Thursday, February 01, 2007

Frances Garrood: Dead Ernest

Dead Ernest is the latest publication (out tomorrow, officially) from Macmillan New Writing (MNW).

MNW opened for business last year. Publishing at the rate of one book a month, the imprint deals only in first novels by previously unpublished authors. MNW will take any genre.

Dead Ernest is, I think, the best of the bunch so far. True, I enjoyed Homunculus very much (and for more about that, please tune in tomorrow), and, in today's market, Homunculus is the more obviously commercial book. However, in its own quiet way Dead Ernest is remarkably well written, well constructed, and with a bit of luck could be a little bit like A Short History of Tractors In Ukrainian (a book which, by the way, just goes on selling and selling; over a million now, worldwide).

In a way, it's a pity I had to mention Homunculus at all, because the two books are totally different. But perhaps that very difference is usefully illuminating. Homunculus is a pretty brutal, political, in-your-face piece of scifi/fantasy/satire. Its readers will be blokes, young, good on computers and fond of a pint.

Dead Ernest, on the other hand, is non-sensational, domestic, lower middle class, English, and sensitive; and its readership will be almost entirely female, mature to elderly, married, and fond of a nice cup of tea.

Frances Garrood is, I suspect, somewhat akin to her target audience. Her main career was in nursing, and she has four children and five grandchildren. In her spare time, she published many short stories; although her web site biography doesn't say so, I imagine that these appeared in various women's magazines.

In short, Frances has lived a full life and has served a writing apprenticeship. All of this shows, in abundance, when you start to read Dead Ernest.

I have developed a crude rule of thumb these days. Turn to the back of the book, note the number of the last chapter, and the total number of pages. Do the arithmetic and work out the average length of a chapter. If the answer is 10 pages or below, you're probably going to be OK -- well, I am, anyway. If the answer is 35, one's heart sinks.

Here the average chapter is just under 6 pages long. Indeed the prologue is about two thirds of a single page, and it sets the scene perfectly. Chapter 1 confirms the impression that we are in safe hands, and so it goes on.

I am reluctant to talk too much about the plot; I always think that plot summaries, particularly on the backs of books, are enough to put people off reading for life. But basically what we have here is the story of a very unhappy marriage, told after the death of the husband (Ernest, he dead), and seen from the viewpoint of Annie, the wife.

We also have the local Vicar, a married man who becomes a friend of Annie's after Ernest's departure, and Annie's granddaughter Ophelia. The Vicar and Ophelia fall in love and have to decide what to do about it.

Structurally the book is carefully constructed. In order to tell the tale, a certain number of flashbacks are required. This is often the kiss of death, but Frances Garrood has acquired the narrative skill to pull it off rather well. There are one or two points where the use of viewpoint jarred me a bit (it's a point on which I am unusually sensitive), but otherwise not a foot is put wrong.

Essentially, the material for this novel is dark, sometimes sordid, and potentially tragic. However, Frances Garrood has judged her presentation of it remarkably well. She strikes just the right note: she doesn't beat us over the head with the horror of the nasty bits, and adds just a touch of humour here and there without minimising the characters' pain.

I feel confident that a large number of women readers are going to enjoy this book very much. It is not, perhaps, the kind of thing that gets chosen for reading groups (they tend to be awfully earnest, with an a) but it's the sort of book which might be read aloud on Woman's Hour (if they do that any more; and if, indeed, there is still a Woman's Hour; perhaps Mr Blair has banned it, on grounds of discrimination; perhaps it's The Hour For Anyone Who Happens To Be Listening).

Anyway, if the MNW publicists can find a way to alert the right readership, this will take off. Word of mouth is the thing, and, if nothing else, the ladies who read this kind of book do know how to talk.

I don't know enough about the mainstream Macmillan list to know whether Frances Garrood fits in well with the current ethos there or not. But if Macmillan don't offer her a two or three-book contract, someone else surely will.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like your rule of thumb for measuring a book--I shall have to try that.

Anonymous said...

I was pleased to find your today's blog online.

It seems that more than 7,000 other bloggers, including me, are unable to publish their blogs because of
bX-vjhbsj

When Google will solve this problem, who knows?

Anonymous said...

Currently, most of us are using mobile phones. True to our nature, we have used the different features of these

sophisticated gadgets to put a smile on our faces and that of others. We are sending text messages that are really humorous

and listening to ring tones that would tickle our funny bones, every time the phone rings.

At present, a multitude of ring tones are easily available and can be downloaded in different models of mobile phone

handsets. Mobile phone users can choose from monophonic ring tones, polyphonic ring tones, true tones, real tones, SMS ring

tones, buddy name tones, caller id tunes, etc., according to their specific requirements. With the technological advances

achieved in this sector, a high degree of customization of ring tones has also become possible. Users of mobile phones can

give vent to their creativity and design some witty and humorous ring tones in many of the latest models of handsets. For

instance, users are free to use their own voices or any other sound to create a number of personalized ring tones! Depending

on their intelligence, wit and comic timing, they would be able to create some hilarious ring tones that are guaranteed to

put a smile on the lips of anyone who happens to hear them.

