Books we like ... and books we're not too fussed about
Justin Cartwright
Sceptre 1996
This novel is a good, thought-provoking read. Framed by the account of a juror in a murder trial, we know from fairly on that it’s all going to end in tears. Things don’t work out quite as you might expect, but nevertheless it gives the story of Anthony, his friend Mike, and the prostitute and pimp who cross their path a feeling of inevitability which emphasises the way in which chance decisions can change the direction of ordinary lives (even though one of the impressions left by the novel is that the supposed ordinary lives of the people we pass in the street everyday are usually anything but). The framing narrative also makes it clear the way in which any set of actions may be open to numerous interpretations. What makes this particularly interesting is Cartwright’s facility to get inside the mind of his characters and relay to us their thoughts. It’s also a gripping story – with just a hint of Casualty - which, although it is set more than twenty years ago during the week of Nelson Mandela’s release, with Britain again on the verge of a recession, still rings very true.
6 February 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Cartwright
See also: The Song Before It Is Sung ; The Promise of Happiness
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