Manners

by Robert Newman

"No one is a policeman in a fight..."

While trying to apprehend a dangerous suspect, PC John Manners ends up in a life or death struggle, and the suspect ends up dead.

While suspended from duty and awaiting trial for manslaughter, even Manners is unsure whether he is innocent or guilty of killing Lee Andrew.

While interrogating his own past, his identity unravels…

Cut off from reality, he wanders the streets, an independent beat-officer on a one-man patrol.

Listening in on Holloway calls with a phone scanner, he hears voices planning to 'kill the bitch.'

Now his independent patrol has to prevent a murder.

Following shadowy clues in the killers' slang, he searches for 'the lamb' and 'the broken bridge.'

But each step he takes brings him closer to forces of destruction...

Manners is a powerful tale of good and evil, isolation and community — themes which interconnect like the crisscross streets of John Manners’ north London odyssey.



‘Newman combines proper scientific argument with dazzling shafts of wit’ – The Times

‘Scalpel-sharp analysis … very funny’ – The Psychologist

‘Hilarious … delightfully eccentric … skilfully done’ – Nature

Robert Newman (born 7 July 1964) is a British stand-up comedian, author and political activist. In 1993 Newman and his then comedy partner David Baddiel became the first comedians to play and sell out the 12,000-seat Wembley Arena in London. In addition to comedy and writing, he has also worked as a paperboy in Whitwell, as a farmhand, warehouse-man, house-painter, teacher, mail sorter, social worker, mover, and broadcaster.

Genres: Fiction, Crime

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Robert ("Rob") Newman (born 7 July 1964) is a British stand-up comedian, author and political activist. In 1993 Newman and his then comedy partner David Baddiel became the first comedians to play and sell out the 12,000-seat Wembley Arena in London. He was born to a Greek Cypriot father and British mother.

Newman's first speaking appearance was with Third World First (now known as People and Planet), the student political organisation. In addition to comedy and writing, he has also worked as a paperboy in Whitwell, Hertfordshire, farmhand, warehouse-man, house-painter, teacher, mail sorter, social worker, mover, and broadcaster.

Reviews

[Bandit · Rating 1 out of 5]

And I'm being generous. This book was hypnotically terrible. An strange slow dense odyssey of a policeman in London, 275 pages with virtually no redeeming qualities. Normally I very much enjoy all things British, but this was difficult to understand and even more difficult to care about. The title refers to the protagonist's last name, but, forgive the pun, it may be the only pleasure to get out of this turd, whatever happened to good manners. This was a freebie and a prime example of getting what one pays for. Maybe I ought to just stay away from Endeavor books, they seem to be oddly committed to mediocrity, but this is crappy even by their standards. Sad waste of time.

[Gael Impiazzi]

Awful.Gave up very quickly. Hard to believe this was written by the same person as wrote The Fountain at the Centre of the World.

[Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an easier read that I thought that it may be.
It is the story of a Police Officers tumble into madness after he was involved in the death of a villain.
The end of the book is much harder work as he sinks further and further into his own mind.

[Ben Pirrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard read, bitter ending.
Newman's prose continues to be deeply poetic and sucks you in, 'til you feel like you're falling with the protagonist. Recommended, but not for those looking for an easy read.

[Spinwallah · Rating 3 out of 5]

there are some brilliant (and beautiful) observations in this but it is oh so depressing. i just finished it and i wished id never started

[Ollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite sure about this one

[Noah Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found it really hard to care about the main character.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.

John Manners is an idealistic policeman who finds himself in a life and death battle when trying to apprehend a suspect. The suspect ends up dead and whilst waiting to be tried Manners is put on suspension. He begins to look back on his life and how he has got to this point in his life and slowly he begins to realise his whole identity is wrapped up in been a police officer. He gets a scanner and becomes almost a one man police force. He's not a vigilante, he's actually trying to do the job he feels compelled to do. But it becomes clear all in not well in his mind and he begins to unravel.

I was intrigued to read this book. I've been following Robert Newman since he was simply Rob Newman from his mainstream days to his more off the beaten track ideological comedy. And that ideological dare I even say lefty stance is very prevalent in this book. But it's a very self aware stance. Manners is on the surface an idealist and liberal but his inner monologue and slightly off colour jokes (which he knows are off colour and feels a bit guilty about...but does it anyway) reveal the real person. And it's easy to recognise yourself in that. And that's almost what makes the descent of Manners all the more disturbing. Sometimes when you walk through a city you might wonder how people end up where they are. This book pretty much explains how it could happen.

If you asked me if I enjoyed this book I'd struggle to answer. This is a good book but it takes time to get into and the stream of consciousness can be a bit hard to take in because it's jerky and twitchy. But if you give it a chance you end up in Manners mind and begin to understand that twitching monologue. And at the end you'll put it down and feel seriously depressed. So enjoy is the wrong word. Affected would be the only adjective I could use.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delicious show-off of knowledge of North-London streets and atmosphere.

But not too sure I buy the rest. Especially I don't like the idea of a woman 'enjoying' physical violence. Too much of a male fantasy for it to sound real, let alone what message is intended to the readership, hey, try this, women are likely to enjoy extreme violence?
Then the narrator goes mad and homeless. I missed some explanation of the steps that people who care always take to at least try avoid this happening, and this man did have people around him who cared.

I admire this author for his other works that I have watched/read though.

[Tanis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this book. I'm not giving away more than it says on the back cover by saying its all about a policeman who accidently kills a suspect while making an arrest and get suspended. Basically its all written from his viewpoint and you're seeing him slowly go mad, so by the end its quite hard to follow his thoughts but somehow that doesn't spoil the read.

I found it very believable and quite thought-provoking. I'd say its one of the best books I've read so far this year.

[Derek Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some bum notes, but on the whole this might just be the best novel I've read yet by a former comedian. Or is he still a comedian? Whatever. The bits that lifted a fairly average story were the lefty politics, funnily enough. They date the novel, they may be a bit earnest, even a bit forced, but I could tell they were certainly sincere, and accurately targeted. Might try some more of the authors stuff.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

from stand up comedy to very dark stuff. he's a talented chap but this is a touch too jaring