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A Vicious Circle
A Vicious Circle exposes the corruption of London's journalistic circuit, the horrors of our hospitals and slums, and the transformations caused by motherhood. Gripping, tender and fiercely funny, it has been instantly recognised as a modern classic about the way we live now.
- GenresFictionContemporary
367 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
27 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Craig
28 books141 followersAmanda Craig (born 1959) is a British novelist. Craig studied at Bedales School and Cambridge and works as a journalist. She is married with two children and lives in London.
Craig has so far published a cycle of six novels which deal with contemporary British society, often in a concise acerbic satirical manner. Her approach to writing fiction has been compared to that of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens.[1] Her novel A Vicious Circle was originally contracted to be published by Hamish Hamilton, but was cancelled when its proof copy received a libel threat from David Sexton, a literary critic and former boyfriend of Craig's at Cambridge, fifteen years previously.[2] The novel was promptly bought by Fourth Estate and published three months later. Although each novel can be read separately, they are linked to each other by common characters and themes, thus constituting a novel sequence. Usually, Craig takes a minor character and makes him or her the protagonist of her next work.
Craig is particularly interested in children's fiction, and was one of the first critics to praise JK Rowling and Philip Pullman in The New Statesman. She is currently the children's critic for The Times.
Craig has so far published a cycle of six novels which deal with contemporary British society, often in a concise acerbic satirical manner. Her approach to writing fiction has been compared to that of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens.[1] Her novel A Vicious Circle was originally contracted to be published by Hamish Hamilton, but was cancelled when its proof copy received a libel threat from David Sexton, a literary critic and former boyfriend of Craig's at Cambridge, fifteen years previously.[2] The novel was promptly bought by Fourth Estate and published three months later. Although each novel can be read separately, they are linked to each other by common characters and themes, thus constituting a novel sequence. Usually, Craig takes a minor character and makes him or her the protagonist of her next work.
Craig is particularly interested in children's fiction, and was one of the first critics to praise JK Rowling and Philip Pullman in The New Statesman. She is currently the children's critic for The Times.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 11, 2007
love, love, love this book. have read it several times; keep a few copies on hand to lend around to people. literary london in the 90s; waitress at literary club turns viper reviewer... among several other compelling storylines.
the blurb on my copy reads "like dickens without the boring bits," and that's exactly right. engaging characters, absorbing tale, wry and wise and touching. her other books are wonderful too, and what i particularly like is that some of the characters - or their siblings or exes - recur. it's unavailable, as yet, in the u.s., but you can usually find a copy on alibris, abebooks, et al.
the blurb on my copy reads "like dickens without the boring bits," and that's exactly right. engaging characters, absorbing tale, wry and wise and touching. her other books are wonderful too, and what i particularly like is that some of the characters - or their siblings or exes - recur. it's unavailable, as yet, in the u.s., but you can usually find a copy on alibris, abebooks, et al.
May 30, 2018
A Vicious Circle is very quotable. Numerous observations, mainly concerning the mostly fraught male- female dynamic hit the mark. I made a note to myself that this was a female Evelyn Waugh writing in similar vein to the master himself as the millennium drew to a close. I think Amanda Craig knows it; as a Cambridge University graduate herself she describes one of her main characters at the tail end of the book:
“You wear those stupid bow ties and try to behave like something out of Evelyn Waugh”(357)
Class, and particularly the “have’s” are shown to be mostly unenviable:
The rich are not different but indifferent (176)
There’s a lot of anger in A Vicious Circle. There’s superb writing on the subject of tragic, lingering, knowing death, there’s lots and lots of sniping.
Again, Craig knows it herself as she observes:
Every Oxbridge graduate has two degrees, one in their subject and one in bitching”(6)
I read A Vicious Circle on the back of the 2017 (supposedly Brexit) novel The Lie of the Land, and while the later book contrasts London and the South West of England, Craig’s early work is also packed with questions about both the sustainability and desirability of the seemingly charmed life lived by London’s opinion formers:
“You can only rise or fall in London. There’s no middle way”(355).
Craig is much much less feted, less well known than Rachel Cusk, but the two are definitely swimming in the same literary pool, in my opinion. The writing is about family, and it’s not idyllic. The writing is about the ongoing struggle by women, nearly fifty years after liberation was thought to have been achieved, against their suppression by men.
Craig’s writing is strongly character driven, but from what I’ve read I note that she likes to introduce plot lines, and denouements. I don’t think these wrap ups are necessary, but it does provide a certain momentum in a way that Cusk, for example, sometimes does not.
