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High and Low
'Craig anatomises the state of the nation with wit and empathy' JONATHAN COE
'The most mischievous take imaginable on the way we live now' FRANCIS SPUFFORD
'Sharp and funny, clear-eyed and unsentimental' CLARE CHAMBERS
'She's such a skilful storyteller who vividly dramatises our lives with wit, wisdom and compassion' BERNARDINE EVARISTO
In the worst day of the year, and on the twelfth day of Christmas, a group of people come under siege in Cross St, North London.
A gang is hunting for a child who has been drawn into crime with tragic results; there is a riot outside the church where asylum seekers have been sleeping, and many cities have descended into fierce protests.
Inside the Literary Cafe, a group of writers, bakers and shopkeepers are sheltering. Their petty feuds and past quarrels must be forgotten if they are to survive a gang armed with knives and a gun.
Over a few hours, the divisions between high and low, old and new, haves and have-nots are thrown into violent contrast. Are they going to try to save themselves, or each other?
'The most mischievous take imaginable on the way we live now' FRANCIS SPUFFORD
'Sharp and funny, clear-eyed and unsentimental' CLARE CHAMBERS
'She's such a skilful storyteller who vividly dramatises our lives with wit, wisdom and compassion' BERNARDINE EVARISTO
In the worst day of the year, and on the twelfth day of Christmas, a group of people come under siege in Cross St, North London.
A gang is hunting for a child who has been drawn into crime with tragic results; there is a riot outside the church where asylum seekers have been sleeping, and many cities have descended into fierce protests.
Inside the Literary Cafe, a group of writers, bakers and shopkeepers are sheltering. Their petty feuds and past quarrels must be forgotten if they are to survive a gang armed with knives and a gun.
Over a few hours, the divisions between high and low, old and new, haves and have-nots are thrown into violent contrast. Are they going to try to save themselves, or each other?
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2026
About the author
Amanda Craig
29 books145 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 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 21, 2026
The Literary Cafe, somewhere in North London, is where local authors go to write and keep warm and bicker with each other. Next door is an artisan bakery, and there are various other small shops nearby. Over the course of one day, we get to know a lot of different characters, writers, shopkeepers, and others, and when violence erupts outside, the people in the cafe find themselves under siege, with the outcome uncertain.
This is a gripping story with a large number of characters, many of whom have appeared in past Craig novels. They all have their own problems, some more pressing than others. And there is much discussion of contemporary issues, housing, immigration etc, woven into a strong plot. The story builds to a very dramatic climax, in which comedy and tragedy are mingled. I couldn’t put it down.
This is a gripping story with a large number of characters, many of whom have appeared in past Craig novels. They all have their own problems, some more pressing than others. And there is much discussion of contemporary issues, housing, immigration etc, woven into a strong plot. The story builds to a very dramatic climax, in which comedy and tragedy are mingled. I couldn’t put it down.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
State of the Nation followed across the decades in this writer’s oeuvre 4.5
I’ve been a fan of Craig’s writing since I first discovered her as a reviewer of books, particularly children’s books, on Amazon, in its earlier days as an online bookseller. Somewhere in that time, I found her reviews in print journalism, and found her to a be a reviewer whom I could trust, not one of the ‘you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours’ variety, but thoughtful, authentic, reflective and not vitriolic and spiteful in a way, again, some literary reviewers might be, seeking to kill the work of ‘rivals’ – as detailed in that classic late Victorian writer’s analysis of the literary life, George Gissing, ‘New Grub Street’
Craig, whilst very much writing ‘State of the Nation’ books, through various cultural and political issue events, has deep and sure roots in Victorian literature, particularly, I think, in Thackeray and Dickens. Her writing plaits the ‘about’ of societal issue, the dynamic of strong narrative drive, and the marvellous complexity of flawed and individual character, with both wit, passion and humour.
One of my pet peeves in writing is where I feel character has been betrayed by a writer who is first and foremost in thrall to the page turn of plot. With Craig (who is brilliant at plot, narrative drive AND depth of about as well as keeping the reader entertained) is that I rarely get any sense of her having bent her characters into the shape of her plots.
And so it is here, with this one, set pretty well now, post Covid, post the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the global current lurch to the populist right, with tensions around migration. Set in North London, in an invented small enclave which is probably somewhere around Kentish Town, is a place which has seen its fortunes dramatically change, and the divide between the Haves and Have nots, inhabiting a small area of turf, where run down brutalist tower blocks and newly des-res gentrified Victorian terraces and more, rub against each other.