Anonymous said...

credit reports online internet credit reports online credit history credit history online internet credit reports internet credit report credit history online credit history online online credit history credit history online internet credit report credit history online internet credit report internet credit reports

Anonymous said...

credit reports online credit reports online web credit report credit reports online web credit report credit reports online web credit report credit history online credit history online internet credit reports internet credit reports internet credit reports internet credit reports internet credit reports online credit history online credit history online credit history online credit history online credit history credit history online web credit report internet credit reports online credit history online credit history credit history online credit history online internet credit report internet credit report internet credit report internet credit report internet credit report web credit report web credit report check credit history check credit history check credit history check credit history instant credit report online instant credit report online web credit report web credit report instant credit report online free credit history free credit history free credit history free credit history free credit history check credit history credit reports online credit reports online internet credit reports internet credit reports internet credit reports internet credit reports internet credit reports credit reports online credit reports online web credit report web credit report web credit report web credit report
online credit history internet credit report internet credit reports credit history online web credit report instant credit report online credit report credit reports credit report online credit reports online credit score free credit report free credit reports online credit report online credit reports credit history online internet credit report internet credit reports online credit history web credit report check credit credit check free credit score instant credit report online credit check check credit history free credit history get credit report credit check online all credit reports consumer credit report credit bureau report credit rating credit repair credit report score credit reporting full credit report check credit rating 3 credit reports credit history equifax credit report experian credit report fix credit report free credit reporting instant credit report online trans union credit report online credit history credit reports online online credit reports credit report online online credit report free credit reports credit reports online online credit history web credit report internet credit reports internet credit report free credit reporting instant credit report online credit history online free credit history full credit report check credit history check credit rating all credit reports credit check online fix credit report 3 credit reports get credit report online credit check trans union credit report credit reports online online credit reports credit bureau report experian credit report instant credit report equifax credit report consumer credit report credit report score free credit score credit report online online credit report free credit reports check credit free credit report credit repair credit reporting credit rating credit check credit reports credit history credit score credit report credit reports online credit report free credit report online credit report free credit report online fix your credit report experian credit report credit report repair free credit report .com business credit report credit report com annual credit report credit report company credit report .com personal credit report free equifax credit report equifax credit report check credit report canadian credit report credit report score equifax free online credit report credit report agency free annual credit report how long do foreclosure stay credit report free annual credit report .com credit report canada application bad could credit report vital trans union credit report instant online credit report credit report information free experian credit report free credit report and score florida free credit report credit bureau report instant credit report mortgage credit report free consumer credit report screening tenant credit report yahoo credit report get free credit report 3 in 1 credit report credit mini report services bad credit report repair credit report fico score free credit report uk agency credit repair report buy online credit report free instant credit report uk credit report best credit report get credit report free credit report com blogspot.com credit report site credit mini report on line credit report credit mini report service florida credit report landlord credit report free trans union credit report credit report monitor 3 bureau credit report 3 credit report blogspot.com credit free report site consumer credit report consumer credit debt report free federal credit report free copy of credit report sample credit report consumer report on credit counseling servicesv internet credit report fake credit report credit fir.blogspot.com free report government free credit report cic triple advantage credit report credit report dispute copy of credit report cic credit report credit card report 81.9.3.77 credit qq report results.php debt consolidation credit report 2006 credit november report account credit limitation report settled statute fix bad credit report repair countrywide credit report credit eliminating from negative report credit report from credit history report credit report rating consumer credit free online report vacuum credit in mississippi report sol credit report employment background check consumer report credit record yahoo free credit report credit report services order credit report company credit report online canadian credit report consumer credit free report services trans union employment credit report expedia credit report credit report advice online credit reports credit report free credit report online credit report free credit report online annual credit report free annual credit report credit report score credit report com free credit report .com personal credit report equifax credit report free instant credit report credit report company business credit report experian credit report trans union credit report free credit report and score government free credit report free credit report com equifax free online credit report 3 bureau credit report credit bureau report free copy of credit report instant credit report free equifax credit report 3 in 1 credit report get credit report check credit report credit report dispute credit report repair fix your credit report free yearly credit report credit report .com copy of credit report national credit report three bureau credit report credit report online equifax credit report agency free experian credit report credit equifa report tenant credit report free trans union credit report clean up credit report cic credit report credit line report seasoned trade consumer credit report free credit report canada annual credit report .com free credit report new york free online annual credit report free credit bureau report credit report information credit report canada free canadian credit report get free credit report totally free credit report cic triple advantage credit report fix bad credit report repair free credit report without a credit card yearly credit report card consolidation credit credit debt report resource free credit report no credit card annual credit report com one time free credit report debt settlement effect on credit report 3 credit report landlord credit report how to read a credit report canadian credit report credit fixing report repossession trw free credit report arizona free credit report credit report monitoring credit report services instant online credit report credit card report free credit check report free 3 in 1 credit report free annual credit report government credit delinquent does long report stay absolutely free credit report trw credit report credit report rating credit report service government credit report annual credit first other report services free federal credit report order credit report 100 free credit report credit deleted from have item report on line credit report how long does it stay on credit report free instant online credit report how long do tax lien stay on a credit report free credit report no credit card required bad credit item remove report cheap credit report free credit report check score online free credit report in canada true credit report

Credit Solution To Businesses said...

Thanks a lot for the awesome blog on credit reports and how important and beneficial they are for a business. To determine the financial stability of their company, business owners must review their corporate credit information report from a reputed business credit reporting agency.