M.J. Santley is a ‘nightmare’ of a man whose problems stem half from unlucky twists of fate and half from his own truly, intensely, absurdly inexplicable knack for wandering into trouble – trouble that he generally somehow ends up finding his way out of. In this, his first novel, he travels the world in search of love, the meaning of life, and his drunk and disorderly brother.Lost in the Crowd is … brother.
Lost in the Crowd is an engaging, humorous, and sometimes poignant autobiographical story that will have you feeling as though you are right there with the author – laughing, crying, and stumbling through all the ups and downs of his amazing, hard-to-believe, often hilarious, crazy, heartwarming journey through life – a journey that recurrently seems to be influenced by mysterious forces beyond his control and understanding.
The book is defined by events that occurred in the author’s life during the two years it was being written. These events bring the book to life and give it a whole new meaning – a meaning that could never have been envisaged when the writing started in October 2015.
It has been described as a brilliantly compelling quirky book of inspiration, coincidence, love, luck, loss, life, chance, opportunism, emotion, comedy, stupidity, amazement, danger, worry, survival, happiness, laughter, and WTF!
See www.litcbook.com to learn more.
Contains original artwork by chrisriversart.com.
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Lost in the Crowd by M J Santley
Book starts out with preface with why the book was written and the journey. Dedication page and then the start of the story.
Matt is the main character and we learn of his past growing up in NE England, coal mining, working for different employees and the kids in the neighborhood.
Many events he should’ve been hurt or killed and circumstances occur and he’s just fine. After the death of a girl at work he travels to Asia. Pictures along the way also of things/places he’s been to.
Lots of swearing throughout the book. Like learning about the travel itself, what to expect visiting different areas around the world.
Like learning about the customs and traditions of the countries he visits.
Enjoy the poems that to me summarize the chapter and the happenings within.
Can imagine them as songs, they’d be good. More adventures with his friends and his brother that he steps up to help his parents out.
Venting about religion and Jihadists and his upbringing with Catholic school and the church.
Poems are explained and what they are about when they were written.
Parts of the book come across as a tv show or movie-great detail.
See this as a positive read, thanks for the encouragement.
Received this review copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
Lost in the Crowd by M.J. Santley is one of the more original biographies out there. Witty, intelligent, full of self deprecating humor, and overflowing with poetry, this biography is truly original and highlights the author’s life. Santley has a crazy gift with his writing, although he seems to think of himself as an idiot. You get a feel for his life in northern Britain, with all of his wanderings, and his witticisms along the way. This is a refreshing discourse, as the author tells us about his life, at once positive, sometimes meandering, but always entertaining. Highly recommend for a window into the author’s world. Good stuff.
This author is very dark and self-deprecating, so if you’re not into that then this isn’t the book for you. It is a sort of autobiography, with poems and notes and a load of crude language and comedy. It’s dark, but I felt like I could relate to SAntley.
Santley does a great job of showing us the world through his eyes, while still encapsulating a distilled version of what we all are really looking for : the essence of life. He does this through his adventures of trying to discover his own meaning and what he really wants.
He bundles his tumultuous life and dark humor with some well-written poems in each chapter, showing that despite the fact he calls himself “an idiot” he’s rather pensive and has a head for good direction…both in travel and navigating the dark waters of life.
MJ Santley is a self-proclaimed idiot. He says so, right on the page; however, his self-descriptions seem (to me) to be a glimpse into the genius that he really is. Santley uses humor, poetry, and blunt accounts of his thoughts and emotions to share his story in a way that leaves him open to connect with his readers.
For me, the poetry he uses to open up each new section of the story, expresses the part of him that hides behind humor; his fear, frustration, challenges. His poetry is animated and direct, not leaving much to question.
Lost in the Crowd takes you on a journey with Santley. You’ll travel and meet interesting people, stumble, take twists, sit in shock at his uncanny ability to avoid real life catastrophe, and learn life lessons right alongside the author.
If you are looking for an honest, shoot from the hip storyteller, then you have found him! I enjoyed reading about his search for lasting love, the purpose of life, and a brother that he isn’t absolutely sure he wants to find.
British author MJ Santley is a born storyteller – and this debut publication bears witness to that fact. As a self description offers, ‘In my own mind, I am an idiot. In the minds of many others, I am not. I’ve been told that I am clever: I am intelligent, and even that I am a genius, I am not. I’m a f*****g idiot.’ That degree of humor pervades this fun book.
Before the novel even begins, the tone is set in a scenario in Belgrade where we meet the author and his problematic brother – ‘Old dilapidated building. Inside a small court behind a locked iron gate. Two men sit together, both staring straight ahead. One of the men, Chris, is barefoot and dirty, wearing soiled, ripped jean shorts and a blue Serbian football shirt. He looks disheveled. He has recent cuts to his head and face, and also several large recently-healed scars. One eye is black, swollen, and completely closed. He is also shaking slightly, as if craving something. The other man, Matt, is much better turned out. He is wearing smart blue shorts, a white collared T-shirt, and shades. Although clean, Matt hasn’t slept in over fifty hours. He is exhausted…The Female Serbian Judge – ‘you have been charged with the crime of trespassing breaking into the Canadian Embassy in Belgrade – and drunk and disorderly behaviour.’
