In Heffers bookshop in Cambridge a few days ago I was tempted by 2 large, heavy, new hardbacks. The first is this state of the nation novel by Andrew O’Hagan: ‘Caledonian Road’ which every reviewer is indeed reviewing and I long to read. I have walked down said road in north London and I wouldn’t recommend it although I can see how it provides literary possibilities. The housing and the communities on either side of this long, rather seedy road near Pentonville Prison are total opposites and therein lies the imaginative prompt, so geographically close but in every other way just planets apart.
Next, I came upon ‘The Last Word’ by dear Elly Griffiths. This is the 4th novel about the detective Harbinder Kaur … but the previous 3 books are all in paperback on my shelves and a fat hardback would spoil it! I will wait, I think. 18th July is the paperback day!
Then, in the Culture section of the Sunday Times I was surprised and delighted to read of a new book by David Nicholls: ‘You Are Here’. The journalist calls it ‘One Day for midlife romantics.’ I can quite see that this is a strategically clever publishing ploy as the author is still riding high on the back of the Netflix version of ‘One Day’ and the ten-year-old book hitting the bestseller lists again. I listened to David Nicholls on Private Passions on Radio 3 and he was fascinating.
I intend to buy all these books … but when they are out in paperback. We’ll see. Self-discipline has never been one of my best qualities.