Amanda Craig observes the thrusting middle classes. If you like that sort of family writing she’s an author well worth reading, and every bit as intriguing as a number of the comparable American (female) writers(Anne Patchett; Ann Tyler; Elizabeth Strout)
A selection of aphorisms illustrate this.
“Nothing much happened in her own life so she picked over other people’s, speculating, reminiscing, endlessly recasting and reviving old grudges”(247)
“People used to read to find out things about themselves and the world”(248)
“Junkies for other people’s problems as a distraction from their own”(248)
”The female hunger to give was even stronger than the desperation to get”(325)
One final aspect of Amanda Craig’s writing which pleases, is her continuation of characters through and beyond successive novels. Minor parts develop and become major in future novels.
I look forward to picking up on some familiar characters in Craig’s next novel.
“You wear those stupid bow ties and try to behave like something out of Evelyn Waugh”(357)
Class, and particularly the “have’s” are shown to be mostly unenviable:
The rich are not different but indifferent (176)
There’s a lot of anger in A Vicious Circle. There’s superb writing on the subject of tragic, lingering, knowing death, there’s lots and lots of sniping.
Again, Craig knows it herself as she observes:
Every Oxbridge graduate has two degrees, one in their subject and one in bitching”(6)
I read A Vicious Circle on the back of the 2017 (supposedly Brexit) novel The Lie of the Land, and while the later book contrasts London and the South West of England, Craig’s early work is also packed with questions about both the sustainability and desirability of the seemingly charmed life lived by London’s opinion formers:
“You can only rise or fall in London. There’s no middle way”(355).
Craig is much much less feted, less well known than Rachel Cusk, but the two are definitely swimming in the same literary pool, in my opinion. The writing is about family, and it’s not idyllic. The writing is about the ongoing struggle by women, nearly fifty years after liberation was thought to have been achieved, against their suppression by men.
Craig’s writing is strongly character driven, but from what I’ve read I note that she likes to introduce plot lines, and denouements. I don’t think these wrap ups are necessary, but it does provide a certain momentum in a way that Cusk, for example, sometimes does not.
Amanda Craig observes the thrusting middle classes. If you like that sort of family writing she’s an author well worth reading, and every bit as intriguing as a number of the comparable American (female) writers(Anne Patchett; Ann Tyler; Elizabeth Strout)
A selection of aphorisms illustrate this.
“Nothing much happened in her own life so she picked over other people’s, speculating, reminiscing, endlessly recasting and reviving old grudges”(247)
“People used to read to find out things about themselves and the world”(248)
“Junkies for other people’s problems as a distraction from their own”(248)
”The female hunger to give was even stronger than the desperation to get”(325)
One final aspect of Amanda Craig’s writing which pleases, is her continuation of characters through and beyond successive novels. Minor parts develop and become major in future novels.
I look forward to picking up on some familiar characters in Craig’s next novel.
June 14, 2018
I can't make up my mind about Amanda Craig's books. I'm reading them in the wrong order which might have something to do with it, as characters and places get revisited, but comparisons of her work to Dickens do puzzle me.
This book was published in 1996 and was the subject of accusations of libel from a former boyfriend of the author who claimed he recognised himself in one of the characters. The original publishers dropped it and Craig rewrote it. There are certainly recognisable characters in it, even for those of us with no detailed knowledge of the London publishing and literary world of the 1990s, and part of the attraction of the book is presumably in spotting them. One point shared with Dickens is, I suppose, the fanciful names - Ivo Sponge, Max de Monde - but they are unlikely to be remembered in the same way.
The first part of the book reminded me of other tales of groups who were at Oxbridge together and then spent much of their lives in a similar circle, swapping partners and envying each others career success - Frederic Raphael's The Glittering Prizes, for example. - and I began to get rather bored. But I was then gripped by the descriptions of one character's life as a junior doctor (and things are now so much worse...) and even more so by the account of Amelia's pregnancy, the birth of her daughter and her subsequent experience of early motherhood. Amelia is, for me, the most interesting character in the book and her change from a spoilt socialite is very convincing. The other characters are two-dimensional next to her, especially the men who are cardboard stereotypes and all pretty nasty.
Craig does have a nice turn of phrase and can sometimes be very funny but I was rather too conscious of her manipulating her characters and, apart from Amelia, they never took on a life of their own.
This book was published in 1996 and was the subject of accusations of libel from a former boyfriend of the author who claimed he recognised himself in one of the characters. The original publishers dropped it and Craig rewrote it. There are certainly recognisable characters in it, even for those of us with no detailed knowledge of the London publishing and literary world of the 1990s, and part of the attraction of the book is presumably in spotting them. One point shared with Dickens is, I suppose, the fanciful names - Ivo Sponge, Max de Monde - but they are unlikely to be remembered in the same way.
