I have so many good things to say about "The Last Speaker of Skalwegian" that I'm not even sure where to start!

Why did I love "The Last Speaker of Skalwegian" so much?
First, because it's unique. I'm always drawn to books that offer me something different and unusual, and this one definitely fits the bill. It tells the story of Lenny, a quirky college professor who is helping his friend document the almost-dead language of the Skalwegian people. While this may not sound like a delightful premise for a novel, I can assure you that it truly is.

Lenny is the perfect character to headline the story. I loved every single peek into the inner workings of his mind that that author shared with us. His backstory is interesting, and I felt that it helped me understand the man Lenny has become by the start of the book. His development during the course of the story is interesting, and I was pleased with where he ended up. I adored Lenny so much that I'd happily read a sequel, even if nothing much happens in it. I just want to learn more about Lenny and his linguistics projects, present and future.

Other characters, particularly Daniella, Charlie, and Henri, add humor and life to the story. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention The Widow Bahr and Angel Warrior/Warbler...this pair were both hilarious and (ultimately) quite useful. Of course, there were also the "love to hate" characters like Dean Sheepslappe, Luther, and Elspeth. Without them, there wouldn't have been a story, and each brought their own special brand of dislike-ability to the table.

The story itself was wonderful. Although I would happily read about Lenny and Company in any scenario, I very much enjoyed the Skalwegian plotline, along with the question of Charlie's inheritance and the various dangers that come into play for the characters. By the last few chapters, I knew I wouldn't be able to put the book down until I knew how everything ended up. Thankfully, the author gave us a solid conclusion that left me feeling happy for everyone, but sad that the story was over.

I also enjoyed Mr. Gardner's clever naming of certain characters, which called to mind the genius that is Jasper Fforde. Throw in some Forrest-Gump-ish moments where things happen around our hero to which he is mostly oblivious, and perhaps you can begin to understand why I was so delighted to have had the chance to read this book.

So many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I am a non-fiction reader almost exclusively so this was a departure for me. I was possibly surprised by how much I really loved this one. It was a non-stop twisting plot and terrific characters. Really enjoyed this. I would 100% read this author again. Funny, quirky, unpredictable. Highly recommend this one.

It was okay but very unmemorable. I just recently read it and I’m struggling to remember some parts. Fine but ultimately forgettable.

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian is witty, sarcastic, and smart. I enjoyed the crazy shenanigans of the characters, especially Lenny. It was a fast read full of interesting language bits and a lot of mayhem.

I absolutely loved this book, it was enthralling from the start and I was dissapointed when it finished, I would definitely recommend this book, one of the best mysteries I have read this year

Was this written in the 1970s or 80s? Was it not edited? Because it's one of the most sexist and gender-stereotyped and ugly things I've read in a while. The author's bio says he has a PhD, but seems not to know at all how academia works. He certainly doesn't know how to write anything without leaning heavily on double entendre, outdated and stale descriptions of women's bodies, or cliches. I can't believe anyone liked this.

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian is the second novel by American author, David Gardner. It’s only after he has been working on the Skalwegian language for three months, after he has applied for and received a hefty government research grant, that linguistics professor Lenny Thorsen realises that Charlie Fox, the last speaker of Skalwegian, might not be the real deal. And that’s a problem.

After three years of teaching French at Ghurkin College in the small Massachusetts town of New Skalvik, where he is expected to issue As for football jocks despite non-attendance, Lenny jumps at the chance to document a dying language. Skalwegian was spoken on the tiny island of Skalvik, near Norway, until the population migrated to New Skalvik over two hundred years earlier, and learned English.

Documenting Skalwegian, as Lenny explained to Daniela Fox, the gorgeous co-anchor of News at Noon on local TV station WDRK, might just prevent the extinction of a language, should help with securing tenure, and he just loves the work. But if this counterfeiting of a language is revealed, his career and reputation are ruined.

When Charlie gives a (partial) explanation of why he is virtually creating a new language, Lenny faces a dilemma: the motive is pure, but the consequences of failure or discovery are unthinkable. Before the year is out, Lenny will be the target of four or five assassination attempts, there will be a murder, a kidnapping, and blackmail with regards the stipulations of a lucrative will. And Lenny will, mysteriously, acquire the apparently fearsome title of The Lobsterman.