Craig has created a terrifying siege, coalescing around migration and migrant hostels, where a populist uprising has spread across many cities, overwhelming government and the emergency services. The book focuses on a small group of writers who inhabit a ‘Literary Café’, and which is adjacent to an artisan bakery, itself within a little street home to a range of shops, from a nail bar, to a health food shop, a kind of ‘Metro’ convenience store and the like. Shops which serve, and are run by, a whole community hotch-potch, from those who have a lot of it, to those who have nothing.
One of the fascinations of Craig’s writing is that she recycles, or should I say, she re-develops, evolves a cast of characters (with memorable names) through almost all her novels. EACH book can certainly be read as a stand alone, but, if you get sucked into Craig world, by whatever of her novels you first read, and then randomly read another, and find a character popping up again, you won’t need to feel you have missed something. It will be almost like any live encounter with a person – we discover each other’s back story, sometimes over many years of friendship. The present will just add to the past, the past to the present.
Craig followers will no doubt find their memories pinged by Ivo Sponge, Mary Quinn, and the Evenlode dynasty, even if they have forgotten some of the detail of their journeys. This will no doubt (as it does for me) pique the desire to read an earlier novel, or 2, or 3 again.
Although this doesn’t quite reach, for me, the heights of my still favourite ever Craig, In A Dark Wood, I remain enchanted, and now, eagerly waiting the next being written.
My review, I’ve realised, is far too weighty and heavy, and I have failed to properly give applause to the joyousness, verve and very Dickensian humour of her writing. Writers and writing are of course major characters in this one, and many of them are extremely competitive with each other in the turning out of the bon mots, so there is much scope for conscious and unconscious clever turns of phrase, posturing and sharpening savagery.
Always highly recommended. I received this as an ARC. Gratefully
I’ve been a fan of Craig’s writing since I first discovered her as a reviewer of books, particularly children’s books, on Amazon, in its earlier days as an online bookseller. Somewhere in that time, I found her reviews in print journalism, and found her to a be a reviewer whom I could trust, not one of the ‘you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours’ variety, but thoughtful, authentic, reflective and not vitriolic and spiteful in a way, again, some literary reviewers might be, seeking to kill the work of ‘rivals’ – as detailed in that classic late Victorian writer’s analysis of the literary life, George Gissing, ‘New Grub Street’
Craig, whilst very much writing ‘State of the Nation’ books, through various cultural and political issue events, has deep and sure roots in Victorian literature, particularly, I think, in Thackeray and Dickens. Her writing plaits the ‘about’ of societal issue, the dynamic of strong narrative drive, and the marvellous complexity of flawed and individual character, with both wit, passion and humour.
One of my pet peeves in writing is where I feel character has been betrayed by a writer who is first and foremost in thrall to the page turn of plot. With Craig (who is brilliant at plot, narrative drive AND depth of about as well as keeping the reader entertained) is that I rarely get any sense of her having bent her characters into the shape of her plots.
And so it is here, with this one, set pretty well now, post Covid, post the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the global current lurch to the populist right, with tensions around migration. Set in North London, in an invented small enclave which is probably somewhere around Kentish Town, is a place which has seen its fortunes dramatically change, and the divide between the Haves and Have nots, inhabiting a small area of turf, where run down brutalist tower blocks and newly des-res gentrified Victorian terraces and more, rub against each other.
Craig has created a terrifying siege, coalescing around migration and migrant hostels, where a populist uprising has spread across many cities, overwhelming government and the emergency services. The book focuses on a small group of writers who inhabit a ‘Literary Café’, and which is adjacent to an artisan bakery, itself within a little street home to a range of shops, from a nail bar, to a health food shop, a kind of ‘Metro’ convenience store and the like. Shops which serve, and are run by, a whole community hotch-potch, from those who have a lot of it, to those who have nothing.
One of the fascinations of Craig’s writing is that she recycles, or should I say, she re-develops, evolves a cast of characters (with memorable names) through almost all her novels. EACH book can certainly be read as a stand alone, but, if you get sucked into Craig world, by whatever of her novels you first read, and then randomly read another, and find a character popping up again, you won’t need to feel you have missed something. It will be almost like any live encounter with a person – we discover each other’s back story, sometimes over many years of friendship. The present will just add to the past, the past to the present.
Craig followers will no doubt find their memories pinged by Ivo Sponge, Mary Quinn, and the Evenlode dynasty, even if they have forgotten some of the detail of their journeys. This will no doubt (as it does for me) pique the desire to read an earlier novel, or 2, or 3 again.
