Gower Street

Performers #1

by Claire Rayner

Jesse Constam is no ordinary man, having escaped the squalor of the slums and now living in fashionable Gower Street. This is a story of grinding poverty, staggering wealth, life, love and class conflict.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, British Literature

343 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 1973

About the author

Claire Berenice Rayner OBE (née Berk; born 22 January 1931) is an English journalist best known for her role for many years as an agony aunt.

Rayner is Vice-President (and former President) of the British Humanist Association, a Distinguished Supporter of the Humanist Society of Scotland and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. She is also a prominent supporter of the British republican movement.

She was awarded an OBE in 1996 for services to women's issues and to health issues.

In 1999 Rayner was appointed to a committee responsible for reviewing the medical conditions at Holloway Prison, London, at the direction of Paul Boateng who was then the Minister for Prisons. The recommendations of this committee led to far reaching changes in the provision of medical care within Holloway.[3:]

She is president of the Patients Association and is the author of a chapter in The Future of the NHS (2006) (ISBN 1-85811-369-5) edited by Dr. Michelle Tempest.

On 4 January 2007, she hosted an episode of the BBC Radio 4 quiz, The Personality Test.

Rayner expressed delight to be an Ambassador for Hearing Concern in the charity’s Diamond Jubilee year:

"I feel that this charity represents people like me who have been part of the hearing world for most of their lives and have suddenly found themselves having to cope with a hearing loss. It changes your perspective on things which is why I am so pleased to be able to help Hearing Concern raise awareness of this hidden disability and get rid of the taboo that surrounds the deaf and the hard of hearing once and for all."

Rayner also has a very personal reason for supporting Sense's Older Person campaign. she wears hearing aids in both ears and also has Age Related Dry Macular Degeneration, a sight loss common in older people. Rayner helped Sense to promote "The Good Life" campaign booklet, tips on how to cope with sight and hearing loss in older age.

Reviews

[Chrisangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that I read way back but stayed with me. I never forgot the story of street urchins Abel Lackland and Lilith Lucas and who they grew up to be. I didn't forget Jesse or poor Dorothea, suffering from a terrible case of unrequited love; if only she had looked elsewhere, she might have found a HEA, instead of scheming to get the man she loved, hoping he'd grow to love her in time (so pathetic in its desperation).

Why this novel, and the next one in the series ("The Haymarket") were never made into a movie or miniseries really puzzles me. What actress wouldn't jump at the chance to play Lilith Lucas! She's hardly the typical heroine (a far cry from it) but, despite her selfishness and heartless attitude, there's no doubt she's entertaining to read about, not one dull scene where she's the star. And not one dull page in this book!

[Carola Paro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jag läste den här boken som ung tonåring och älskade den. Den håller än idag. Det är en serie på tolv böcker, jag har läst sju av dem sedan innan så det ska bli kul att äntligen få läsa hela serien och se hur det slutar.
Boken beskriver tiden rätt bra, man får en känsla för hur livet ser ut för Abel, utan att man för den sakens skull skrivs på näsan. Miljöskildringarna är rätt lagom då de lämnar en del åt mig som läsare att själv föreställa mig. Karaktärerna är överlag bra, dock är vissa än så länge lite endimensionella, men det kan bli bättre längre in i serien tänker jag.

Betyg: 8/10

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has sat on my shelf for 20 years and I finally read it. It’s a commentary on human nature in my opinion and I found it kind of sad but fascinating. You will see much selfishness, manipulation, and self-justification throughout. It also delivers an interesting look into the lives of various social classes at that time. I recommend it completely and enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I love this book! Set at the turn of the 19th century, this historical novel is a whirlwind of entertainment! Rayner is a genius at creating character development, the balance between horror and humor, and a delightful surprise! I found myself laughing out loud and cringing at parts. The novel starts with a self made man, Jesse Constam married to a repressed control nut, Charlotte. Jesse picks up a street rat, names him Abel Lackland. Charlotte gives him a birth date. The novel continues to follow Abel's life. Abel develops a passion for surgery when he starts sneaking out at night. He helps a fellow guttersnipe Lil rob graves to sell to a College of Surgery. I must say the Dorothea is my favorite character. I want to rename this book "how to catch the man of your dreams" by Dorothea Coombe! I did not find it a quick read, so I took my time with it. I'm glad that I did. "Gower Street" was witty, and I enjoyed even reading some passages aloud.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I picked up from my mother's collection when she passed away years ago. It is actually the first in a trilogy and takes place in England at the turn of the 19th century. Sort of a Dickens type story, a young man,Abel,is rescued from the homeless orphan life he lives. It tells of the difference between the poor and the rich; it tells of the relationships and difficulty in communications between men and women. It talks of the change in knowledge and ignorance at that time. Abel and his patron Jesse, Jesse's wife, stepdaughter Dorothea. The young girl with big aspirations: Lil. A history of medicine and theater. I really got wrapped up in this and will have to search out the rest of the trilogy.

[Lynette Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Written in 1973 and set in London in the 1800s, lots of characters with lots of ideas about what "Quality" should be (mostly wrong). This is a rags-to-riches Dickensian novel. It reminded me of "Oliver Twist." Ragamuffin (Abel) adopted by a ragamuffin (Jesse) who made good and got very rich. It reminded me of "Great Expectations." Abel falls in love with ragamuffin (Lil) who spurns him in a ruthless way after she becomes an actress/courtesan. Emotions are running high in this book, but the parts that were most interesting were the grave-robbing and the dissections. Surgery was slowly becoming an acceptable practice and Abel wanted to be a surgeon much to the disconcertion of Abel's adopted family.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

what was i thinking??? my mother in law gave me a beat up old paper back probably 20yrs ago & said i'd probably enjoy it , it's alot about medical stuff~~ it's sat on my head board for most of those years & i pick it up now and then, then a few years ago i decided to read it and discovered it had a book b4 it, so ordered that and it sat, well now i go to start this- ready for my sunday night reading again (weekend off- R will be home) and what do i discover, it's a whole series~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!
what am i getting into??? will let u know and just what i need at this point is a new series to READ!~~~~~

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read some of these years and years ago and thought I would re-read them in the correct order. This the first did not disappoint, gritty historical novel about the poverty of London and the "upper" classes of the time. Now onto the second in the series!

[Jillaroo]

I read this book a long time ago. It was hard to read at night because each chapter seemed to end with a cliffhanger and you wanted to know what was going to happen next. Also, the City of London was described so well that I could follow the characters on a street map!

[📚Linda Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical fiction. Turned out to be more gritty than most books I remember
from that time period.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because he is rescued from poverty, Jesse saves two children from the gutter. Of course, their lives are forever changed. The girl goes for the stage; the boy for medicine. An interesting tale.