Everything Will Swallow You by Tom Cox review a cosy state-of-the-nation yarn

"Ursula K Le Guin had her Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction; I have my comfy cardigan theory. What Le Guin proposed is that human culture, novels included, didn't begin with technologies of harm, such as flints and spears, but with items of collection and care, such as the wicker basket or, nowadays, the carrier bag. And so, if we make them that way, novels can be gatherings rather than battles."

"Tom Cox's third novel fashions an escape from the dangerous outside world into something soft, comforting and unfashionable. It might once have been a Neanderthal's armpit, but now it's more likely to be a cosy cardigan. Or a deeply comforting story. This shambling but intricate yarn of friendship, loyalty, alienation and record collecting features a depressed nature writer called Billy Stackpole, who bears a parodic resemblance to such woodcut-on-the-cover authors as Robert Macfarlane and Tom Cox."

"Billy is sitting around his hand-forged firebowl when he utters the woeful/hopeful plea: This sounds weird but I've never had a big sloppy cardigan and I wish I did Just something you can throw on, at a time like this. Maybe in a nice earthy green, a bit mossy. Within earshot is a magical sea creature capable of passing for a dog, but also of hoovering, gardening and reading Barbara Kingsolver novels"

The comfy cardigan theory reframes cultural origins as rooted in collection and care rather than tools of harm, proposing novels as gatherings. Tom Cox's third novel offers an escape into softness, unfashionable comfort and deep consolation. The plot follows depressed nature writer Billy Stackpole, whose mind and debut title parody contemporary nature-writing figures. Billy voices a yearning for a large, sloppy cardigan while a magical, long-nosed sea creature listens nearby. The creature, later named Carl, is capable of hoovering, gardening, reading, multilingual speech, wise advice and excellent knitting, and anchors themes of friendship, loyalty and alienation.

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