The first part of the book reminded me of other tales of groups who were at Oxbridge together and then spent much of their lives in a similar circle, swapping partners and envying each others career success - Frederic Raphael's The Glittering Prizes, for example. - and I began to get rather bored. But I was then gripped by the descriptions of one character's life as a junior doctor (and things are now so much worse...) and even more so by the account of Amelia's pregnancy, the birth of her daughter and her subsequent experience of early motherhood. Amelia is, for me, the most interesting character in the book and her change from a spoilt socialite is very convincing. The other characters are two-dimensional next to her, especially the men who are cardboard stereotypes and all pretty nasty.
Craig does have a nice turn of phrase and can sometimes be very funny but I was rather too conscious of her manipulating her characters and, apart from Amelia, they never took on a life of their own.
October 31, 2012
Not quite sure what to make of this one. To say I enjoyed it would be an overstatement, but I finished it (not always the case lately) and certainly invested in the characters and their stories. The writing is classy, erudite and mostly impressive, albeit the dialogue is occasionally clunky - I couldn't imagine anyone uttering some of the tortured, over-considered, complex sentences Craig puts in her characters' mouths.
Briefly, this follows a loosely related cast of privileged ciphers (with the odd exception) as they negotiate their way through the literary London of the 90s. Sniping and bitching, they sleep with or yearn for each other, brazenly displaying their intellectual snobbery, social ambition and heartlessness along the way. Craig briefly departs to tell us the story of Grace, a 20 year old black woman living in an horrific council flat in north London with her beloved son. She, alone, possesses the empathy and wisdom the others manifestly lack, but although her story is told with surprising authenticity, I found it condescending, as though only the socially deprived can truly possess a heart of gold and see people for what they are. Eventually, the two strands dovetail, albeit to no great effect. I should add that Craig is also surprisingly impressive at portraying the casual daily horror of working in an east London NHS hospital short on funds and dangerously overstretched.
My abiding grump here is that there are so few sympathetic characters, least of all the press baron, Max du Monde, a monster unabashedly modelled on Robert Maxwell. Indeed, I suspect Craig's characters are all based on people she has known on the London journalistic and literary scenes, in which case, poor her. Ultimately, I didn't care about anyone, not even Grace. He ends up with her, he dies, he gets his come-uppance, she discovers humility et cetera. So what?
Briefly, this follows a loosely related cast of privileged ciphers (with the odd exception) as they negotiate their way through the literary London of the 90s. Sniping and bitching, they sleep with or yearn for each other, brazenly displaying their intellectual snobbery, social ambition and heartlessness along the way. Craig briefly departs to tell us the story of Grace, a 20 year old black woman living in an horrific council flat in north London with her beloved son. She, alone, possesses the empathy and wisdom the others manifestly lack, but although her story is told with surprising authenticity, I found it condescending, as though only the socially deprived can truly possess a heart of gold and see people for what they are. Eventually, the two strands dovetail, albeit to no great effect. I should add that Craig is also surprisingly impressive at portraying the casual daily horror of working in an east London NHS hospital short on funds and dangerously overstretched.
My abiding grump here is that there are so few sympathetic characters, least of all the press baron, Max du Monde, a monster unabashedly modelled on Robert Maxwell. Indeed, I suspect Craig's characters are all based on people she has known on the London journalistic and literary scenes, in which case, poor her. Ultimately, I didn't care about anyone, not even Grace. He ends up with her, he dies, he gets his come-uppance, she discovers humility et cetera. So what?
August 20, 2013
A novel of its time satirising the shallow, status-obsessed culture of the nineties. One of the most interesting aspects of the book was Craig's afterword, explaining that it was dropped by its original publishers due to potential libel action. A literary critic (and former boyfriend of the author) took exception to one of the characters portrayed by Craig, claiming that it was based on him. An interesting read on the whole.
August 12, 2009
However much I tried to enjoy this book, I just couldn't. The scandalous, fruit, incestuous, back-stabbing literati life in 1960s London should have been a greta storyline, or at least context, for a compelling novel. However, as much as I was drawn to the 'idea' of the story, the narrative itself just annoyed or bored me and it was a struggle to continue till the end. Craig's not a bad writer--she's just not a memorable one.
August 2, 2011
I got the feeling this book started as a shopping list of 'issues' (AIDS, motherhood, overcrowded hospitals), with some added snippets of the author's own experience in journalism, all strung loosely together to form a plot. Surprisingly it worked fantastically well. This was a terrific read from start to finish, with some great one-liners (the one about the rectal fissure was a highlight; I won't repeat it here....). I would definitely read more by this author.
