Darke by Rick Gekoski is an introspective novel that dives deep into the mind of James Darke, a grumpy and eccentric retired English teacher who decides to cut himself off from the world. Darke's voice is sardonic and witty, providing some humorous moments as he navigates his self-imposed isolation.

While the book delves into themes of grief and loss, it can feel slow at times, with long inner monologues that don’t always drive the story forward. Still, Gekoski's writing shines through in Darke's sharp observations and dark humor, making it an interesting, if not fully captivating, read.

This book was a bit odd. The author has shut himself up from the world and watches from his peep hole in his front door. While he is very antisocial, this book was nonetheless a fascinating read.

What to say about James Darke? Is he an antihero like Hendrik Groen or merely a grumpy old man not willing to face life? Well he's a bit of both. When life hands him the ultimate kick in the proverbials, the loss of his wife, he decides to shut himself away from life....a life that includes a daughter mourning the loss of her mother. But he has decided to forsake even her and attempts complete seclusion. But life has a way of inching its way back in.

Darke actually touched me in ways I didn't expect. I recognised so much of my own experiences with losing someone close and seeing someone shut themselves off. Not to this extreme but still it resonated. And that amongst other reasons means this book, and James himself will stay with me a long time. Beautifully written, sometimes gently funny, often unbearably sad this is already one of my favourite books of this year.

This is definitely the oddest book I've read in 2017, but that's what I was going for. There are days I want a strange, awkward, not-quite-there character and that's what I got, only better. DARKE follows a retired English Lit professor who becomes a hermit, removing himself from the world almost entirely. Personally, considering what happened to his wife, I felt his strangeness was a part of his grief and it made him real to me, a person with feelings and fears and quirks I didn't understand, but that's okay.

DARKE was well written and every page of melancholy was eclipsed with a twinge of beauty.

Beautifully written, thoughtful and erudite. This is well worth taking the time and trouble to read. It dwells on grief and coming to terms with loss but is also full of humour.

This was probably the strangest book I've read all year...but that's what attracted me to it. I was looking for something offbeat, and I certainly found it here. Beauty can be found in melancholy, but upon finishing this book I was glad to move on to something more uplifting.

James Darke is British and a retired literature teacher. He lost his wife to cancer months ago. While one can understand his navigating the waters of grief, he is behaving very strangely indeed. Darke hires someone to remove the golden knocker from his stately door, seal up the mail slot and install a pricey peephole from which he can observe life "out there" when needed. A final coat of unwelcoming and oppressive black paint, and the job is done. Mail is rerouted to a friend, emails won't be answered and phone calls won't be taken. The curtains are to be drawn at all times.

His name is a metaphor for his dour, cynical and judgemental personality. Everything must be neat and in its place. Food and furnishings must be of high quality. One must be clean and dressed to perfection. A steady diet of this man was at times weary to read through in its "Darkeness,"...pun intended. Thankfully, like a shard of light breaking through Darke would unexpectedly redeem himself with acts of love and shedding of tears.

In essence, this book is about a widower, father and grandfather who deeply grieves the loss of his wife, and struggles in his relationship with his daughter. He is a difficult man, but is not without redemption. It was a worthy and interesting read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this advance reader copy in return for my honest review.