Modern British Fiction

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 		Book Review: The Country Life, by Rachel Cusk
The Country Life initially reads like English "chick lit," but then the work takes meaningful and thoughtful turns, with a witty and humorous tinge.
Garden of Eden in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca
Daphne Du Maurier's classic Gothic novel Rebecca has now earned the critical acclaim that it deserves. A close reading reveals a Biblical allusion to the Serpent.
Juliet, Naked Book Review
Nick Hornby's latest novel, Juliet, Naked, returns him to familiar ground by once again placing music, art, the creative process and fan obsession under the microscope.
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is a novel of family history and the expectations of Western life.
Daphne du Maurier, Cornwall Romance Writer
Before her masterpiece Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier was inspired on the coast of Cornwall to write The Loving Spirit, as told in her autobiography, Myself When Young.
Graham Swift's The Light of Day
The holiday season is beginning earlier and earlier, but Graham Swift's intriguing exploration of love and murder will protect the month of November from holiday assault.
The Gatecrashers by Madeleine Wickham
Money cannot buy happiness. Or can it? Follow Fleur Daxeny on her journey as she attempts to steal money from a lonely widower.
Review of Jill Dawson's The Great Lover
Jill Dawson's inventive new novel imagines a fictional event in the life of English war poet Rupert Brooke - a relationship with a humble but spirited serving girl.
Notwithstanding, Nostalgic Tales of Rural Idyll
The author Louis de Bernières grew up in a Surrey village and the short stories in Notwithstanding reflect memories of rural idyllic childhood and English eccentricity.
Book Review – Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant
The bestselling British author reveals another slice of women's history in this rip-roaring ride of a novel. Teenager Serafina is sent to a convent against her will.
Master and Commander's Varied Sources
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World didn't just adapt those two Patrick O'Brian novels. Incidents from numerous Aubrey-Maturin adventures appear in the film.
Review of C J Sansom's Revelation
C J Sansom's latest adventure set in the time of Henry VIII sees Matthew Shardlake face his most dangerous enemy yet.
A Look Back At A.L. Kennedy's First Novel
After so many subsequent successes, such as the Costa Award-winning Day, it's time to re-examine celebrated Scottish fiction writer A.L. Kennedy's first novel.
Glover's Mistake Makes Some Good Choices
Nick Laird's Glover's Mistake, his second novel, while not without its flaws, gives some hope to a disappointing literary fiction scene.
Review of Louis de Bernieres' Notwithstanding
Louis de Bernieres' new book is an entertaining collection of short stories subtitled "Stories from an English Village", and features an engaging selection of eccentrics.
Pat Barker's Novel The Ghost Road
The Ghost Road is Pat Barker's conclusion to her Regeneration trilogy that tells the stories of shell-shocked British army officers of the first world war.
On Kazuo Ishiguro's Nocturnes
The stories' connecting thread is a question: 'What is success'. Each tale examines how striving for it - or not - and achieving it - or not - affects relationships.
Virginia Woolf's Beautiful Symmetry
Virginia Woolf creates an elegantly symmetrical framework in her 1927 novel To the Lighthouse.
A Curious Incident, a Portrayal of Autism?
"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" has been one of the most popular novels in recent years to address the subject of autism; how did it address autism?
Review of Lynda La Plante's The Red Dahlia
La Plante's second thriller featuring Detective Inspector Anna Travis tells the gruesome story of a copycat killer, re-enacting a series of murders from the 1940s.
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
Mary Anning is the real life heroine in Remarkable Creatures, a fascinating story of finding dinosaur fossils on a beach. Tracy Chevalier transports the reader yet again.
Review of C J Sansom's Sovereign
Sansom's third novel set in Tudor England sees lawyer Matthew Shardlake caught up in a web of deadly secrets and conspiracies that could bring down King Henry the Eighth.
God's Hazard is a Safe Bet
Nicholas Mosley, born in 1923 and best known for his novel Hopeful Monsters, is still going strong, and has never been more relevant, as his new novel proves.
Marina Lewycka –Two Caravans
Two Caravans follows a group of migrant workers who have come to England to work as strawberry pickers in a field in Kent, living in two shoddy but charming caravans.
Review of C J Sansom's Dark Fire
The second novel in Sansom's series set in Tudor England featuring hunchback lawyer Matthew Shardlake is a tightly plotted and violent thriller.
