Shouting at the Window
A man takes a train journey between two (unnamed) cities. Haynes - we only ever get to know his surname - is on the margins of society: a petty criminal, living from day-to-day, who has had to flee from his usual territory to somewhere more secure...
On the Carousel
On the Carousel is the story of a young man’s journey through the decade – against the background of Thatcherism and Madonna and Cabbage Patch Dolls – as he enjoys the benefits of success, but then starts to re-assess his values and priorities...
Latest from the Blog
Serotonin by Michel Houellebecq (2019)
9th May 2021 There can be little doubt that Michel Houellebecq is one of the most controversial modern novelists. This is partly because of the subjects about which he chooses to write, but also due to the political perspectives that his characters often represent, his occasional descriptions of scenes of disturbing horror and – in … Continue reading Serotonin by Michel Houellebecq (2019)
London Rules by Mick Herron (2018)
2nd April 2021 London Rules is the fifth in the series of Mick Herron’s modern spy stories based around the occupants of Slough House, a rundown Secret Service office situated near the Barbican in London. (It has been followed by Joe Country and Slough House, the latter published earlier this year). Slough House is where … Continue reading London Rules by Mick Herron (2018)
A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe (1722)
7th March 2021 It is perhaps not surprising that, in the current prolonged circumstances of dealing with the impact of Covid-19, I have been drawn to the great work by Daniel Defoe. I prepared for my reading of the novel with a little research into the Great Plague, which is estimated to have killed approximately … Continue reading A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe (1722)
