Title: Crisp and focused...
Product review: This is an `inside the head of the cyclist' account of a 1970's amateur, 150 kilometer cycle race in France. Only 148 pages, the novella is not written in chapters but broken down into kilometres travelled. This is effective in terms of conveying the unbroken nature of the race. The writing is sparse and pared down; in places it felt as hard and real as a bicycle saddle. This clean, efficient prose helps to convey the clinical sense of competition amongst the racers. It brings a strong sense of realism but perhaps at the expense of warmth and emotion. I felt I understood the characters but I didn't form any lasting connection to them. The Rider doesn't try to be something it isn't - its main aim is to give the reader an 'in-situ' 150 kilometre saddle-ride, and it achieves this. Without question, The Rider works as a specific, cult piece of work.
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