Sebastian Faulks

I know there are die-hard purist fans of Austen, Doyle and Wodehouse who think it sacrilege if any author dare attempt a pastiche of their idolized author, but I am not one of them. I have found several authors who have done a fine job of paying homage to their favorite author, and I think the original author who applaud their work, this being one of the them. Faulks has written this "new" book in the Jeeves and Wooster series in the same style, and spirit as the originals. The language is show more "spot on on,"(although I don't remember Bertie saying "Golly" as much as this version), and the wild farcical mix- ups and deceits all perfectly plausible in the World of Jeeves & Wooster. I did however, take a little issue in the ending, as I am pretty sure Wodehouse would not have tied up the story in quite the same way. It was pure fun to revisit Jeeves and Wooster again, and if you just read it for a bit of fun without trying to nitpick it to death for not being EXACTLY what you think a Wodehouse piece should be, I think you will enjoy it too. show less

It's slow to get going, and I wasn't a huge fan of the contemporary sections of the novel (they felt rather tacked on and a little too consciously framing, if that makes sense), but it's beautifully written. The passages which deal most directly with the horrors of the Great War are certainly the most powerful in the book, Faulks' lucid prose calm and clear over the horrified surge of feeling that carries the narrative along. This is not a nice book--the subject matter is often horrifying, show more and the main characters frequently unlikeable--but it's an immensely readable one. show less

I have a particular fascination with books that move among multiple points of view, interweaving the characters' mini-plots into one well-crafted whole. Overall, Sebastian Faulks's latest novel, A Week in December, successfully does just that. With tongue firmly in cheek, but also with a good amount of affection for all of his characters, Faulks gives us a well-rounded but satirical view of contemporary London society: the good, the bad, the ugly, the charming, and the misguided.

As others show more have mentioned, two potentially disaster-creating characters--hedge fund owner John Veals and would-be terrorist Hassan al-Rashid--take center stage, and while their stories are indeed fascinating, they push the others' (some of which I found much more interesting) into the background. If the novel has one fault, it may be that there are a few too many threads in the plot, and, as a result, some characters get shorted. I wanted to know more about Jenni Fortune, the book-loving tube conductor who is addicted to an online role-playing game, and her blooming romance with barrister Gabriel Northwood; I wanted to learn more about Gabriel's schizophrenic brother Adam; about the senior al-Rashids; about Spike, the Polish soccer player, and his girlfriend, Olya, who poses for online porn.

The novel also runs the reader through the full emotional gamut. Perhaps the most satisfying moments for me were those that reflect on books, reading, academia, and the world of competitive literary prizes. Faulks is at his satirical best here. As an educator, I was particularly amused by a small incident, the book reviewer R. Tantor being hired (undercover, of course) by a school to write comments on students' papers, a way of appeasing the parents who complained that the teachers themselves couldn't even spell. And I was highly amused by Trantor's observation that technology has managed to make ignorance not only acceptable but an asset. He's a cranky old bird who gets his comeuppance in the end, but his perceptions are often right on target.

A Week in December is sharp, entertaining, and complex. It's one of those rare books that I will likely read again one day because I have the feeling that I might have missed something. show less

Possible Lives

What if our life had turned out differently? So many turns, so many choices, yet we have lived out the life we have, only now and then wondering about other beginnings, other endings.

Sebastian Faulks has written a remarkable novel, the first I have read by this successful novelist. It is described as “a novel in five parts” and is a collection of novellas each focused on one individual in a different setting and different time period. The novellas are very loosely linked show more and part of the pleasure is discovering those links.

Geoffrey’s story begins in rural England in 1938 and takes him through his espionage work in WWII France and a horrific imprisonment in a concentration camp. The experience is shattering, yet Faulkes tells us the impact through what Geoffrey’s world and his daily life are like in his declining years, not in the immediate experience.

Billy is the middle child of a family sinking into poverty in London in 1859 and it is he that the family selects to send to the workhouse to lighten the burden on the family. Billy narrates his own story and Faulkes beautifully evokes a child’s experience of this commonplace of 19th century London life. Billy survives to build a better life and his tale is heartwarming and bittersweet.

Three more lives follow: Elena, a girl growing up in the post-economic collapse of Italy in 2029; Jeanne, a nearly mute housemaid raising two generations of children in early 19th century rural France; Anya, a fragile songwriter and singer in 1971 America whose rise to stardom takes a terrible toll.

Faulkes finds a voice for each of these individuals and tells their stories in individual ways. These are lives so different from each other and yet all possess what we all possess, the necessity of finding our own way. I was deeply moved by these stories and found deep affirmation of that resiliency that gets us through each day. Well done Sebastian Faulkes! show less