April 22, 2012
I really enjoyed this. I've read its sequel already and of the two this is the weaker, but it was still extremely well-told and I kept wanting to know the fate of the characters despite very few of them being especially likeable. I enjoy the way Craig weaves the lives of all the characters together and that she doesn't tie up every loose end, on the one hand as a reader I think you want her to, but on the other it adds more plausibility and an edge of sadness that life is tinged with.
September 15, 2017
A very intelligent, hard-hitting state of the nation novel, full of witty observations and quotable aphorisms. (Be warned, however, that it contains an explicit scene about an abortion which some people may find too distressing to read or to contemplate what really goes on during a pregnancy termination).
The publisher's blurb calls this novel a modern classic - and that is no exaggeration in my opinion. Neither would I argue with A. N. Wilson describing it as a masterpiece.
The publisher's blurb calls this novel a modern classic - and that is no exaggeration in my opinion. Neither would I argue with A. N. Wilson describing it as a masterpiece.
September 11, 2012
Wonderful book about the 90s London literary scene- amazing that it's out of print because of the threat of legal action by a not very well-known london reviewer.
March 30, 2015
One of the most bitingly funny novels I have read in awhile. It is very well-written.
June 30, 2019
This is a very satisfying read and it's interesting to see which of its 90's preoccupations are still with us. Its centre is the London literary world, treated satirically, but it gains depth through other strands - a single mum on a housing estate, or a young gay man dying of AIDS, and the perception, very characteristic of nineteenth century realism, of how much money matters in all this. Not so sure about the comparison with Dickens (is anyone like Dickens?) but like him, good at London and making some connections between all these lives. For my money, more like Trollope in The Way of the World with the fall of a financial colossus whose corruption depends on the venality of those around him. Like most fiction of that period it has a clear moral compass.
Well written = prose is good- and it is strong and credible on childbirth and new motherhood, for instance.
Well written = prose is good- and it is strong and credible on childbirth and new motherhood, for instance.
December 8, 2021
Nearly gave this four stars - same clever writing as her later novels that I enjoyed. But, the title is apt - this is a brutal view of life in the world of journalists in London in the late twentieth century, and even events such as childbirth and illness are envisioned in the worst possible scenario, dwelling on the most negative aspects.
March 20, 2024
Amanda Craig has fashioned an impressive state of the nation novel that encompasses a Robert Maxwell like media mogul and the struggles of a single mum on a rundown council estate. As with her other novels, the characterisation is top drawer, in particular Amelia who transforms from an egotistical rich girl to an empathetic mum.
December 29, 2019
Very amusing and wry take on upper middle class life with a multitude of characters who intertwine and impact on each other's lives. At times I felt there was too much focus on one or two characters and their exposure went on for too long; Amelia and her new baby for example.
October 4, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this sharp and witty look at the literary world of 90s London. The issues explored are still relevant today. Interesting too to read about the author’s struggles to get the book published.
January 26, 2020
I enjoyed this book, but I was surprised by how much the early 90s setting (contemporary when it was written) felt like a period piece.
October 9, 2021
Fab, a 'cereal for dinner' kind of book!
October 29, 2021
I had a hard time connecting with the plot or any of the characters. Set in London, it's about the publishing business. The main characters are involved or impacted by this industry.
Read
August 5, 2022DNF @ 114 pages
March 24, 2024
Am I the only one who failed to find anything funny in this book. Also some of the characters were so thinly disguised I am amazed there weren't a few law suits!
May 23, 2025
3.5 stars - had I read this in the 90’s, undoubtedly 4.5 stars - what a difference 3 decades makes
April 9, 2011
When I read on Craig's web site that her recent 'Hearts & Minds' was something of a sequel to this 1996 novel, I sought it out.
It is very much written in the same vein - following a group of Londoners whose lives intersect and in the process presents a snapshot of London at this time. Certainly pre-Cool Britannia and the ascent of New Labour.
There were some hilarious bits about book reviewing as well as far TMI about bodily functions - though necessary in content.
April 23, 2008
1990s literary London. A fun, scandalous, more concise update of Trollope's The Way We Live Now.
January 3, 2013
Enjoyable multi-level story about media and wealth in London, with likeable heroes and predictable villains.
January 9, 2013
Struggled to get into this book at first but enjoyed it in the end.
Read
November 21, 2016Dumped at 15%. No idea how this got onto my TBR pile, wish I hadn't wasted my time amongst the rotten, unlikeable characters of the 90s literary scene. A book for people who actually lived in that world, I guess.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews