece is an overused word in reviews and ordinarily I avoid it with much the same determination as Keith tries to avoid getting crumbs on his work trousers. In this case, however, it is the only one that will do. Winterhart has delivered a perfect book -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *
Joff Winterhart’s follow-up to his sweet, loving, Costa Award-nominated debut Days Of The Bagnold Summer is another slice of pitch-perfect comic social realism. Imagine if Alan Bennett was a cartoonist and you’re halfway there… The whole thing is a lovely example of the Odd Couple format that slowly, carefully reveals its secrets. In short, it’s a Play for Today drama told in comic book form. -- Teddy Jamieson * Herald Scotland *
With mournful ink-and-paint drawings and a talent for wordless suggestion, Joff Winterhart’s comics create a sad and very British kind of underdog comedy… At heart, this perfectly observed comic is a story about recovery. It’s also one of the best books of any kind that I’ve read all year. -- Tim Martin * Daily Telegraph *
This graphic novel poignantly examines quarter-life crisis and surrogate father-son relationships… Joff Winterhart’s illustrations are marked by their grounded realism, and he explores the anxieties of being a young adult and the repetitions of small-town life. The book captures not only the central characters’ relationship, but also the familiar feelings of regret and boredom. * New Statesman *
I simply can’t see how this marvelous, moving book about men… Could possibly fail to spread joy. -- Rachel Cooke * Guardian *
An absolute pleasure to read * Quietus, **Books of the Year** *
Deliriously funny. -- Patrick Gale * Good Housekeeping *
ISBN: 9780224099806
Dimensions: 257mm x 257mm x 19mm
Weight: 874g
128 pages