Diary of an Amateur Photographer : A Mystery

by Graham Rawle

When Gregory joins his local camera club, he decides to keep a diary to record his photographic achievements. Then he finds an old picture, which he is convinced is of an angel, and he is soon in the grip of an obsession. Could a newspaper cutting from 1959 be a clue to the angel's true identity?

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Photography, Graphic Novels

128 pages, Hardcover

First published October 23, 1998

About the author

Graham Rawle was a British writer and collage artist whose visual work incorporates illustration, design, photography and installation. His weekly Lost Consonants series appeared in the Weekend Guardian for 15 years (1990–2005). He produced other regular series which included ‘Lying Doggo’ and ‘Graham Rawle’s Wonder Quiz’ for The Observer and ‘When Words Collide’ and ‘Pardon Mrs Arden’ for The Sunday Telegraph Magazine and 'Bright Ideas' for The Times.

Reviews

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham Rawle is, quite simply, a genius. The only problem with his books is that they take years to put together, so I have to wait to read more. If you've ever thought that experimental fiction is dull, difficult or values experiment over story, then read this and be proven wrong.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a very strange and odd book. I happened to bump into it in the photography section of a used bookstore. It immediately intrigued me by its massively creative layout - published in the form of a type-written journal/scrapbook from 1959. The pages look as if there are real scraps taped on the page with some pencil marks, cutouts from magazines, and some photographs - so real you think that it truly is a handmade work.

The book has a very short plot line of a creepy and lewd 40-something bachelor who wants to become an amateur photographer. He stumbles into a mystery when he finds undeveloped film in a second-hand camera that reveals a murder when developed. He then chronicles his journey in the scrapbook to uncover the murderer by discovering where the camera came from through his learning how to become (strangely enough) a nude photographer.

This was apparently written as a satire and has a very pulp-like feel. I give it 4-stars for creativity but 2 for the story --a 3.5 star work. Can't say I'd recommended it to anyone - it is highly misogynistic - but, meant to be from the time period it is set in.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Weak mystery story with clumsy pacing and lacking any real suspense. Nice graphic design elements and page layeout don't save this one. I was told this is "experimental literature" when in fact it's more of a glorified (and not particulaly well-done) graphic novel. If experimental is what you're looking for you might wanna check out "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally odd; unusual; maybe even deranged. But so worth it, especially the visuals.

[Traci Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super creepy but I actually enjoyed it.. The book put me in a very strange mindset and I am a lover of all things creepy and gory.. A fun read!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a book enjoyed in the physical realm - the scrap book style really drew me in with other pages playing peek-a-boo through "gaps", "tears", "transparencies", etc. I wonder if there was a deluxe edition with actual paperclips, tear holes, etc.

This murder mystery is slowly revealed as the narrator (a home counties man of indeterminate age brought up by his grandmother) discovers a picture of what turns out to be a dead body, and a ripped picture of an underwear model (the head is missing). He has joined a photography club, and predictably is drawn to photographs of, and photographing, nudes (women). There are allusions to a previous police matter, and very quickly I realise this is yet another unreliable narrator. So unreliable he misses a huge clue in his own family photos.

This is quite a character study which ends sort of inconclusively, and then ... stuck in the back cover is an envelope with a card inside. Lovely, and sad.

[Jona Alday-Finuliar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stumbled upon this from a second hand bookshop and was intrigued by the layout more than the story. It was an interesting quick read but not a big fan of the plot. I liked the details of Mr Whittingham's character and his absurb thought process.

[aya]

This book was gorgeously made. A more reasonable way to create a found-object story than S, meticulously crafted, interesting mystery, sure I didn’t love the plot or main character, but I enjoyed disliking him.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a gem in my art book collection, a sweet mystery and well done visual storytelling. it was such a joy to read and discover everything, I am a huge fan and so happy I found it on a blog somewhere.

[Tom Loock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm almost embarrassed to say it took a little more than an hour to read, because it must have taken many hours to compose. The result is beautiful and well worth reading.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd, but well done, would read more by this author.

[Melanie Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what I think about this book. I'll admit, I've never been one for mysteries. Why? Because I lose track, miss things, and never understand the ending. My brain has never functioned correctly when it comes to the mystery. As a result, I almost never read them, and I certainly don't watch James Bond. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Rawle's Woman's World, so I gave this number a try. Whodunnit? I have no clue. Regardless, the narrator is a creepy bastard, and waiting to see what he does next (assuming he acts upon his creepiness) is worth the read.

[flajol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Rawle's Lost Consonants, but was completely unprepared for the weirdness of this book. I'm still not sure if the protagonist is incredibly naive or just self-delusional.

[Melissa Hassey · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a fun read. good find in a used bookstore. unusual. its been years since i have read it though....

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If chas ray krider met Nick Bantock, this would be the result.

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Just meh.

[Cocaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable read if not a little odd at times. Well worth getting hold of a copy though. remarkable in the sense of the concept rather than the prose but still a jolly good read, what!