What a treat a Graham Swift that I haven't read, found at the book stall in Cambridge Market

*Contains slight spoiler*

This was quite disappointing, from the same pen as the sublime ‘Waterland’ and ‘Last Orders’. I shall be generous and attribute weaknesses of plot, character and atmosphere(!) down to youth and inexperience; this was only his second novel. The basic idea is quite promising; a disenfranchised and weak bureaucrat working in an office which deals with ‘dead’ police files. A particular case to be investigated involves himself and his war-hero father who is now institutionalized and mute; this much we know from the blurb. But Swift doesn’t seem to develop much interest for the lead character (‘Prentis’ – no first name, which doesn’t really come as a surprise), his bullied wife, or his aloof and controlling boss. The father himself remains, well mute, a partly-drawn cipher. I quite enjoyed the excerpts from the memoir ‘Shuttlecock’ (his Father’s code name). I won’t give too much away, but we reach the conclusion painfully slowly, which is not much of a surprise – as above – with about 20 pages left, and then nothing much else happens. I really wanted some clever twist to redeem the book, but it didn’t come, so we were left with a lot of loose ends (to my mind), a fairly unlikable lead, despite a transformation of sorts, and a missed opportunity.

Now available on the Official BookCrossing Zone bookshelf in Caffe Nero, King's Parade, Cambridge.

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RELEASE NOTES:

This journal entry is out of sequence...but if you're quick this may still be on the shelf after yesterday's Cambs meet-up restocking :)