When James, a British writer resident in Tuscany, is approached by
his septuagenarian neighbour Raymond Jerningham Jebb, with a
proposal that James write his biography, he is not immediately keen
to oblige. However Jayjay - as he is known to his friends - is
persuasive and James soon finds himself accepting the task. Jayjay
informs the author that he won't tell him everything, only 'the
interesting bits'. James begins to chronicle Jayjay's life, which
moves from a childhood in suburban Eltham (then more Kent than
London), to unrewarding clerical work in Suez, trade in
pornographic postcards, the frenetic atmosphere of pre-World-War-II
Alexandria and on to the present. As Jayjay's anecdotes and
recollections mount up, many littered with the names of the 20th
century's great and good, James begins to wonder about the old
man's veracity and to question his own role in recording his
memoirs. With each session the masks of Jayjay's carefully crafted
persona begin to slip a little further and his biographer is able
to gain a fuller understanding of the 'truth' of his life. This
novel explores the question of how far one can ever truly know and
understand another individual. The book's slow revelation of a life
and its secrets is masterfully paced, and is at times wonderfully
descriptive and insightful, and yet, as interesting and charismatic
as Jayjay can be, his story is never quite as engaging as we
anticipate. An intriguing, intelligent novel, but more satisfying
in the detail than in the whole. (Kirkus UK)
A chance encounter in a local store leads a biographer to record
the life of his enigmatic neighbor. From the terrace of a Tuscan
villa comes the story of a tantalizing journey, leading the reader
from the gas-lit streets of prewar London to Egypt in the months
before World War II. "Loving Monsters" is a provocative novel from
the winner of the 1991 Whitbread First Novel Award for "Gerontius."
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
