Jackdaw

by Tade Thompson

In this shocking, and at times darkly comic, novel, a psychiatrist hired to write a short piece on Francis Bacon becomes obsessed with the artist, his life, and the characters who surrounded him.

As he become consumed with the need to understand Bacon, and to create his own art, his grip on reality becomes increasingly tenuous, and he is haunted by disturbing figures.

This short, bold piece of fiction, explores how the passion needed to create art can also destroy the artist.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Contemporary, Short Stories, Horror Thriller

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 2022

About the author

Tade Thompson is a British born Yoruba psychiatrist who is best known for his science fiction novels.

Reviews

[od1_40reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book was a case of mistaken identity.

I came for Francis Bacon… and if that’s the reason you do too, you might also be disappointed.

Tade Thompson I understand is popular with his fan base in the Science Fiction world, and I’m sure his fans from that genre will love this…

… and, great cover artwork!

[razan · Rating 2 out of 5]

book title should’ve been jackoff

[Runalong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fascinating and often disturbing tale of an author hired to write a book about Francis Bacon who starts to live all the vices of Bacon’s life - Sex, violence and drugs. We start to question what we are told is true; does everyone artists have to have sone trauma or not and how we as readers and the audience enjoy it and yet need to consume it too. Not easy to forget in a hurry and very powerful I really enjoyed it!

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

[cami · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars | I promise you, I have read some weird shit y'all- but nothing prepared me for what's in this book. I really hate to say that because it makes me feel like a conservative mom that finds every mildly uncomfortable thing to be completely disgusting, and I don't know if I just didn't get it but also like... what the fuck. So yeah, this book is fucking weird. I think I understand what the author was trying to do, at the very least from what is written in the blurb, but the execution felt very much like everything was made for shock value. And, like I said, maybe I just didn't get it and the shock value served an actual purpose, but to me it just kind of felt like the diary of a jackass that is sooo pretentious that he believes himself entitled to not give ANY fucks about ANYONE. I swear, it has been a long time since I saw a character with 0 empathy. And the worst part is I can't say he wasn't aware of it, but it wasn't like a Holden Caulfield thing where he's like "i know i'm a dumbass, i should be better", it's just like "haha, yeah, you might read that and think : wow, you're awful ; but i'm actually worse". I guess it was a fun little experiment for the author and, props to him for letting his imagination run wild (i think? it is unclear if this is 100% fiction or not), but it wasn't for me I guess. Even if some passages were kind of entertaining and the author's writing was good, if not extremely pretentious (even more thant the character...). And I'm trying to remain unbiased here but I've been a little depressed lately and I swear to god this book participated in that 😭, or it was just a very unfortunate coincidence because I've been feeling so much better ever since I finished it. So, that's what I get for picking up a random book that I know almost nothing about from the library! Thank you so much, random person from Foyles.

[David Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackdaw showcases Thompson writing in a rather different vein from his previous fantasy and SF, I think.

In the book Thompson - the doctor who is the protagonist of the book, not the doctor who is the author of it - is approached with a commission to produce something inspired by the artist Francis Bacon. And Jackdaw certainly is that - following that protagonist as he spirals into an, eventually, dangerous obsession with Bacon.

In documenting that obsession, we get a lot of information about Bacon, one of those artists whose creativity and wider life were closely associated with his demons. We also learn a lot about the (fictional? I hope so) Thompson. The line between real life and fiction, between art and illusion, however becomes paper thin. Those demons step out of the shadows, driving Thompson-the-narrator into all sorts of risky behaviour - financial, sexual, and spiritual.

It's a book that's hard to describe, harder to put down, the nested layers of reality and fiction bleeding into one another and threatening our narrator's personal and professional lives. A powerful story, going to some very personal places and playing with the reader's expectations (see, for example, the episode from the earlier life of the protagonist's wife).

There are also some lighter moments (though darkness is never far away) including the scenes involving a sex worker, and those where the protagonists's agent appears.

Jackdaw is truly one of those books you simply have to experience for yourself and I can especially recommend the audio version, narrated by Thompson himself for an experience that is even more mixed-up, even more blurred, his calm voice simultaneously emphasising the horror that his life has become and complicating still further the reality depicted - even in those humorous episodes (I'd guess, for example, that the incident described at the SF convention really happened...)

[Audra (ouija.reads)]

Provocative, irreverent, comedic, and disturbing, this strange, meta, fever dream of a novella pushes the reader into the well of creativity—and it's a dark, deep well you're going to struggle to climb out of.

