Review of Kevin Bridges' debut novel

In Kevin Bridges’ debut novel, The Black Dog is the name of a restaurant, though more famously – and more pertinently – it was the nickname Winston Churchill gave to his depression. For although this story is superficially about two men from a poor part of Glasgow whose lives are on very different paths, it is really about the anxiety and worry that hangs over everybody.

First, we meet Declan, a supermarket shelf-stacker with dreams of being a writer, though he’s plagued by the idea that such a pursuit is pretentious – and certainly not for the likes of him. The more middle-class mob in the evening class he sneaks away to attend seem to agree, and are turned off by his earthy monologues drawn from a reality outside their experience. (Indeed, listeners to the audiobook version might want to be advised that the thick, harsh brogue of the first few minutes is an example of Declan’s writing, not the tone for the whole book).

Declan’s imposter syndrome makes him insular, his toxic inner monologue convincing him he is unworthy to be around and that his life is futile. His only mates are the level-headed Doof Doof and his pet Labrador Hector… a more literal black dog.

At the other end of the scale is James Cavani, a local hero who went to the same school as Declan several years earlier. He’s now a Hollywood hot-shot, having graduated from his own acclaimed, if relatively unlucrative, projects to being a prominent supporting player in a blockbuster franchise. But is he happy with his wealth and acclaim? In a word, no.

We meet him at Dunkin Donuts in JFK airport  as he awaits a flight back to London for the press junkets to promote his latest release. He  doomscrolls through his phone, letting his mind catastrophise about the negative reviews the movie is surely already attracting. Fame is no protection about nagging thoughts of inadequacy.

It takes Bridges no fewer than 24 pages to get Cavani from nursing his Americano to taking his seat in business class, which is a sign of the comedian’s strength and weakness as an author. The Black Dog is overwritten, with reams of type describing not very much. But the flip side is that by spending so much time in his characters’ heads we cannot fail to get to know them intimately, and so root for them.

And you don’t have to look too far to see parallels with this fiction and Bridges’ own life, from his own working-class roots in Clydebank to fame and acclaim in stand-up. Indeed, he’s spoken about his mental health struggles as part of the pre-publication publicity for this title.

The plot is incited when Declan, keen to impress a barmaid he has his eye on, gets into a drunken row with some gangsters which, ultimately, ends with him in hospital. There, his path crosses Cavani’s, as the star is visiting his sister, who struggles with drug addiction.

Aside from being set in Glasgow – and the city does provide a strong sense of place for the plot – The Black Dog probably isn’t the book you’d expect from Bridges. It’s not laugh-out-loud funny – although most characters talk and think with a mordant wit, and the conclusion is certainly a strong comic image.

Nor is it a gangster novel, even though it’s partially set in the world of ne’er-do-wells. Instead it’s a multiple character study, conveyed with warmth, understanding and an optimism that even if circumstances seem bad, no conclusion is inevitable in life (even if Bridges does deploy coincidence to resolve things, it is at least credible coincidence).

While an edit wouldn’t go amiss, this is an engaging read and – as with Declan himself – Bridges’ will to write should be encouraged.

• The Black Dog by Kevin Bridges, published by Wildfire, is also available from Amazon, priced £15.

Published: 25 Oct 2022