Sometimes you just chance upon something that makes you smile.

I bought Fup for my new Kindle in an Amazon sale just after Christmas. I knew next to nothing about either book or author, and bought it soley on the basis of its price. £1.

For those poor souls unfortunate not to be from the Uk, a pound is not a lot of money. It is a little less than would get you a 500ml bottle of Coke. It is barely half of a chicken salad sandwich from a supermarket. It is just over a third of a decent Latte. And it is nowhere near adequate to buy a beer. Not even half a pint for the lady in your life.

However, it appears on this occasion that it was enough to buy a bit under three hours of worthwhile reading and a few hearty belly laughs.

Fup tells the story of an unusal family. The Grandfather is a slightly canterous octogenarian who has spent his life moving from place to place, gambling and avoiding his ever expanding collection of ex wives. He believes himself to be immortal ont eh grounds of a recipe for home distilled whisky with supernatural powers. Tiny is his 6 foot 5 inch grandson whom he becomes responsible for late in his life. And Fup is a very unusual duck.

The book revolves around this domestic set up and Tiny's vendetta against a wild boar called Lockjaw, a vicious beast of unusual tenacity.

The style of this short book is it's main selling point. The whole story is told in a straight forward third person perspective, with no great tricks or departures. The voice, however, is direct, simple and warm. It reminds me in many ways of Mark Twain or John Irving. In fact the calm, balanced account of outrageous antics is very akin to the latter's A Prayer for Owen Meanie or The World According to Garp.

This balance of rational narration and oddball plot generates a humour that permeates every page, and , as mentioned there are several laugh out loud moments, something that I rarely find in even the best of humourous books.

It is a slim, quick read that is very rewarding. 4 and a half out of 5.