Human Croquet, A Week In December and Small Island

I really love the writing of Kate Atkinson. It is clever, witty, accessible and a joy to read. Human Croquet is a strange story but full of wonderful characters. There is something about the forest of Lye that grips the imagination. Once a great forest, over time the woods have dwindled, replaced by modern houses. It is here sixteen years old Isobel lives with her difficult family. Where is her mother? Only Isobel's occasional travels in time unravel the mystery. These shifts are a little odd and reflect the disturbing feeling of the story. But the writing is what wins in the end.

I thought it might be interesting to read Sebastian Faulks' A Week In December in the month in which it is set. It starts on Sunday 16th December and follows a number of diverse characters through each day of that week: a hedge fund owner, a lawyer, a self made Asian millionaire, a schoolboy, a book reviewer, a Polish Premiership footballer, an Islamist student and my favourite, a young female train driver on the Circle Line. A book for our times, this is London as it is now. Once you get used to jumping from one character to another, it becomes an entertaining and ultimately thrilling read.

I was disappointed with Small Island by Andrea Levy. It had won numerous awards, and everyone I talked to who had read it said how good it was. It certainly had it's merits. It's exploration of the integration of immigrants from Jamaica in post war England (1948 to be precise) is a highly worthy concept. I enjoyed the flash backs to pre war West Indies and the war time experiences of the black Gilbert who leaves his island to join the RAF. But there is too much unremitting hardship, however factual this may be. I also thought that the writing was fairly ordinary, no sharp shooting Kate Atkinson style for this writer. I also thought I might find hidden memories from my early boyhood, but again I was disappointed. Not a complete waste of time for what was a long book, but glad when I had read the last page. Not a glowing indictment then.