How the Dead Live

Publisher and industry reviews

UK Kirkus review

At the age of 65, Lily Bloom lies dying of cancer in the Royal Ear Hospital, London. Her one regret is that there is still so much left to despise. But she needn't worry, for in Self's third novel the dead take up residence in Dulston, a 'cystrict' located between Islington and Dalston, 'a hidden pleat in the city's rolled-up sleeve'. Not that Lily is grateful: after a life of crippling illness, she hoped death would be 'a definable barrier', but finds it 'as hard to locate as the exact edge of your own visual field'. A less sophisticated writer would turn this premise into whimsical fantasy, but in the hands of Self it becomes a dank, dark satire on the causes and casualties of urban decay. When Lily asks her ghostly guide why their presence fails to terrify passers-by, he replies: 'This is London, the whole bloody city is full of weirdos.' Although many of Self's sentences are long and often involve the word 'lithopedion' this novel makes entertaining reading. Bitter and twisted she may be, but despite a sense of humour grim enough to make terminal illness seem like a walk in the park, Lily has charm. Review by DAREN KING (Kirkus UK)