Never Again

by Francis King

The story of a young boy growing up in India and England, by Booker-prize long-listed author Francis King.
In this evocative and disturbing novel, Hugh has his comfortable childhood in the shadow of the Himalayas torn apart by the tragic death of both his parents in a house fire. After their deaths, he finds himself in the care of the childless wife of one of their friends, before being sent back to England to boarding school and the care of an aunt. He is ill-at-ease at the school, haunted by the spectre of India and eventually finding some solace by befriending another boy who is the son of a wealthy baronet. When this friend falls seriously ill and leaves, he struggles to cope with the rigours of the school before realising this friendship offers him a chance for a way out. A haunting and beautifully observed portrait of personal tragedy in the shadow of colonial India, "Never Again" is a poignant coming of age story that deserves a wider audience.
'One of our great writers, of the calibre of Graham Greene and Nabokov.' Beryl Bainbridge
'He deserves the widest possible readership.' Melvyn Bragg, "Punch"
'Mr. King is, of course, an extremely skilful writer. All his characters are credible, all worth observing.' Auberon Waugh, "Evening Standard"
'No one writes better prose than Francis King.' Ruth Rendell

Genres: British Literature, LGBT

266 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 1947

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Francis Henry King, CBE, was a British novelist, poet and short story writer.

He was born in Adelboden, Switzerland, brought up in India and educated at Shrewsbury School and Balliol College, Oxford. During World War II he was a conscientious objector, and left Oxford to work on the land. After completing his degree in 1949 he worked for the British Council; he was posted around Europe, and then in Kyoto. He resigned to write full time in 1964.

He was a past winner of the W. Somerset Maugham Prize for his novel The Dividing Stream (1951) and also won the Katherine Mansfield Short Story Prize. A President Emeritus of International PEN and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he was appointed an Officer (OBE) of the Order of the British Empire in 1979 and a Commander of the Order (CBE) in 1985.

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5, rounded up.

King's second novel from 1947, the 21st for me to read in my deep dive of his works.

This largely autobiographical book, concerning a young boy growing up in India, who gets sent to the UK while still a pre-teen after the tragic death of both parents, fit squarely in my wheelhouse of topics I enjoy reading about. The first section in India was probably my favorite, set in the waning days of the Raj, and detailing his daily enjoyments in a loving family. But what follows is equally as enthralling, as young Hugh faces a long sea voyage in the company of family friends who don't really want to be looking after him, and then in his problems adjusting to a harsher school environment. Eventually Hugh finds contentment in his relationship to the upper-class Brian Chorley, with its undercurrents of homophile adoration. Even in this early work, King shows all the hallmarks for detailed characterization, fluid and artful prose, and skillful plotting that are evident in his later novels.

[Andy Weston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Influenced by King’s own childhood in India, and the subsequent separation from his family, the first part of this novel concerns the young protagonist, 10 year old Hugh Craddock, who appears to have a perfect life living with his parents in India during the British occupation of that country. He is spoilt, and use to getting his own way, though often bored and lonely, as schooled by a tutor and with no other children of his age around.

His life changes radically though, and he is sent to school in England. Following his ordeal in India more await him at school. A recurring theme is that the adults who are supposedly in charge of his welfare show little genuine care or love for him.

King deals well with themes of loneliness and innocence, and of the approach of adolescence, particularly difficult for a boy uncertain of his sexual orientation.

[Alex Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Themes of loss, revenge, and finding one's way. Strange to think this book fell out of print, but I'm thankful it was given new life. Probably the best book I've read this year, possibly tied for my favorite book at this point.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's strange how... underknown... Francis King seems to be, because he has a very likeable, readable style. This is the second novel of his I've read (not to mention the second book King wrote), and I preferred this one from 1947 to the other one I read, The Dark Glasses from 1954. Riveting beginning and quite a moving ending. Yes, it dragged for me a bit in the middle, but overall, it's an enjoyable read that holds up to multiple interpretations as to what it all means. While the adversity that our protagonist meets is (fortunately) beyond what most of us experience, there are some universal gifts here about... time and wounds, I guess, but it's not so much about one healing all of the others, as it is about life being an accumulation of experiences, many of them in a sense being wounds, but even those wounds making up something like a constellation that describes ones life, for better and for worse.

[jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a stunted Bildungsroman.