Grief, suffered alone, can mutate into self-pity and misanthropy. When his wife dies of cancer, James Darke, retired teacher, bibliophile, and world-class snob and curmudgeon entombs himself in the family home. Everyone is shut out. Phones and emails go unanswered. Even the letter box in his front door is removed. Sustaining himself on cigars and alcohol, Darke succumbs to a darkness only occasionally illuminated by a bitter humor. Spoiler alert! He comes out the other side of his bereavement, saved by the love of his daughter and grandson.

Plenty of humor can be found in anger and bitterness, and James Darke is undeniably a great comic character. Neither God, science, literature, or alcohol can keep you alive forever, and ultimately everyone needs to work out life’s meaning for themselves. The lucky ones have the love of others to help them through.

Rick Gekoski is a rare book dealer and many years ago published a very funny account of that peculiar trade (Tolkien’s Gown). Darke is his first novel.