Janet
28th June 2006, 12:55
The ‘Blurb’
The place is St Oswald's, an old and long-established public boys' grammar school in the north of England. A new year has just begun, and for the staff and boys of the school, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork and Information Technology rule the world and Roy Straitley, Latin master, eccentric, and veteran of St Oswald's, is finally - reluctantly - contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes and everyday crises of the school, a darker undercurrent stirs. And a bitter grudge, hidden and carefully nurtured for thirteen years, is about to erupt. Who is Mole, the mysterious insider, whose cruel practical jokes are gradually escalating towards violence - and perhaps, murder? And how can an old and half-forgotten scandal become the stone that brings down a giant?
The story is told by two narrators - Roy Straitley, (signified by a white chess piece - a king), old-school Latin master who has done 99 terms at St Oswald’s, and will get his name on the Centenarians board once he’s completed his 100th, and an anonymous person whose father was once the school’s porter (signified by a black pawn).
The narrative switches between the present and 15 years earlier, when the unidentified narrator became resentful of St Oswald's because they had to attend the local and very rough and unpleasant comprehensive school.
There is a twist in the tale, which I really didn’t see coming!
The paperback is 512 pages long and is published by Black Swan. The ISBN number is 0552770027.
I’ve read a few of Harris’ novels - Chocolat, Blackberry Wine, Five Quarters of the Orange - and have enjoyed them all, but for me, this is her best and I’d go as far as to say I think this is probably my favourite book of 2006 so far!
The place is St Oswald's, an old and long-established public boys' grammar school in the north of England. A new year has just begun, and for the staff and boys of the school, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork and Information Technology rule the world and Roy Straitley, Latin master, eccentric, and veteran of St Oswald's, is finally - reluctantly - contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes and everyday crises of the school, a darker undercurrent stirs. And a bitter grudge, hidden and carefully nurtured for thirteen years, is about to erupt. Who is Mole, the mysterious insider, whose cruel practical jokes are gradually escalating towards violence - and perhaps, murder? And how can an old and half-forgotten scandal become the stone that brings down a giant?
The story is told by two narrators - Roy Straitley, (signified by a white chess piece - a king), old-school Latin master who has done 99 terms at St Oswald’s, and will get his name on the Centenarians board once he’s completed his 100th, and an anonymous person whose father was once the school’s porter (signified by a black pawn).
The narrative switches between the present and 15 years earlier, when the unidentified narrator became resentful of St Oswald's because they had to attend the local and very rough and unpleasant comprehensive school.
There is a twist in the tale, which I really didn’t see coming!
The paperback is 512 pages long and is published by Black Swan. The ISBN number is 0552770027.
I’ve read a few of Harris’ novels - Chocolat, Blackberry Wine, Five Quarters of the Orange - and have enjoyed them all, but for me, this is her best and I’d go as far as to say I think this is probably my favourite book of 2006 so far!