I discovered Tavares through his collection of flash fiction pieces in the Best European Fiction 2011 anthology. Here's my one word review of his novel, Jerusalem:
'Peerless.'
Seriously, I can't think of another writer who can do what Tavares does. He has the extraordinary ability to establish an engaging, fully formed character in the space of a page. Then he does it again. And again. A thousand pages are condensed into the space of two hundred. No messing. It's a haunting book which includes an unsettling (and completely believable) portrayal of mental illness. It's also very entertaining. It's the kind of book that makes you wonder, 'How the bloody hell has he managed that?'
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