Although this doesn’t quite reach, for me, the heights of my still favourite ever Craig, In A Dark Wood, I remain enchanted, and now, eagerly waiting the next being written.
My review, I’ve realised, is far too weighty and heavy, and I have failed to properly give applause to the joyousness, verve and very Dickensian humour of her writing. Writers and writing are of course major characters in this one, and many of them are extremely competitive with each other in the turning out of the bon mots, so there is much scope for conscious and unconscious clever turns of phrase, posturing and sharpening savagery.
Always highly recommended. I received this as an ARC. Gratefully
May 12, 2026
Amanda Craig’s ‘High and Low’ is a novel about the culture wars going on in the UK at the moment. It’s about the literary establishment, and the constant battle between different perspectives of people who think they are being persecuted or slighted. This is juxtaposed against the constant debate about immigrants and refugees coming onto Albion shores as it were. These two debates coalesce around an act of unexplained violence.
Craig has created an interesting group of characters as she takes shots at writers, readers, and cancel culture. I am sure Craig has been around these sorts of people most of her adult life. They feel real especially for those of us who have been to writing workshops or reading events. The action centres around a cafe, and I can just imagine having to deal with this motley group on a regular basis.
Craig has a way of connecting disparate threads into something more substantial, and I appreciated how each interaction reflected back on each character’s individual past (e.g. reading choices, types of books read, etc.). Through the act of violence, we also see how theoretical discussions of immigration and refugees become inane and cruel.
I think if there’s a downside to the book and some of its focus, it’s that many of the characters’ arguments about citizenship and violence have been heard before. We hear the debates about refugees/immigrants endlessly in the media, so that it feels like well-worn material especially with recent election rhetoric.
With that said, Craig’s novel is entertaining and thought-provoking. ‘High and Low’ is an engrossing and amusing work from one of Britain’s most underrated writers.
Craig has created an interesting group of characters as she takes shots at writers, readers, and cancel culture. I am sure Craig has been around these sorts of people most of her adult life. They feel real especially for those of us who have been to writing workshops or reading events. The action centres around a cafe, and I can just imagine having to deal with this motley group on a regular basis.
Craig has a way of connecting disparate threads into something more substantial, and I appreciated how each interaction reflected back on each character’s individual past (e.g. reading choices, types of books read, etc.). Through the act of violence, we also see how theoretical discussions of immigration and refugees become inane and cruel.
I think if there’s a downside to the book and some of its focus, it’s that many of the characters’ arguments about citizenship and violence have been heard before. We hear the debates about refugees/immigrants endlessly in the media, so that it feels like well-worn material especially with recent election rhetoric.
With that said, Craig’s novel is entertaining and thought-provoking. ‘High and Low’ is an engrossing and amusing work from one of Britain’s most underrated writers.
June 1, 2026
I do like a good plot and this novel has a good plot. But there were too many characters and the sudden shifts in perspective and from interiority to action were jerky and irritating.
Plus local Saint Mary is supposed to be from Cork, but apparently had experience of Civil War in her home country. 1922 is when there was a Civil War in Ireland. More than a hundred years ago. Mary claims to have seen the harm guns do 'in Ireland.' A middle aged Irish woman would have been very unlikely to learn much about the effects of gun violence growing up in Cork. I say that with confidence as a middle age Irish woman, who grew up not very far from Cork.
I presume the author meant to make Mary Northern Irish. She uses the word 'wee' at one point which is a very Northern thing. Cork is about as far South as you can go. A quick glance at a map would tell you that, the most minimal of research. Maybe the author doesn't realize that the Troubles happened in the six counties that remain part of the United Kingdom. I've so often been surprised by British peoples ignorance about Ireland that I shouldn't be surprised anymore. I know Ireland is very small and unimportant and Irish people can be over sensitive about this kind of thing. But even Brits know little about the Republic of Ireland, shouldn't they at least know something about that part of Ireland which is part of the United Kingdom. And shouldn't writers, if they give a character a certain Nationality or ethnicity, endeavor to get the details right?
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Coming to the end of a good book in which I have felt involved with the characters, I often wonder what has happened to them in their fictional future. Some book series partly answer that question but often the next book just places the characters in a new plot - this is often the case with crime novels - and the characters seem to change very little through their new experiences.
Amanda Craig has written a series of books in which characters reappear although each book stands alone. I have enjoyed all her books and it has often been a considerable satisfaction to re-encounter familiar people. Where necessary she sketches in the back story deftly and she manages to sustain the character development very cleverly - to my surprise, I changed my opinion about character I had previously found very unsympathetic.
