''69 Things to Do with a Dead Princess'' is an experimental novel by the British writer

Stewart Home Kevin Llewellyn Callan (born 24 March 1962), better known as Stewart Home, is an English artist, filmmaker, writer, pamphleteer, art historian, and activist. His novels include the non-narrative ''69 Things to Do with a Dead Princess'' (2002), an ...

, first published by Canongate in 2002. It tells the story of a suicidal man investigating a conspiracy theory about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, with much explicit sex and philosophical discussions, and was positively reviewed by ''The Times'' and the ''London Review of Books''.

Plot

Following epigraphs from

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

and

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake ...

, the novel tells the story of a man, variously called Callum or Alan, who is planning to kill himself. He has relocated to

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

in the northeast of Scotland, where he befriends Anna Noon, a female student at

Aberdeen University , mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , established = , type = Public research universityAncient university , endowment = £58.4 million (2021) , budget ...

who also acts as the novel's narrator. They discuss literature and philosophy. Callum/Alan has a large collection of books he is attempting to read, including the fictional ''69 Things to Do with a Dead Princess'' by the fictional cult writer K.L. Callan, which contains a conspiracy theory about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Callan's book claims that Diana was murdered then her corpse was dragged around Scottish stone circles until it fell apart, and Callum/Alan decides to test this by repeating the process with a ventriloquist's dummy. The novel contains extensive descriptions of Aberdeen and nearby parts of Scotland. About a third of the novel is pornographic sex scenes.

Influences

The book draws on 1960s-70s experimental novelist

Ann Quin Ann Quin (17 March 1936 – 27 August 1973) was a British writer noted for her experimental style. The author of ''Berg'' (1964), ''Three'' (1966), ''Passages'' (1969) and ''Tripticks'' (1972), she died by drowning in 1973 at the age of 37. Life ...

, particularly her seaside novel ''

Berg Berg may refer to: People *Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor * Berg (footballer) (born 1989), Brazilian footballer Former states * Berg (state), county and duchy of the Hol ...

''. Home claimed the book was "influenced by literary Modernism and recent continental philosophy". The ''Times'' identified attacks on literary figures including Michael Bracewell,

Robert McCrum John Robert McCrum (born 7 July 1953) is an English writer and editor, holding senior editorial positions at Faber and Faber over seventeen years, followed by a long association with ''The Observer''. Early life The son of Michael William McC ...

, and W. G. Sebald.

Reception

It was reviewed at length in the '' London Review of Books'' by the Aberdonian writer Jenny Turner, who said, "I really don't think anyone who is at all interested in the study of literature has any business not knowing the work of Stewart Home." In a favourable review, she noted many of Home's usual preoccupations including sex, philosophy, and settling petty grudges, but also a good knowledge of Aberdeen and a surprising absence of skinheads. Tim Teeman in the ''Times'' found "much to engage the reader", including atmospheric and detailed descriptions, and the clever way Home plays with characters' identities: despite the book's weaknesses, Home is "so rude, nasty, funny and weird" that it works. For the same paper, Tim Mattin found it "mesmerising, affecting and powerful". ''Publishers Weekly'' described it as a "fusion of highbrow theory and pulp pornography"; their critic found it "occasionally tedious" but OK for fans of Kathy Acker or

Robert Coover Robert Lowell Coover (born February 4, 1932) is an American novelist, short story writer, and T.B. Stowell Professor Emeritus in Literary Arts at Brown University. He is generally considered a writer of fabulation and metafiction. Background ...

References

Jenny Turner
"Aberdeen rocks"
London Review of Books, Vol. 24 No. 9, May 9, 2002, pages 36-38 Zaleski, Jeff, "69 Things To Do With a Dead Princess", Publishers Weekly 249. 50 (Dec 16, 2002): 46-47. Tim Teeman, "Could anything be stranger? A young woman called Anna, a student at Aberdeen University, meets a rough diamond called Alan", The Times (London, England), Saturday, March 23, 2002; pg. 13 3 Issue 67406. David Mattin, "Choice: 69 Things To Do With a Dead Princess" (Paperback review), The Times (London, England), Saturday, January 18, 2003; pg. 19 3 Issue 67663.

External links

Page on Home's website
{{Diana, Princess of Wales 2002 British novels Novels set in Aberdeenshire Canongate Books books Books about Diana, Princess of Wales