I do think that he’s underrated – at least in terms of audience. You can find a hundred quotes from critics praising him (and often complaining how underrated he is…), but I go on about how good he is to people at the drop of a hat, and usually they haven’t heard of him.

Just before Christmas, I took a couple of personality tests at work. One of them, much to my surprise, analysed my responses to lots of questions and then placed me on a spectrum consisting of red, blue, green and yellow, each linked to a set of personality traits based on the concept of the humours, as filtered through Jung. The archetypes behind each of the colours didn’t quite match Thomson’s interpretation of the humours, but they weren’t far off in many respects. So, if The Rearrangement ever does come about, they’ll have a head start with me…

jb says: Hi Iain, good to see you here. It’s great to know that there are people out there who read Thomson’s books. There have been times I thought I was the only one. Oh, and – something else, this – don’t do no more of them personality tests . . .

)

jb says: I would have thought you’d know the Thomson books, Michelle. He knows how to keep things interesting.

I’m already looking forward to his new book this spring.

jb says: I believe he’s more less consistently been passed over for awards. Mind you they are a bit of a lottery.

jb says: Yes, the metaphors and similes are striking and apt, and isn’t it strange how he has been ignored?