The story centres around a group of people, mostly writers, trapped for complicated reasons in a cafe where they are regular customers. The setting, a partly gentrified London suburb, and the insights provided into the life of authors all felt very authentic. The book touches on big issues such as immigration and domestic violence and the plot provided sufficient tension to keep me up late reading but there are also moments of great humour. Achieving this balance credibly is no mean feat for a writer. And I still want to know what happens next...
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Amanda Craig has written a series of books in which characters reappear although each book stands alone. I have enjoyed all her books and it has often been a considerable satisfaction to re-encounter familiar people. Where necessary she sketches in the back story deftly and she manages to sustain the character development very cleverly - to my surprise, I changed my opinion about character I had previously found very unsympathetic.
The story centres around a group of people, mostly writers, trapped for complicated reasons in a cafe where they are regular customers. The setting, a partly gentrified London suburb, and the insights provided into the life of authors all felt very authentic. The book touches on big issues such as immigration and domestic violence and the plot provided sufficient tension to keep me up late reading but there are also moments of great humour. Achieving this balance credibly is no mean feat for a writer. And I still want to know what happens next...
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a forensic look at a city community. The gentrified street of literary cafe and artisan bread and the estate that has remained impoverished. The novel drills down into this social division and state of the nation politics.
I have read other novels which follow life behind the doors of a proscribed neighbourhood, Capital by John Lanchester and White Teeth by Zadie Smith come to mind. It is a great device for drilling down into the temperature of a neighbourhood. This is similar, just swerving to avoid a reductio ad absurdum.
This is a riff on Craig's less polarised north London books and whilst I enjoyed the premise and the change of focus, I did not really enjoy the book which I found to be a harder read than I was expecting. It was balanced in its representation of extremes/norms with characters well rounded, showing not telling.
I felt we were constantly veering towards the endgame of whether triggers will unite or divide this community, which, although cleverly written felt rather cliched to me
With thanks to #LittleBrownGroup and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review
I have read other novels which follow life behind the doors of a proscribed neighbourhood, Capital by John Lanchester and White Teeth by Zadie Smith come to mind. It is a great device for drilling down into the temperature of a neighbourhood. This is similar, just swerving to avoid a reductio ad absurdum.
This is a riff on Craig's less polarised north London books and whilst I enjoyed the premise and the change of focus, I did not really enjoy the book which I found to be a harder read than I was expecting. It was balanced in its representation of extremes/norms with characters well rounded, showing not telling.
I felt we were constantly veering towards the endgame of whether triggers will unite or divide this community, which, although cleverly written felt rather cliched to me
With thanks to #LittleBrownGroup and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love Amanda Craig's books, but this did take a little while to get into. There are a lot of characters, many of them writers, many of them not very nice. Once it got going, though, it was riveting.
Tensions in this very mixed part of North London are running high, and when they become focused on a hostel for asylum seekers, things start to boil over. Violence, rioting and looting suddenly controls the streets and shops of the neighbourhood. A disparate group of people - writers, and others - are trapped inside a cafe. Meanwhile a young boy, Zahi, is running away from big trouble....
Amanda does a careful job of representing - non-violent - views on both sides of the "asylum seekers" issue, avoiding any temptation to demonise.
She's great at the state-of-the-nation stuff, but there's also a lot in here about writing and the writer's life. Or death, in some instances....
Amanda's novels are all interlinked to some extent and I've resolved to read them all in order from the beginning - I've already started her first, Foreign Bodies. I know some of the characters in High and Low have featured before - at least one of them in aforementioned Foreign Bodies.
Excellent read.
Tensions in this very mixed part of North London are running high, and when they become focused on a hostel for asylum seekers, things start to boil over. Violence, rioting and looting suddenly controls the streets and shops of the neighbourhood. A disparate group of people - writers, and others - are trapped inside a cafe. Meanwhile a young boy, Zahi, is running away from big trouble....
Amanda does a careful job of representing - non-violent - views on both sides of the "asylum seekers" issue, avoiding any temptation to demonise.
She's great at the state-of-the-nation stuff, but there's also a lot in here about writing and the writer's life. Or death, in some instances....
Amanda's novels are all interlinked to some extent and I've resolved to read them all in order from the beginning - I've already started her first, Foreign Bodies. I know some of the characters in High and Low have featured before - at least one of them in aforementioned Foreign Bodies.
