But then

On Monday, with the baby bonus burning a hole in my bank account*, I paid almost full price for Engleby by Sebastian Faulks because I read this review.

It was marvellous - in an icky discomforting way that gets in your head and stays there. The narrator has such a powerful authorative voice (and such good grammar)that it takes ages for you to go "but, hang on."

A couple of days later odd bits of it keep coming to mind just like with Ian McKewan's Atonement. Both of these books bring the world of a vanished genertation of English people back to life really convincingly and both depend on the memories and misunderstandings of fallible people. And with both of them you just go "Oh why did it have to be that way?" Yes, highly technical assessment there I know.

Actually a bit cross with the review for saying Engleby was an expert on classical music because most of his references were to seventies pop and folk band. And his name reminded me more than anything of Burgess's deeply unattractive poet Enderby
who is similarly self-centred and opinionated - and drunk too for that matter.

I haven't read anything by Faulks before. Not sure why but at least partly because I was a bit put off by the "Sebastian" - but now I'm intrigued. I might even BUY them.

* I HATE it when the government I despise gives me stuff I don't really need for doing something I was going to do anyway. Really should send it to orphans in Africa rather than fritter it away on books. Stupid government pandering to my greed. Just becauase I take your money don't expect me to vote for you!