Art demands fervor, humility, and despair, and this book offers all three in spades, with a generous helping of degradation along the way. It's about the creative act and what it takes from the creator. It scratches at our compulsion to create in the first place. It worries the line between creative genius and illness. It is a confession, a cry for help, and a manifesto.

Thompson casts himself as the main character, bending the fourth wall and making the reader constantly wonder what is fiction and what is not, even as the plot bends and breaks past the fantastic into screaming ghosts that only Thompson can see and a huge, gooey, fleshblob thing that takes up residence in his study. It defies the idea that creative work is ever really finished, feeling like Thompson is hurridly writing as you turn the pages.

It is weird. It is horror. It is art, and it doesn't really care if you "get it" or not.

You will absolutely be required to look up the art references throughout, including Henrietta Moraes and Francis Bacon (no, not the philosopher with the ruff from the 1500s, the artist with the creepy surrealist paintings).

My thanks to the publisher for my copy.

[Macarena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qué libro atrapante e inquietante. Me hacía sentir medio loca cuando pausaba la lectura. Llega a un punto en que no se aguanta más la tensión y lo resuelve de una forma muy inteligente, en un momento casi al final pensé no bueno esto no termina más porque la sensación era tan insoportable y no sabía cómo iba a terminar.
Algo interesante que me pasó fue que me imaginé al narrador como un hombre blanco y como en el tercer capítulo recién me dí cuenta que era negro, y sabiendo eso me cayó mejor pq al principio me parecía medio típico chabón blanco pedante.
Muy interesante lo de la historia de la esposa e IGM, me la re comí a la historia

[Sar · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the fuck did I just read

[Natalie Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in an evening because I couldn’t put this down. It’s December 28th and I think this has managed to squeeze its self in as my favourite book of the year!

[freya ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure how to start this review, as this book was an utter rollercoaster. By page 50, I was shocked, but in a sort of awkwardly captivated way. By page 70, I was making comments about the book out of sheer disgust (though not seriously; the writing is very much too captivating to drop) and the final 20 pages or so had me right back on track, loving the book. There is a large amount of sexual content, but in a psychosexual manner. It’s very well written; none of the sexual content feels passionate or ‘sexy’. All of it is disgusting, disturbing, and our narrator is aware. I would equally recommend to read and to leave, I adored it and would read again, but it is only something to consider if you’re interested in psychological books, and if you’re feeling mentally well enough to consume rather disturbing content.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most enjoyable time I've had with disgust in quite a while. TT has a way of writing internal narrative that I think a lot of people have tried and failed to get across. I never stopped liking the protagonist, or felt like he'd be alright, which is bloody stupid. Maybe it was the matter-of-factness. Livid, bright writing that I flew through in almost a sitting when I should have been asleep. I'm left with the strange feeling that I'd be proud of him if he was a friend.

[Tabish Khan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really didn't gel with this book at all. The idea of writing a book about Francis Bacon making you more like him is on paper a good one but in this book it makes the main character, based on the author himself, thoroughly unlikeable as he alienates everyone and acts selfishly.

The humour is off as well, as it can't figure out whether it wants to be dark or funny - and can't quite pull off either.

The book meanders a lot and it's worrying that I thought it's too long at only 150 pages.

[podzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know Study after Velazquez's of Pope Innocent X, or Figure with Meat by Francis Bacon? No? Well have a look at images of these paintings and right there you will get some idea as what to expect from this remarkable concise dark and horribly comic novella of the author's compulsive obsession to get into the head of the artist. A novella that blurs the line between autobiography and fiction.

[Laura Bies · Rating 3 out of 5]

If a book is about someone's descent into being a psychotic lil freak, I want the book to lean in. More psychotic, more freaky, more unhinged. More is more.

The events are solidly strange, but I would have appreciated a little play RE: the telling of those events, the manner of delivery, etc.

[Daisy]

what the flip

[Naina Giri · Rating 2 out of 5]

if sam levinson wrote fight club?

