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China
Digby Walton was once the heir to an English pottery company. Now in old age he contemplates the history of that company as he reflects upon the modern world. His own heir, his son Theo, would rather ignore history completely and lose himself in smoky jazz clubs with his trumpet. Theo wants to live entirely inside the perfection of songs, but will reality let him?
Meanwhile Digby's next-door neighbor, Daisy Gresham, famed as one of the great film beauties of her day, seeks her own elusive son, who is perilously engaged in the international anarchist movement.
Alan Wall's novel weaves back and forth between the present and the twentieth century that formed it, its wars and industries, industries that once propelled an empire but now appear in permanent decline, asking constantly what art contributes to life and whether life can ever survive for long without it. In the tradition of Louis Begley and John Updike, China is a novel about life and looking back.
Meanwhile Digby's next-door neighbor, Daisy Gresham, famed as one of the great film beauties of her day, seeks her own elusive son, who is perilously engaged in the international anarchist movement.
Alan Wall's novel weaves back and forth between the present and the twentieth century that formed it, its wars and industries, industries that once propelled an empire but now appear in permanent decline, asking constantly what art contributes to life and whether life can ever survive for long without it. In the tradition of Louis Begley and John Updike, China is a novel about life and looking back.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
11 people want to read
About the author
Alan Wall
35 books5 followersWall was born in Bradford and studied at the University of Oxford. In addition to his work as a professional author, he has developed a career teaching creative writing with posts at Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Birmingham and the University of Chester. He is also a published poet and critic.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 13, 2018
Really liked it.
Well written account of a slightly weird family, focussing on the lives of a tired old former Titan of Industry and his underachieving trumpet player son.
Was a random pick from library shelf.
Loved it from the first page. Can't really explain why except the fact that I thought it was well written.
Well written account of a slightly weird family, focussing on the lives of a tired old former Titan of Industry and his underachieving trumpet player son.
Was a random pick from library shelf.
Loved it from the first page. Can't really explain why except the fact that I thought it was well written.
Displaying 1 of 1 review