The Photo Album

The clichés of beauty are irresistible. It is usually (although I have to concede not always) some sort of affectation to pretend otherwise. A quirky catalogue of imaginary photographs K. B. Dixons new novel The Photo Album is an idiosyncratic mix of character study and meditation-a glimpse into the life of a peculiar photo-enthusiast named Michael Quick and a questioning if somewhat cursory examination of his present obsession. It is a portrait not just of the photographer but of the time and space around him. Also the people-his camera-shy wife Amy; his friend the writer Ryan Richardson; his neighbors the Moores whose son is mysteriously missing. A concise and unconventional wander it is as much a comic adventure as a contemplative one.