[Bafauxmet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still grappling with this one a bit because I feel like the dust jacket description of this one falls incredibly flat compared to what this book is, to the point that it feels like an extremely different book from what was advertised. That’s not a bad thing, I’m just a big fan of Francis Bacon so this was kind of an eyebrow raiser lmao.
But, in terms of Weird fiction, this one is a really solid read! We follow the first-person perspective of the author (yes, a fictionalized Tade Thompson, specifically) as he’s offered a writing gig telling the story of Francis Bacon. This goes pretty well off the rails immediately as the writer tries (and fails, in many ways, but maybe succeeds a little, too) to capture Francis Bacon himself on the page. So much of this is Thompson exploring his own life, his own difficult, painful past, as a sort of mirror into Bacon’s psyche in a sense? He never directly addresses the ways their stories complement one another as he focuses entirely on the pursuit of the Story and the Man, and this mirror is shaped by their differences in race, socioeconomic status, time, and so on, but you see these threads, the ways they were hurt and sought attention in connecting ways.
I also love the ways the paintings begin to bleed (sometimes literally!) into Thompson’s world. There’s a moment where you may realize “Oh, it’s the Portrait of Pope Innocence X, NICE,” and I think, if I’m not incorrect, “Figure with Meat”? Anyway, anyway, the point is, I was a little uncertain at first, but Tade Thompson has a brilliant eye for working in these ugly, fleshy details, ones that connect you to Bacon’s work and his life, but also lives far beyond his scope, especially with Thompson’s harrowing stories of his youth and the stomach-churning story of Elise in Sierra Leone.
Generally, if you’re a fan of weird books and weird paintings and spiraling writers? Give this one a read. It brings so much to the table (especially rotting meat).

[Jacques · Rating 2 out of 5]

¿Premisa interesante con una mala ejecución?
Honestamente no sé muy bien cómo valorar este libro. ¿Lo disfruté? por momentos, por otros me quedé con cara de wtf. Trata temas interesantes, pero probablemente de la manera más innecesariamente incómoda posible. Todo se puede entender como un simbolismo, pero al mismo tiempo muy metido con calzador y pegado con goma. La idea de el arte, la inestabilidad psicológica y la automutilación pues está bien, pero nos hace tener un libro que en buena parte es solo el diario de un masturbador compulsivo. También, el cliché de "Estoy en un bloque y no puedo escribir esta novela que estás leyendo" resulta en momentos super vacíos.
En general creo que es una novela con mucho potencial desperdiciado, lo cual se concentra en la figura de Francis Bacon. Él es el centro temático de la novela. También lo que me atrajo a ella. ¿Una novela de un psiquiatra escritor sobre Francis Bacon? Es una premisa interesantísima. Pero Bacon termina quedando en segundo plano, no hay exploración psiquiátrica y en general me parece un bastante mal homenaje.

Este es un libro bastante distinto de lo que suele escribir el autor, así que probablemente le de otra oportunidad. Si quieres verlo, lo puedes hacer en:
Youtube
Instagram

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

not exactly what i thought it would be. what i thought would be a story of a writer losing his grip on reality by just pure insanity and obsession was really just the symptoms of a severe head injury.

however, the book was still entertaining. shocking. i had to put my phone down a few times at certain parts.

in summary, this was the fictional story of a psychiatrist/writer who was begrudgingly given the task of writing a biography of artist francis bacon. what follows next is an exploration into his subconscious as he becomes obsessed with this guy to the point he destroys his life and goes crazy. weirdly psychosexual, along with dark humor, makes this book strange and i can understand if people find it hard to read. its not for everyone.

one thing i liked was its stream of consciousness writing from time to time while still holding onto the main plot of the story. again, symptoms of the hamartoma that thompson received from falling down the stairs of his study. he was really just rambling (like i am now)

what i didnt like was how much he had to mention the compulsive masturbation thing. as if that was important. im serious it was like every 5 pages he was jacking off to Henrietta Moraes. just a brainless hot blooded man

overall would i recommend it? no

[pareidolia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like stories where artists go mad over art. This one shares some common ground with Burn - when in doubt, ask a Domme - but is told from a perspective and in a style I find more palatable, even though this might not be the most fitting word to use here; it's a frantic, paranoid tale, the meta-fictional blurring of reality and fiction adding to the discomfort.

The book's short and driven enough to finish it in one sitting, but it took me quite a while longer, because I knew next to nothing about Francis Bacon and exactly nothing about Henrietta Moreas (I like stories about art, not looking at pictures). So I had some googling to do. I'm not the right person to assess people's sexual attractiveness, but the photo of Henrietta sitting on the bed, smiling into the camera, really is quite fetching. She looks rather maternal. Nurturing. Like she cooked a nice, hot pot of soup for everyone after the shooting. Maybe that's exactly her appeal.
That just btw.