Review of CJ Sansom's Dissolution
The first novel in Sansom's phenomenally successful series sees Matthew Shardlake sent to investigate a brutal murder at a corrupt monastery.
The Other Hand by Chris Cleave
Chris Cleave's novel, The Other Hand, is a perfect example of how beautiful the English language can be when used by such a talented and fearless author.
Book Review of Missy by Chris Hannan
Hannan's first novel is an irresistible journey through the opium-addled streets of the nineteenth century American West, seen through the eyes of a witty flash-girl.
Blind Faith by Ben Elton – Novel Review
Ben Elton's dystopian novel Blind Faith satirizes the modern celebration of belief over reason. Despite timeliness and humor, it remains in the shadow of George Orwell.
Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella
Confessions of a Shoaholic is a delightful chick-lit novel featuring hilarious situations and a heroine with a heart of gold.
Review of The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
The Birth of Venus sheds light on the female experience of one of Europe's most transformative periods of history.
The Whole Day Through by Patrick Gale
The Whole Day Through is an intelligent, bittersweet love story with a fascinating focus on the lives of two carers. Look out for the writer's trademark twist at the end.
A Synopsis of Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones's Diary was released by Helen Fielding in 1996. It focuses on the life of Bridget Jones; a thirty-something 'singleton' living in London.
Review of Adam Foulds' The Quickening Maze
Adam Fould, himself an award-winning poet, has produced a stunning interpretation of poet John Clare's struggle with madness.
Book Review – Martina Cole's The Take
With Sky 1's glossy adaptation of The Take currently showing, now is a great time to revisit the original novel behind the TV series.
Biography of British Crime Author Stephen Booth
Stephen Booth has quietly established himself as one of Britain's leading crime writers, winning prestigious awards and building a loyal following of discerning readers.
The Slang of A Clockwork Orange
The "nadsat" slang of A Clockwork Orange is unique. Mixing Russian with English rhyming slang challenges readers, and keeps Anthony Burgess's classic novel fresh.
Irvine Welsh – A Master of the Linked Novel
Irvine Welsh, author of a number of popular novels, is skilled at putting stories together to make a complete novel rich with characters and humour.
Hornby's "NippleJesus" Ultimately Confounds
Nick Hornby, like UK counterparts Helen Fielding and Irvine Welsh, struck worldwide gold with his novels. But a lesser-known short story of his is also worth attention.
Illusion in Hornby's NippleJesus Questions Art
Nick Hornby, like UK counterparts Helen Fielding and Irvine Welsh, struck worldwide gold with his novels. But a lesser-known short story of his is also worth attention.
Hornby's "NippleJesus" Mystifies With Illusion
Nick Hornby, like UK counterparts Helen Fielding and Irvine Welsh, struck worldwide gold with his novels. But a lesser-known short story of his is also worth attention.
Free Fall Rises To The Top
Step aside, Lord of the Flies. Free Fall, published 50 years ago, is the novel that announced William Golding's true genius.
Land of Marvels Doesn't Disappoint
Veteran historical novelist Barry Unsworth is back with Land of Marvels, a skilled and affecting look at pre-World War I Iraq.
Review of Kate Mosse's Sepulchre
Kate Mosse's most recent novel is a thrilling tale of murder, ghosts, and ill-fated love in nineteenth-century France.
Review of Sophie Hannah's Hurting Distance
Award-winning poet Sophie Hannah's second psychological thriller is an engrossing page-turner in which a violent death unlocks the secrets of the past.
The History Boys by Alan Bennett Reviewed
Alan Bennett has never been one to shy away from controversy, and the script of his National Theatre hit The History Boys sees him at the peak of his wit and daring.
Miss Garnet's Angel Leads Pilgrims to Venice
Miss Garnet's pilgrims travel to Venice to find the Church of the Archangel Raphael, the Ponte de Cristo and other significant sites from Salley Vickers' beautiful novel.
Review of The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie
Hardie, best known for appearances on This Morning with Richard & Judy, has published her first novel, a cleverly plotted thriller which uncovers the secrets of the past.
Review of Mark Billingham's In the Dark
Mark Billingham's first novel without his fictional DI Tom Thorne is a chilling thriller with a great twist at the end.
Case Histories Book Review
Case Histories provides an entertaining story that introduces the unorthodox and humorous detective Jackson Brodie.