The Forensic Records Society - Hardcover

"This is a little book, but Mills has big fun as he parlays the trivial into the profound. The starting point for The Forensic Records Society may be an old 7-inch plastic disc, but it isn't long before the stakes feel huge. Mills, clearly, has much to say on cult mentality and the confines of conformity." - Washington Post

"Mills uses his blokes in the back of a pub to tell a massively ambitious story . . . A story that could be read as a disguised retelling of the Russian revolution, or the Reformation, or the Sunni-Shia schism, or any great human falling out. As soon as you form any kind of 'us, ' Mills suggests, a 'them' will form in response. In this, The Forensic Records Society is like Animal Farm but with blokes for pigs, and much better songs." - The Guardian

"A delightful absurdity, a surreal novel spinning at 45 RPM . . . a lovely commentary on politics and social interactions . . . beautifully written." - San Francisco Book Review

"A gem of a novel about obsessive record collectors . . . hilarious." - Dayton Daily News

"Mills [is] an earnestly whimsical and quietly subversive British writer . . . What Mills targets is the thirst for hierarchy, rules and regulations, schisms, spies in each society . . . The novel's light and clever with its male characters' passion for order and conspiratorial aspirations. And these can be applied to all human organizations, as Mills applies his scalpel to such ingrained compulsions." - Providence Journal

"An allegory about power, ambition and primal struggles for supremacy. It works wonderfully well because it is so distilled and so funny . . . A novel that feels like an off-kilter Nick Hornby starts to be imbued with the spirit of Harold Pinter. It is quite remarkable how, on such a tiny canvas, Mills can achieve such stunning effects . . . A discomforting read as well as a hugely enjoyable one." - The Independent

"Tremendously funny. Mills is one of Britain's best comic writers, and this is an excellent introduction to his scrupulously amusing world." - The Spectator

"A pithy allegorical critique of how wider contemporary society works . . . Understated, precise, observational prose . . . A brisk and entertaining read. Bloomsbury have pushed the boat out with the packaging, which is a wonderful pastiche of the sort of vintage 1960s 7-inch single sleeve collectors covet at record fairs, and will really make you think there must be three minutes of music as well as 180 pages of prose to discover inside." - The Herald Scotland

"Funny . . . a unique achievement . . . It's as if Don DeLillo had gone for a pint in an old English pub." - Irish Times

"The Forensic Record Society feels fresh for tackling the issue of societal disintegration with a revamped style . . . This story is light, ironic and funny." - Popmatters

The best novel yet from award-winning, Booker Prize–shortlisted Magnus Mills--a hilarious and surreal exploration of power, fanaticism, and really, really good records.

I remained convinced that my original theory was correct: there were some records that were never heard on planet Earth unless I (or James) happened to be playing them.

Two men with a passion for vinyl create a society for the appreciation of records. Their aim is simple: to elevate the art of listening by doing so in forensic detail. The society enjoys moderate success in the back room of their local pub, The Half Moon, with other enthusiasts drawn to the initial promise of the weekly gathering.

However, as the club gains popularity, its founders' uncompromising dogma results in a schism--and soon a counter group forms. Then the arrival of a young woman called Alice further fractures the unity of the vulnerable society. As rifts are forged and gulfs widen, Magnus Mills, the master of comic deadpan, humorously examines the surreal nature of ordinary lives.