[mino · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.50 - je sais pas trop quoi en penser. il y a un manque d’informations sur le personnage principal, on a son enfance/adolescence en flash-back puis on a sa vie une fois qu’il devient fou mais on a jamais qui il était quand il était encore « normal » et du coup c’est compliquer de faire la distinction entre le avant/après sa crise de folie parce qu’on a rien pour se référencer.

il y’a aussi un manque niveau obsession, le personnage principal est sensé être obsédé par francis bacon et pourtant on a l’impression que bacon est seulement un personnage secondaire voir meme tertiaire parce qu’il n’est pas autant mentionner que ça, on a pas de réel deep dive sur le peintre et aucune explication sur l’obsession du personnage principal. comment elle a commencer? l’élément déclencheur de cette obsession? pourquoi francis bacon en particulier? il manque plein de réponses.

la fin était ridicule par contre j’ai détestée, c’était une fin simple déjà vu et revu et elle n’a aucun sens imo. sinon c’était bien lol

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this novel in just over 24 hours but I would advise getting to know the life and works of Francis Bacon- the avante garde artist not the guy with the ruff. There are some great YouTube channels out there.

This is my first Tade Thompson. Again it was bookclub choice, not my own. I've got to say I enjoyed it's not for someone who is easily offended or who is judgemental. Tade's writing is dark and uncomfortable at times as well exploring some sexual and societal taboos and the human psyche. I've got to say what else would you expect from a book about Francis Bacon. This fictional story tells Bacon's story as well as Tade ( the character) . I think Bacon would have approved. It really does show you what happens when you suffer for your art in any form and also about the progress of obsession. Beautiful written with a lovely twist. I just kept thinking that can't be it though. I did think it let it down a little but the exploration and juxtaposition of Tade and Bacon was wonderful. I laughed throughout, but we nurses have a sick sense of humour.

[Andy Weston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just to make it clear, this isn’t science fiction, it isn’t shocking, and it isn’t darkly comic, as the publisher’s summary says.
It would be unreasonable for someone to buy this book expecting anything like the usual Thompson novel on the strength of the publisher information.

What it is, is a sort of experiment by Thompson, who in the style of César Aira, amongst others, inserts himself into the novella, as a novelist researching and writing a book on Francis Bacon. He suffers an unfortunate reaction to a Bacon nude which he is concerned is a medical condition.

In places, it is an interesting piece of experimental fiction. In other places it is just silly, rather than strange. It is very Aira, but low on humour.

I would imagine that fans of his horror will be imploring him to stick with that in the future.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange, perverse, subversive and, what I've come to expect from Thompson, well written prose with no fat, not a single word that doesn't belong. The story is loosely centered on an author named Tade Thompson, who is requested to write a fictional book informed by the pathos and ethos of Francis Bacon's life.

Thompson is my favorite author since I turned to favoring science fiction, but as a college student I loved Bacon. I wrote my senior art history thesis about his art. When I read the plot burb of Jackdaw, needless to say, I was intrigued. I did not expect the Lovecraftian lugubriousness, but what a strange, fun ride. The story is an alternate reality autobiography of Thompson; it's also partly a story of a haunting and partly the story of the descent of a man into a primal state of being.

Thank you Tade, and please release this book in the U.S. I special ordered a copy (not hard, Amazon U.K. has it).

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

“One of them was a collection of photographs of Bacon’s studio at 7 Reece Mews in London. I marked this down as a place I’d like to visit, but on the frst page I learned it had been moved to Dubin. I loved Dublin. It wouldn't be a bad idea to go that far. I wanted to eyeball this mess, to lie on the ground and see it from an odd perspective, to feel the give of the floorboards and the slipperines of the rope bannister. To smell the air and sniff the paint close up. It wasn't a good time to go. There was never a good time to visit a place where I've fallen in love on each visit, especially now that was older and wiser. It was the accent and the attitude and the hair and the air off the Liffey.”

Lotta stuff going on, maybe caused a minor breakdown

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusual novella indeed. I purchased on a whim as the idea of a writer becoming obsessed with a subject matter to the extreme sounds interesting. I'm not sure if the author was simply trying to shock with his descent into a deep sexual psychosis - I'm not easily shocked and was interested enough in the outcome to keep reading. Not one to pass round the family though !

[Gabrielle Blanchard · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book started out very interesting and the author knows how to keep you intrigued however the themes of sex are a little outrageous, and how crazy he gets just don’t make sense. The ending is quite frankly extremely disappointing and like it was rushed through. It doesn’t feel like the ending made what happened in the book make sense.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find the style irritating, and completely turned off by what feels like a level of arrogance of intelligence and life achievement throughout (fighting my own bias against medics here), but had to admit that it does work within the character of the book. -1 * for incredibly annoying use of segues, but a pretty unique and really interesting experience to read

[Patricia Lain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most difficult to read short book I've read this year. Difficult because, like the protagonist, you feel like you're going a little bit mad. I loved the writing and the dark humour and I absolutely loved the book, but I felt like I needed to lie quietly in a darkened room for a while after finishing it.

[Tracy Hollen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars