''The Calligrapher'' is the

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

of Edward Docx, published in 2003. It was selected by both ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...

'' and ''

San Jose Mercury ''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidi ...

'' as a 'Best Book of the Year'. It was also a finalist for the

William Saroyan International Prize for Writing The William Saroyan International Prize for Writing is a biennial literary award for fiction and nonfiction in the spirit of William Saroyan by emerging writers. It was established by Stanford University Libraries and the William Saroyan Foundation ...

. As of 2012 it had been translated into eight languages.

Plot introduction

Narrated by Jasper Jackson, an accomplished

calligrapher Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an exp ...

and serial seducer living off

Warwick Avenue, London Warwick Avenue is a residential avenue in the Little Venice area of Maida Vale, London. Its southern end is situated adjacent to Paddington Basin, to the north of Paddington station. The street, originally called Green Lane and then Warwick R ...

, the story tells how his seemingly perfect life unravels when his most recent infidelity is discovered and his girlfriend Lucy leaves him. Jasper, though, is soon captivated by a new neighbour Madeleine Belmont, a travel-writer, whilst he is commissioned to transcribe the Songs and Sonnets of

John Donne John Donne ( ; 1571 or 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a clergy, cleric in the Church of England. Under Royal Patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's, D ...

for a wealthy American businessman. The book describes his growing love and commitment to Madeleine, illuminated by observations from the sonnets he is transcribing. But will his relationship with Madeleine last?

Reception

* Stephen Metcalf in the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' writes 'Docx, a columnist by trade, frequently writes like a columnist by habit, in terse editorial sound bites... Nonetheless, the pace is mostly brisk, the tone most often light, and there are a few streaks of fiendish cleverness.' *Diane White of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' describes it as 'a delight, a witty, deftly written, honest comedy of manners', 'a novel that is as intelligent and sophisticated as it is light and funny'. *Mark Rozzo of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' warns "At times, you wonder whether Docx isn't almost too fluent. Like his sure-handed hero, he has a flair for flourishes and curlicues. Yet there's something undeniably winning about a novel that dares to use the randy love poems of John Donne as a running thread (each chapter corresponds to a song or sonnet that Jasper is transcribing) and yet somehow manages to come off as a

Fox Searchlight Pictures Searchlight Pictures, Inc., formerly known as Fox Searchlight Pictures, is an American arthouse film production and distribution company, which since 2019 is owned by Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Disney Entertainment segment of the ...

comedy coming to a theater near you. *''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...

'' concludes with "The beauty of Donne's words provides a satisfyingly crisp contrast to the book's laddish, laugh-aloud dialogue and strong characterisation is maintained throughout. Charmer and philanderer he may be, but Jasper's optimism and zest for life give him the appeal of a man ruled by both his head and his heart. If readers can suspend disbelief at the painfully shocking double-whammy served up at the end of the story, then this stylishly written, pacy novel is a sexy, satisfying read."

References

External links

*
"Book Reviews - ''The Calligrapher'' by Edward Docx"
at Reviews of Books. {{DEFAULTSORT:Calligrapher 2003 British novels British romance novels Novels set in London Western calligraphy Novels about artists Fourth Estate books 2003 debut novels