Excellent read.
November 24, 2025
This was a quite wonderful read that engaged, captivated and thoroughly entertained from the opening pages.
It provides a thought provoking and thoroughly accurate depiction and description of the London we live in today. The haves living cheek by jowl with the have nots, knife crime, riots, sieges as well as lots of tiny details about gentrification and the new superseding the old.
The characters - of whom there are many are beautifully described and in many cases entertained or even appeared in her previous books.
The common theme running through the book is the decline in reading and the arduous and generally not very lucrative life of an author as well as their petty jealousies.
This however will certainly be a book that is widely read as it is quite brilliant.
It provides a thought provoking and thoroughly accurate depiction and description of the London we live in today. The haves living cheek by jowl with the have nots, knife crime, riots, sieges as well as lots of tiny details about gentrification and the new superseding the old.
The characters - of whom there are many are beautifully described and in many cases entertained or even appeared in her previous books.
The common theme running through the book is the decline in reading and the arduous and generally not very lucrative life of an author as well as their petty jealousies.
This however will certainly be a book that is widely read as it is quite brilliant.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As the fault lines become brutally apparent in a divided city, a group of Londoners cower in the Literary Cafe in Cross Street as violence threatens in an atmosphere rife with gang activity and hostility towards asylum seekers.
A motley crew of writers and tradespeople slowly begins to understand what divides them as well as what binds them together.
A snapshot of a moment in time that captures contemporary Britain in all its fragility and resilience, this one is worth reading. It easily earns 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
A motley crew of writers and tradespeople slowly begins to understand what divides them as well as what binds them together.
A snapshot of a moment in time that captures contemporary Britain in all its fragility and resilience, this one is worth reading. It easily earns 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
May 25, 2026
I enjoy this authors style of writing and first book I read was Hearts and Minds which tackled a number of themes and was a great read.
However this book felt like there were too many issues dropped in for the length of the novel: migrants, racism, poverty, lack of affordable housing, domestic violence, long covid, the state of the publishing industry and plight of writers at the expense of the plot. There were too many characters. It was difficult at times to remember which character was which.
However this book felt like there were too many issues dropped in for the length of the novel: migrants, racism, poverty, lack of affordable housing, domestic violence, long covid, the state of the publishing industry and plight of writers at the expense of the plot. There were too many characters. It was difficult at times to remember which character was which.
May 23, 2026
I love Craig’s storytelling, plot lines, but above all her characters. I was thrilled to re-meet the fantastic Ivo Sponge, and then realised all my other favourites were gathering there too on the following pages. This story was a bit harsher, more in the style of The Way We Live Now, but not as cantankerous and some hope for the good ones and for the future. The scene with Keats the cat is priceless. Loved it all.
May 23, 2026
A chapter of novelists are trapped in a cafe in the middle of a riot. No it’s not the first line of a joke, it’s the plot outline of ‘High and Low’. Amanda Craig, a brilliant writer, has surpassed herself with this well observed state of the nation novel that’s empathic and witty.
January 24, 2026
I really enjoyed this trip back to Amanda Craig’s world. This state of the nation book really captures what is happening in the Uk right now but with a refreshing dash of hope thrown in.
This also a book for readers and is partly set in a literary cafe and I felt really cozy reading despite a riot being a central theme!
Each of her books, while featuring characters from her previous novels, has a completely different style, and the thriller vibe of this one really worked for me and I loved how it played out.
I’ve enjoyed all her books but this is my favourite from the past decade.
Thanks to NetGalley and Abacus for the arc
This also a book for readers and is partly set in a literary cafe and I felt really cozy reading despite a riot being a central theme!
Each of her books, while featuring characters from her previous novels, has a completely different style, and the thriller vibe of this one really worked for me and I loved how it played out.
I’ve enjoyed all her books but this is my favourite from the past decade.
Thanks to NetGalley and Abacus for the arc
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is the first Amanda Craig book I have read - so I was unfamiliar with the characters some of whom have appeared in previous novels.
This is a story about one day in a community in North London; a community divided by those who have and those who struggle; a division between those living in the “ rich / educated / gentrified side of a street and those on the opposite side from all works of life who find themselves influenced by many external forces leading to darker choices .
A group of authors meet each day in a local cafe struggling to find their next success - petty jealousies bubble under the surface. They observe the world through their pens- each with opinions and beliefs as to how the world should tick and what’s going wrong . But on this day a young injured boy enters the premises- he is being hunted by a violent gang - and soon the group find themselves under siege.
