In Praise of Hangovers

I guess everyone has their favourite writers, whose works you read on the strength of what you have already read. Whenever Iain Banks has a new novel coming out, I know I will buy it and devour it in a few days, I have his latest book 'Stonemouth' upstairs as I type, ready for when I finish 'The Hemingses of Monticello'. My list of 'must-always read writers' includes Umberto Eco, Nick Hornby and Douglas Coupland. Also on that list is a chap I am very honoured to be able to call my friend, Evan Rail, and it is with a great sense of remiss that I have only recently got round to taking the 45 minutes or so it takes to read his latest Kindle single, In Praise of Hangovers (random thought - if it takes about 33 minutes to read something is it a Kindle LP?).

'In Praise of Hangovers' is a look at the aspect of the drinking world which is common to all drinkers, whether lovers of lager, ale, wine or spirits. Each and every one of us has, at some point, woken up with a splitting headache, a mouth that feels like fur and an unquenchable thirst, not to mention the intention never to drink again, or at least not until the pub opens.

Evan manages to thread together history, science, mythology, anecdote and some wonderful metaphors of the hangover experience in his 30 odd pages - if you don't how the pain of the hangover headache relates to Lev Trotsky then take a quick dash to Wikipedia to find out how that particular revolutionary met his end. There were several occasions when I found myself chuckling away at some point or other that was instantly recognisable in my own hangover experience, though I would add Irn Bru to the list of approved morning after pick me ups.

Like Evan's previous Kindle single, Why Beer Matters, this is a really enjoyable read, and one that I whole heartedly recommend you pop over to Amazon and buy.