Gardner’s plot is sometimes a little convoluted and involves an element of slapstick and plenty of absurdity, especially with the character names, where there’s a bit of nominative determinism going on. There are few ordinary people in this story: almost every character is quirky, weird, strange, odd, or eccentric.

Our linguist is caretaker of a revolving ex-restaurant which sporadically, and quite unpredictably, rotates, where he dines on a frozen cache of lobster tails, boysenberries and ginger and citrus tea, while avoiding cases of mediocre wine. He is easily distracted by words, his thoughts shooting off in tangents as he puzzles over their derivations. And plagued by a guilty secret from his past…

The supporting cast includes an ageing Godiva, a corrupt Police Chief, a money-grubbing college dean siphoning off funds for his personal gain, a local businessman with underworld connections, several hitmen named Bob, and a resourceful army vet. Readers in the mood for silliness, with occasional laugh-out-loud moments and some sweet romance will find this one entertaining.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Encircle Publications/Books Go Social.

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian follows Lenny who, whilst working on the revival of Skalwegian, a language spoken by the ancestors of many in his local community, finds himself on the wrong side of organised crime. As the novel progresses, the absurdity certainly doesn't abate as the protagonist attempts to unravel himself from the mess in which he has become entwined and go back to his quiet, anonymous life.

As a linguist with a keen interest in minority/minoritised languages, the premise immediately drew me in, and there were certainly elements of Lenny's character that I found amusingly relatable, however I'm afraid to say this element of the plot felt much less central as I made my way through the book. That being said, I would commend the author for choosing to centre his premise around such a niche premise. I had some initial reservations due to how frequently I see such languages disparaged in the real world. However, I was very glad that this novel did not, in the main, make the so-called uselessness or quaintness of Skalwegian the punchline.

When it comes to the 'thriller' aspect of the book, I would say it managed to achieve a moderate level of interest and intrigue. The various antagonists do not remain a mystery for very long at all and most of the suspense is derived from wondering if and how the various characters will emerge from each threat that presents itself. Whilst this doesn't necessarily preclude a book from being truly 'thrilling', in this case I do not think it helped. I felt that most of the points of tension developed and dissipated too quickly to truly draw me in or make me worry which was a shame. I will, however, say that this picked up in the final quarter of the book when I did feel more of that urge to keep turning pages.

The other key element of this book is humour, specifically farcical humour. The best way to explain how well this landed with me would probably be to say that I noticed all the jokes/laughable moments but didn't really laugh at any of them. I can't quite explain why, but I would hazard a guess that it was due to a large number of them being, to some extent, reliant on visuals or timing for their true impact. Perhaps my imagination does not produce a sufficiently vivid image for this style of writing to have its intended effect. I often thought, whilst reading these sections, that they would work much better in a TV show or film. Overall, it was light-hearted and lightly humourous, if not a laugh-out-loud romp.

Before concluding, I feel it worth mentioning this book's apparent attitude towards many of the female characters. On many, many occasions, their physical attributes were described in what I would call an unnecessarily detailed and often overly-sexualised manner. It is possible this was intended as a humorous "isn't this a ridiculous way to speak about women," but I just found it increasingly jarring and, ultimately, not in keeping with the rest of the book.

I am sure this book will have its audience - perhaps the humour will land better with people with a USA cultural background - but I'm afraid it was not really for me. If you are looking for a light read with a relatively unusual plot and backdrop, then certainly give it a go, but I wouldn't put it to the top of your pile if you've already got plenty of books to get through.

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian was an amusing read. Well written, evenly paced and fun to read. I really enjoyed the shenanigans in this book.

David Gardner's The Last Speaker of Skalwegian follows Lenny, a gentle giant and absent minded professor as he works to document a dying language. Lenny teaches at a last in class university, where the dean is in cahoots with some unsavory characters with nefarious intentions. The dean has ill will toward Lenny as Lenny won't give the star football players passing grades, as they haven't earned them.

Looking for romance? Mystery? Intrigue? Look no further, this book contains it all.

This was a perfect mix of humour and of course mystery. I loved it. I really do appreciate it when authors create the perfect balance between humour and mystery because I don’t think we see much in books and this well and truly satisfied my craving. I thought the characters were really well written and the mystery kept me on my toes! 5 out of 5 stars!