This is a start of the nation dissection - this is a raw and unflinching examination of many issues - the rise of the Right; the plight and challenges of the migrant and refugee communities; knife crime ; domestic violence; social division - polarisation of issues ; the fight between negativity controlling the good and turning society into a battle field.
This is not an easy read - if you are feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world today be prepared as at times there is a feeling of unceasing despondency. The exploration of individual stories and characters is what makes this book special.
Part thriller and part exploration of London life.. it is an emotional rollercoaster.. the tension from the pages is palpable at times.
A book that could divide feelings but certainly one to talk about
Similar to Jonathan Coe and John Lanchester , Amanda Craig takes a scalpel to modern city living
Overall 3.5 out of 5 - given 4 because of the excellent way that so much can be imagined and felt about each character from such carefully crafted prose
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown publishers
This is a story about one day in a community in North London; a community divided by those who have and those who struggle; a division between those living in the “ rich / educated / gentrified side of a street and those on the opposite side from all works of life who find themselves influenced by many external forces leading to darker choices .
A group of authors meet each day in a local cafe struggling to find their next success - petty jealousies bubble under the surface. They observe the world through their pens- each with opinions and beliefs as to how the world should tick and what’s going wrong . But on this day a young injured boy enters the premises- he is being hunted by a violent gang - and soon the group find themselves under siege.
This is a start of the nation dissection - this is a raw and unflinching examination of many issues - the rise of the Right; the plight and challenges of the migrant and refugee communities; knife crime ; domestic violence; social division - polarisation of issues ; the fight between negativity controlling the good and turning society into a battle field.
This is not an easy read - if you are feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world today be prepared as at times there is a feeling of unceasing despondency. The exploration of individual stories and characters is what makes this book special.
Part thriller and part exploration of London life.. it is an emotional rollercoaster.. the tension from the pages is palpable at times.
A book that could divide feelings but certainly one to talk about
Similar to Jonathan Coe and John Lanchester , Amanda Craig takes a scalpel to modern city living
Overall 3.5 out of 5 - given 4 because of the excellent way that so much can be imagined and felt about each character from such carefully crafted prose
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown publishers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Amanda Craig’s ‘High and Low’ is the latest in her long-running saga of North London life. Those readers who have read some (or all) of her previous novels will recognise a good many characters and be intrigued to see how they have been developed according to their current situations. (I only wish that Craig would give us a flowchart, showing where and when we have met previously all those who people her narratives, but that says more about my memory than her writing!)
‘High and Low’ is a siege novel, set mainly in an artisan bakery and literary café. This affords Craig opportunities to explore wryly writers’ motivations, struggles and fears alongside the very real possibility of being attacked by marauding gangs from the surrounding area. The contrast between the scale of these concerns says a great deal. Yet Craig also recognises that our individual concerns feel very real to us, no matter how trivial they may be judged by the onlooker.
This is another of Craig’s beautifully written state of the nation narratives. It is a serious and unsensational look at the plight of refugees, the rise of the far Right, the tensions between the haves and the have nots and the effect of public service cuts. ‘What is it about this country/ When did everything become so transactional? …now everything is for sale. Business, culture, politicians, housing, morality, all gone to the highest bidder. And then you wonder why this place isn’t functioning any more.’ So says the kind, wise Mary and we recognise the truth in this observation. However, Craig also recognises that we are still living in a country where individuals demonstrate tremendous altruism, thank goodness, and we recognise this ‘high’ alongside the ‘low’.
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Abacus for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
‘High and Low’ is a siege novel, set mainly in an artisan bakery and literary café. This affords Craig opportunities to explore wryly writers’ motivations, struggles and fears alongside the very real possibility of being attacked by marauding gangs from the surrounding area. The contrast between the scale of these concerns says a great deal. Yet Craig also recognises that our individual concerns feel very real to us, no matter how trivial they may be judged by the onlooker.
This is another of Craig’s beautifully written state of the nation narratives. It is a serious and unsensational look at the plight of refugees, the rise of the far Right, the tensions between the haves and the have nots and the effect of public service cuts. ‘What is it about this country/ When did everything become so transactional? …now everything is for sale. Business, culture, politicians, housing, morality, all gone to the highest bidder. And then you wonder why this place isn’t functioning any more.’ So says the kind, wise Mary and we recognise the truth in this observation. However, Craig also recognises that we are still living in a country where individuals demonstrate tremendous altruism, thank goodness, and we recognise this ‘high’ alongside the ‘low’.
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Abacus for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
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