This Boy – Alan Johnson

This initial autobiography from the ex-Labour MP and cabinet minister covers his childhood and adolescence spent in the poorer parts of West London between 1950 and 1968. And poverty is one of the main themes, an ever-present fact of life, though one to be met as a challenge and if not overcome, then something not to be overcome by.

With a father rarely around and neglectful in supporting the family, Alan Johnson’s upbringing fell to the two women of the household – mother, Lily, and older sister, Linda. Lily’s work ethic kept them afloat, and as her health failed the precociously capable Linda took on responsibilities beyond her years.

This is no pity memoir. The financial and material situation was often dire, but Johnson still enjoyed life on the streets of pre-gentrified Notting Hill and Chelsea. He endured school, progressing despite himself, but learned more from his part time jobs earning coppers to spend on watching QPR and buying records.

Simply and effectively written, the book is a tribute to the two women in his early life, who ensured he had a safe and loving home in which to thrive. It provides a valuable first hand historical record of the times, with plenty of nostalgia for those of his vintage, and eye-popping detail for those of later generations who may think life is tough now.

The Mirror and the Light – Hilary Mantel

The third volume of the Wolf Hall trilogy covers Thomas Cromwell’s final years in the service of King Henry VIII from 1536 to 1540, beginning with the aftermath of the execution of Anne Boleyn, in which he (Cromwell) had a leading role. 

There is quickly a new queen, Jane, and he must adapt to the new court packed with Seymour relatives and acolytes. New alliances must be forged, and old Boleyn and Howard contacts severed. But he is a consummate political mover and soon he is again Henry’s go-to man of business.

He continues to rise, picking up new responsibilities, titles, and real estate much to the envy and disgust of those who disparage his lowly birth. His entourage rise too – nephew Richard Cromwell, ward Rafe Sadler, and even young son Gregory all get positions of power.

It all looks good, and the queen even produces the much needed male heir – but then fails to survive the ordeal. The king is advised to marry again and sire a spare or two. Enter Anne of Cleves.

But it is not a match made in heaven, and Cromwell is tainted by his part in arranging the union. His enemies conspire, he loses the king’s ear, and it is only a matter of time before he finds himself following in the footsteps of the many he led to the Tower.

It is masterfully told, albeit at excessive length, rich with detail and nuance, and at the end, quite moving. It is also a big read off my book-et list.

The Lincoln Highway – Amor Towles

It is June 1954 and Emmett Watson’s return from a youth offenders’ institute to his home in Morgen, Nebraska is not a happy one. He is glad to be reunited with his younger brother, Billy, and to see girl next door, Sally, but his father has died, the farm is being repossessed, and everyone in town remembers and won’t forgive why he was sent down.

But Emmett has a plan to take his two remaining assets – his 1943 powder blue Studebaker Land Cruiser and $3,000 in cash that his father has hidden away from the creditors – to California where population is booming and opportunities beckon. That chimes with Billy; the route to the west is along the Lincoln Highway, the first road to fully cross America and the way taken by Emmett and Billy’s mother when she quit the marital home many years previously. Billy thinks they will find her at the end of the road.

Emmett’s best laid plans are immediately derailed as two pals from prison, Duchess and Woolly, turn up. They are absent without leave, and their arrival sets in motion a sequence of events that send Emmett the wrong way along the eponymous highway, towards New York.

The roller coaster journeys of Emmett, Billy, Duchess, and Woolly (not always together) provide for rollocking, overlapping adventures told from the four perspectives (supplemented by a few other points of view). It leads to a fitting, un-signposted climax.

It is written with style and a feel for the period. The characters are nicely drawn, and the multiple perspectives propel the reader over the miles and the 500+ pages. But don’t expect these mates to ever get to the planned San Francisco destination before the end.

Review of 2023 Reading Year

A steady return of 33 books read in the year, not bad as the average length was 400 pages. This year only a narrow majority (17 to 16) were by ‘new to me’ authors. The gender balance evened this year to a 55:45 preference for male authors, and the males again dominated the best reads list by 6 to 3. The reading group picked a few ‘already reads’ so provided only 4 new titles (including 1 best read) while the ‘bookpacking’ reading journey became becalmed in eastern Europe with just two books completed.

My nine best books of the year are: (Month of full review in brackets.)

 

The High House – Jessie Greengrass: Dystopia in microcosm as three young adults narrate how they came to survive the coming environmental catastrophe of hugely rising sea levels. (Feb)

 

The Reindeer Hunters – Lars Mytting: The second in the Bell in the Lake trilogy maintains the high standard, as another generation carry the story of life in rural Norway into the early twentieth century; old secrets unfold, and new dangers threaten. (Mar)

 

Origins – Lewis Dartnell: Perceptive non-fiction that with clarity sets out how geography and geology shaped human development. (Mar)

 

Rubbernecker – Belinda Bauer: Fast paced and unusual thriller in which characterisation is equal to the clever plotting. (Mar)

 

The Siege of Krishnapur – J G Farrell: Set in 1857 as the British Raj is under pressure in India, the novel recounts (surprisingly amusingly) how the rigid structures of that society fare under existential threat. (Apr)

 

Cloud Cuckoo Land – Anthony Doerr: Three narratives centuries apart, featuring five characters who begin as strangers, are weaved together to produce a fabulous, richly satisfying novel. (Jul)

 

The Mercies – Kiran Millwood Hargrave: Set in 1617, the novel builds on the true story of a storm that wrecked a fishing fleet and killed every man from a remote Norwegian village. The women who decide to make their own living find themselves subject to accusations of (and trials for) witchery. (Aug)

An Officer and a Spy – Robert Harris: A masterful take on the Dreyfus Affair – a miscarriage of justice that gripped France from 1895 to its conclusion a decade later. An interesting and engaging novel written with style and clarity. (Sep)

 

Eden – Jim Crace: This garden has walls, whether to keep people in or out is moot. Inside the Angels rule and men and women are immortal; outside the people are free but destined to age and die. When one person goes over the wall, the whole community – men, women, and angels - is at risk of disintegration. (Nov)