With the Brian Clough film -The Damned United - being released last week, I thought I would let you know what I thought of the novel it is based on.
The story is centred on the forty-four days Clough spent as the manager of Leeds United Football Club.
The book is pieced together in a good way. The story frequently shifts from Clough's present (Leeds '73) to parts of his past, specifically his managerial placements at Derby County and Brighton & Hove Albion. The narrative threads well together as, by the end of the novel, the full story is told and the chronicled past manages to catch up with the present.
David Peace wrote the Leeds part of the novel in the style of Clough himself and, while I was reading it, all I could think of was his voice playing in my head. The other portion of the novel came across as Clough's conscience or something as the authorial voice would address Clough as 'you' throughout these parts of the book.
This way of telling the Brian Clough story adds a dimension to his character. On one hand you see the arrogant and confident man whilst on the other you can view his insecurities.
One of the things you must take into account when reading this is it is a piece of fiction despite how much research and fact has been put in writing this.
The problem is working out what happened and what didn't. Clough was such a character that you can never know for sure.
I hope to see the film soon. If the book is anything to go by, it will be interesting.
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