First published back in May of 2016, British author Matt Shaw’s novella ‘One Violent Motherf*cker’ was released under the author’s signature ‘Black Cover’ series.
DLS Synopsis:
People annoyed Paul James all the time with their little quirks. Sometimes they were major, some were just minor, but he never confronted these people. Instead he’d seethe and sneer, anger simmering away within him. Although he’d never say anything to them. That wasn’t who Paul James was. Confrontation was not in his nature.
However, that all changed when he found his girlfriend – Lucy Careless – had been cheating on him. She had, for want of a better word, been somewhat careless about her indiscretions. Paul had come home early from work to find another man with her.
It was enough to finally flip that internal switch. All those years of bottled up anger, pent up frustration, bitterness and self-loathing, it all came flooding out. Paul James had snapped. And with that, there was no holding back. It was time people learnt their lesson.
With the solid metal crowbar he’d named ‘Manners’, Paul James had started a rampage of violence, dishing out justice to those who provoked him in some way. It was time to introduce these people to manners. It was time to settle some scores.
It was time to right a lifetime of wrongs. No matter how petty, no matter how offhanded their slights were against him. Today was the day these motherfuckers would pay…
DLS Review:
You get the feeling Matt Shaw watched ‘Falling Down’ (1993) and kinda liked the film. In essence this story’s very much a reworking of Joel Schumacher’s gritty film, only with the violence ramped up a good hundred or so notches in textbook Matt Shaw style.
The tale is told in segmented chapters, each laying down snippets of Paul James’ rampage and the time immediately prior to him suddenly snapping. Many of these chapters include an authorial intrusion, whereby our pissed off antagonist addresses us, the readers, as he tells his bitter story.
As you’d expect, it’s violent as hell. So many people get their heads caved in thanks to Paul James’ matte black crowbar. A lump of solid steel with ‘Manners’ scratched into the side. We’re welcomed into this whirlwind of furious mayhem as soon as the first page is turned, with a rude shop assistant at the pharmacists learning a valuable lesson in customer services. From that moment on, Paul’s rampage spirals out of control, one caved-in skull after another.
However, it’s not all violent revenge and furiously venting pent up rage. Shaw’s got other shit on his agenda. Most notably, the impact of a lovers’ deceit along with the crippling effects of severe clinical depression. In fact, the most powerful moments of the story, those that hit you the hardest, are with Paul finding his partner cheating. The impact echoes across the story. The pain that rips through this man because of this woman’s actions is enough to knock you for six.
You see, behind the violence and brutality is a mountain of sadness. The explosive fury gives the tale its punches and its adrenaline. But it’s the overwhelming grief that smothers Paul James between these bursts of murderous vehemence. It’s ultimately where the novella’s true strength lies.
It’s a sad story. It was never going to end with smiles and sweet songs of happiness. Just how fucking melancholy the story will get, you’ll have to find out for yourself. Although I will say, there’s much more to it than just a man crushing skulls with a crowbar. The tale explores other, darker realms than such a simplistic narrative.
For the eagle-eyed amongst you, you may spot the appearance of a certain handsome reviewer making an albeit brief appearance in the tale. Of course, things don’t go all that well for me. A spot of road rage with the wrong fella brings about some nasty consequences. Yeah, you know where we’re heading.
If you’ve had a bad day, if someone’s royally pissed you off, or things have just ground you down – then this tale really lets that shit vent from you. It’s brutal, uncompromising and just damn fucking entertaining.
The novella runs for a total of 86 pages.
© DLS Reviews
