Last Orders (original 1996; edition 1997)

This book follows three old codgers and a slightly younger old codger on a pilgrimage to Margate to scatter their late friend's ashes in the sea according to his wishes. I could almost hear Chas and Dave playing along in the background as I read it. It managed to fuse a colloquial narrative with an unashamedly literary style and the overall result was pretty good. Though the viewpoint shifted with each chapter, and the story jumped around in space and time, it was usually easy to work out what was happening. That became more difficult towards the end, however, where I felt as though I was lodged in that part of the character's brain that deals with abstract concepts, and would rather have been in the part that deals with specifics. A good read though, complex and surprisingly touching, and with characters who already speak like Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins et al, I'm sure the film cast itself. ( )

A sad book. Well written. Not enthralling. ( )

הספר אמנם זכה בבוקר אך מבחנתי הוא מהמעצבנים שקראתי​. מקוטע, כתוב בקוקנית, לא מושך​ ( )

Evocative, poignant, well judged. ( )

It has taken me weeks to finish this. I really don't feel that I was very engaged by it. ( )