The Restraint of Beasts

Restraint of beasts is the most accessable, and probably the best of the Mills work trilogy (All Quiet on the Orient Express and Scheme for Full Employment are the others). A darkly funny exposition of our views of work and community that never fails to frighten and amuse. A sense of brooding doom hangs over all of Mills' work; this is is no exception. Our brave hero is continuously undermined by his co-workers, two Scotts that make indolence an art, harassed by the evil Hall brothers and stands witness to several accidental deaths that are dealt with by immediate burial under the fence. Hysterical. We must restrain these beasts.

The writing is completely simple and understated, and the plot is minimal, but this book was absolutely hysterical. It's an easy, really fun read.

I absolutely loved this well-written glimpse into the life of 3 fence builders and their adventures in Scotland and England.I was laughing throughout this book, but readers should be forewarned that the humor isn't for everyone (it is a very dry humor, even a black humor) and the plot, such as it is, tends to ramble, meander and go in anything but a straightforward direction. Still, I couldn't put it down, riveted by the lives of these three men, the various crises that came up and their way of bumbling through each day as best they could. It was obvious that the author know about the life described here.

This book was read on the BBC Radio 4 "Late book".So fascinated was I that, on returning home from the pub, I met a group of mates who said "Come for a late drink! " and I said "Er - no- I have to listen to the late book on the wireless..." (And thereby marking me down as a VERY SAD PERSON INDEED)I read a LOT of books last year and this was one of the two that really hangs around (lurking in a leather jacket) in my memory. Brilliant, and yes, VERY funny.PS My partner didn't like it - he said it had "No proper ending"! PPS The other book was Seamus Deane "Reading in the Dark" - also brilliant (and not as depressing as you might think).

The perfect off-beat hilarious picaresque...excellent for long plane-rides...or even an extended bathroom break.Do yourself a favor...leap into it today.