There are many hints from this passage that reflect the tenor of this two year memoir – the author’s coping with his complicated brother as well as an entry into the writing style that makes this book inimitable. Matt’s (MJ Santley’s) journey illustrates that life is a game of chance and we must deal with what we encounter: the option is…not so great. As the liner states, this is‘ a hard-to-believe, often hilarious, crazy, heartwarming journey through life – a journey that recurrently seems to be influenced by mysterious forces beyond his control and understanding. The book is defined by events that occurred in the author’s life during the two years it was being written. These events bring the book to life and give it a whole new meaning.’
The prose is rich, sprinkled with crude adjectives and enlightening engagements with the many facets of travel, and while the atmosphere is very often hilarious, the author does offer some challenging insights on how to deal with the twists and turns and disruptions and flavors that life offers. And from his multiple episodes he shares that whether we win or lose, we learn from our mistakes.
This is one richly rewarding book to read – both for the fine writing and the insights offered. The book is enhanced by the superb art of Chris Rivers-Nuttall. Totally successful! Recommended.
MJ Santley gives you a taste of life in northern Britain as he travels around looking for three important things; a lasting love, the value of life, and a brother he isn’t sure he wants to find. Lost in the Crowd is refreshing as the author bluntly tells us like it is, though humorous with his unique insight and words. Mishaps and events reveal the author’s positive attitude in life, though he is frank.
I found Lost in the Crowd a promising read as MJ Santley illustrates his amazing storytelling ability. You feel the author reveals hidden compartments in his life that most authors keep hidden. The poetry and illustrations are an added complement to this novel, but is expected with Santley since poetry is a passion of his. Overall, this novel will make you feel connected to the author as he exposes his life for all. Santley is hilarious, but real and you believe you have touched greatness after finishing this novel.
What can I say about ‘Lost in the Crowd’ by M. J. Santley? Well, it is not for the easily offended that’s for sure – expletives are used as punctuation and some may find some of the satirical humour a little close to the bone. However, personally I love fiction, particularly comedy fiction, that pushes the boundaries and even makes you feel a little uncomfortable, as these are the books that make you think and that you will discuss with your friends.
‘Lost in the Crowd’ – an autobiographical story of the chaotic and comically diabolical life of M J Santley – is one such book. It follows his time in Asia, as well as an eventful trip to Serbia, and a little trip to South Africa. The poetic verses are as skilful as they are hilarious, but also tell a full-bodied story that would make a great comedy-drama or stage play.
I’m so glad the ‘idiot’ (as he describes himself and probably is) decided to share a small part of his life through ‘Lost in the Crowd’. If you like to laugh at the misfortune of others, you will love this book.
Lost in the Crowd is an unexpectedly funny and engaging book, and although it’s autobiographical it reads like a comedy novel. The humor is very British in that it is heavily self-deprecating, but if you like that sort of thing, as I do, then I would highly recommend giving this a read. The is also a tragic element to the tone of the book, and a slight darkness, especially from the truth held within, but all of that adds to the emotion contained within, and a definite sympathy with the authors through his struggles. A definite recommend from me.
Poets are compassionate and sensitive or dark and eerie. With this author, M.J. Santley probably a pseudonym his poetry steps humor, observations of his life, city and letdowns of his own real identity. The author’s background is UK raised and lives working as a Writer, whom always adored poetry and like me, has begun writing fiction because of the exploration into storytelling. I am a storyteller and a poet both as hobbies growing up.
Travel to places you’ve never been with deep imagery. Explore the chaos that bring every time the main character is near. This gives a delicious flavor of intrigue because when everything goes right the story isn’t funny, it’s when situations go wrong the comedy stands out. First novel common for twisting scenarios to a comedic tone. Saturday Night Live meets Laugh In Club.
This is the riveting autobiography of Matthew Santley who is an Englishman who has lived a very eventful life that can be said as both sad and blissful. Santley is young, he is not an old man but when you read this you will have to agree that despite the offensive and foul language he blurts every now and then, it is indeed an entertaining rollercoaster ride. From his preface, he self-identifies as an idiot. The book begins from the times he spends in Asia, to the times when he returns home for a time to work there, to a time when he travels to South Africa, to a time when he had to drive all the way from the UK (his home country) to Serbia to rescue his older brother. The book will make you laugh out loud, cringe, and yeah, I guess, tear up a bit. Santley is athletic as well as an amorous man with girlfriends named Ling, Adele, Abi, and Elaine. I guess this book has something for everyone. The only disappointing elements I found in it were the offensive profanity and his views on religion. But hey! That’s his right and who am I to judge right?
The best part about his book here is his amazing knack for poetry. There are tons of poems in this book it makes its writer seem like a songwriter and that they are the soundtrack of his life. I love poetry and that’s the special treat this book had for me. I marveled at his gift for rhyming it is indeed remarkable. The poems are found at the end of each chapter and they do not disappoint. Whenever I felt like maybe he would mess up on the rhythm and such, he doesn’t. Santley is a genius at placing words that sound alike at the end of a sentence or more. I have to be honest here, at first I felt like the foul language was going to get to me but because I have to finish this book for a review, I kept on and I succeeded. There are also about four or less instances of screenplays in here and yes, Santley also rules in these. If only the profanity and some offensive terms did not make their wicked way into this book I would rightfully say that it is a masterpiece for all ages. This is a life that is worth sharing with the world and I am glad that he wrote it and published it.
I recommend this book to the adventurous spirit. I also recommend this book to the not so easily offended. I recommend this book to the open-minded soul looking for a unique kind of life to read about. I don’t recommend this book to those who abhor foul language and anything that is obscene and offensive. I think this is a great book to spend a cold Fall day reading inside the comfortable setting of your bedroom or even living room with the television set turned off. All in all, this is not for the devout Christian or Muslim.