Mr Strong - alive with the vivid evocation of place and period that was always Hargreaves’ forte – juxtaposes a seemingly random sequence of events with a subtlely undultating Nietschean parable about making the most of one’s abilities.  The end result is a novel by one of the 1970s most unconventionally creative writers. Oddball characters are propelled along zigzagging narrative channels, connections are made with whimsical aplomb. As always, too, everything is burnished with vitalisingly poetic images.  Mr Strong isn’t only about life and inventiveness: it overflows with them. 

From the book’s opening pages, in which we are introduced to the secret of Mr Strong’s power, to a pivotal scene in which he extinguishes a burning barn, Hargreaves manages to satisfy both intellectually and emotionally: his work is lyrical yet never forgets the imperative to entertain.   

Audacious yet restrained, tender yet sardonic, and filled with moments of emotional complexity . . .

Mr Strong is a masterclass of powerful human emotions that raises provocative questions about life, death, and memory and our power to create and destroy.   

For readers aged 4 and up. 

9/10