Taking the iconographic images of the schoolgirl and the salaryman, mingled with the bittersweet experiences of the sexually repressed, these stories embed themselves beneath the plastic veneer of contemporary Japanese society, revealing a world caught precariously between its future and its past.

'Brian Howell's stories are a pleasure to read. They flow from the same deep well of intelligence and craft from which THE DANCE OF GEOMETRY was drawn. This is the real thing'. 

Katharine Weber, author of The Music Lesson and The Little Women

Reviews of The Dance of Geometry (Toby Press):

'Howell cleverly throws up a host of questions about artistic production, image and authenticity. The Dance of Geometry is a fascinating book for lovers of art and literature alike. Scrupulous research and thoughtful historical referencing help to evoke 17th century Holland with an invigorating clarity. As well as being structurally innovative and philosophically provoking, the book is a thoroughly enjoyable read'.

Toby Lichtig - London Magazine

'The book was engaging, and the shifting viewpoints did add to my understanding of Vermeer and his work'. - Trudi E. Jacobson, The Historical Novels Society.

'Howell's uniquely speculative take on seventeenth-century Dutch painting has been demonstrated previously in some of his compelling and widely published short stories. The spell he casts in his first full-length work is every bit as enchanting, and the luxury of space allows him to experiment with form to superb effect. This is an enormously accomplished first novel'. - Nicholas Royle, Time Out.

READ AN EXTRACT