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SCRAPER
A Novel About Punk
by James Gilberd
Rather than let this first novel fester in a bottom drawer, as a
personal exercise in how to write longer fiction (or how not to), I've published it online as a Kindle book.
Scraper was actually free to download from Obooko
and Scribd from 2009 until 30th March 2013, and it was downloaded and/or read over 8,600 times.
I would like to acknowledge both websites as being excellent free hosts.
Now, if you would like to own it as a Kindle book, you will have to pay a small sum.
* * * BUY SCRAPER HERE * * *
What is Scraper about?
Set in 1981, Scraper is the story of a young punk rocker, Steve Bryant, who's hell bent on getting a band going. He has continual
run-ins with skinheads, hippies, girlfriends, streetkids, hyperactive drummers,
the police, rugby thugs, racism, proto-Goths, and most of all his father, Tom.
As New Zealand becomes increasingly divided over Apartheid and the 1981 anti-Springbok Tour protests, Scraper transforms into a political band.
This development has its ups and downs, or disasters - depending on how you look at it.
If you must pigeonhole things, Scraper is young adult fiction, I guess. It's a coming-of-age story aimed at teenagers. Or middle-aged people who
maybe once played in a band or just love music, are
a bit left-wing, and sometimes get nostalgic for more passionate times, like me.
Disclaimer
Scraper is a work of fiction. It's set somewhere in New Zealand in 1981,
but the characters are not in any way based on or drawn from actual people, and the events and locations are totally made up.
While there is reference to the infamous Springbok rugby tour of that year, there is no attempt at historical accuracy.
Autobiographical?
No, it ain't. Yes, I know that all first novels are autobiographical to some extent; and true, I was in a sort of post-punk band at the time
of the novel's setting, but I draw on that experience only for authenticity (hopefully).
Nobody in our band was anything like these guys, and the situations and action are entirely made up.
Bad language
This is a story told in first person by an angry young man, and so for realism contains a fair amount of swearing.
The word fuck and its variations appears about 160 times, non-gratuiously.
(I first counted 163 fucks, culled three then gave up.) There is also some mild drug use (mostly centred
around the hippy character), some masturbation and a little bit of actual sex. Standard teenage behaviour, really, but
if you think any of this will offend your delicate sensibilities, don't read the fuckin' novel.
Feedback
You can write a review on the Amazon Kindle web page for Scraper.
I would love the feedback.
I hope you enjoy the book. If you do, please tell your friends. If you are a publisher or publishing
agent and are interested in this work, please get in touch.
Links to related sites:
Updated: 31st March 2013 ©2009-2013, James Gilberd, Wellington/NZ
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