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Found, Lost, Found: Or The English Way Of Life
From the First Edition Dust-Jacket:
Tom Dekker is a civilised civil servant who, to the despair of his boss, his friends and his psychiatrist, likes to float through life on just the right amount of gin. Then he meets Kate, a fascinating but superior girl who is trying to write plays, and at once his life is changed.
Uncertain of herself and, still more of him, Kate announces that she is going to the country, but will not say where or with whom. She challenges him to find her.
And so this is the story of a pursuit, in which Mr Priestley's richly comic invention is at the service of the qualities of the heart and the imagination.
Tom Dekker is a civilised civil servant who, to the despair of his boss, his friends and his psychiatrist, likes to float through life on just the right amount of gin. Then he meets Kate, a fascinating but superior girl who is trying to write plays, and at once his life is changed.
Uncertain of herself and, still more of him, Kate announces that she is going to the country, but will not say where or with whom. She challenges him to find her.
And so this is the story of a pursuit, in which Mr Priestley's richly comic invention is at the service of the qualities of the heart and the imagination.
- GenresFiction
135 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
12 people want to read
About the author
J.B. Priestley
470 books288 followersJohn Boynton Priestley was an English writer. He was the son of a schoolmaster, and after schooling he worked for a time in the local wool trade. Following the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, Priestley joined the British Army, and was sent to France - in 1915 taking part in the Battle of Loos. After being wounded in 1917 Priestley returned to England for six months; then, after going back to the Western Front he suffered the consequences of a German gas attack, and, treated at Rouen, he was declared unfit for active service and was transferred to the Entertainers Section of the British Army.
When Priestley left the army he studied at Cambridge University, where he completed a degree in Modern History and Political Science. Subsequently he found work as theatre reviewer with the Daily News, and also contributed to the Spectator, the Challenge and Nineteenth Century. His earliest books included The English Comic Characters (1925), The English Novel (1927), and English Humour (1928). His breakthrough came with the immensely popular novel The Good Companions, published in 1929, and Angel Pavement followed in 1930. He emerged, too, as a successful dramatist with such plays as Dangerous Corner (1932), Time and the Conways (1937), When We Are Married (1938) and An Inspector Calls (1947).
The publication of English Journey in 1934 emphasised Priestley's concern for social problems and the welfare of ordinary people.
During the Second World War Priestley became a popular and influential broadcaster with his famous Postscripts that followed the nine o'clock news BBC Radio on Sunday evenings. Starting on 5th June 1940, Priestley built up such a following that after a few months it was estimated that around 40 per cent of the adult population in Britain was listening to the programme.
Some members of the Conservative Party, including Winston Churchill, expressed concern that Priestley might be expressing left-wing views on the programme, and, to his dismay, Priestley was dropped after his talk on 20th October 1940.
After the war Priestley continued his writing, and his work invariably provoked thought, and his views were always expressed in his blunt Yorkshire style.
His prolific output continued right up to his final years, and to the end he remained the great literary all-rounder. His favourite among his books was for many years the novel Bright Day, though he later said he had come to prefer The Image Men.
It should not be overlooked that Priestley was an outstanding essayist, and many of his short pieces best capture his passions and his great talent and his mastery of the English language. He set a fine example for any would-be author.
When Priestley left the army he studied at Cambridge University, where he completed a degree in Modern History and Political Science. Subsequently he found work as theatre reviewer with the Daily News, and also contributed to the Spectator, the Challenge and Nineteenth Century. His earliest books included The English Comic Characters (1925), The English Novel (1927), and English Humour (1928). His breakthrough came with the immensely popular novel The Good Companions, published in 1929, and Angel Pavement followed in 1930. He emerged, too, as a successful dramatist with such plays as Dangerous Corner (1932), Time and the Conways (1937), When We Are Married (1938) and An Inspector Calls (1947).
The publication of English Journey in 1934 emphasised Priestley's concern for social problems and the welfare of ordinary people.
During the Second World War Priestley became a popular and influential broadcaster with his famous Postscripts that followed the nine o'clock news BBC Radio on Sunday evenings. Starting on 5th June 1940, Priestley built up such a following that after a few months it was estimated that around 40 per cent of the adult population in Britain was listening to the programme.
Some members of the Conservative Party, including Winston Churchill, expressed concern that Priestley might be expressing left-wing views on the programme, and, to his dismay, Priestley was dropped after his talk on 20th October 1940.
After the war Priestley continued his writing, and his work invariably provoked thought, and his views were always expressed in his blunt Yorkshire style.
His prolific output continued right up to his final years, and to the end he remained the great literary all-rounder. His favourite among his books was for many years the novel Bright Day, though he later said he had come to prefer The Image Men.
It should not be overlooked that Priestley was an outstanding essayist, and many of his short pieces best capture his passions and his great talent and his mastery of the English language. He set a fine example for any would-be author.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 22, 2021
Back in my twenties, I read a great deal of J. B. Priestley. It's hard to believe, but my local library had many of his books, particularly the works of history, essays and critiques. I re-read several of them including books on the Edwardians, on England prior to World War I, on the Victorians, and I loved his control of language over the landscape of the past. Then he died...and disappeared. Now I can't even find Charles Dickens in my library. What I can find are three standing shelves of rows, top to bottom, filled with James Patterson books. Right now I am reading about culture in the early reign of Queen Victoria; a book that is over 120 years old with beautiful plates, delicate paper and gold end papers. Priestley was right to write about the past. This slim novel was all right. I am going to be seeking out those other books of interest from my past, but skipping over the novels and plays. I just checked out a book about the 100 most important books for David Bowie, and Priestley was one of them. Well worth seeking out again.
The protagonist is an English civil servant who drinks too much. He meets a pretty young lady, who issues him a challenge: she's going to an undisclosed location to write. If he can cut down on his drinking long enough to find her, she'll continue their relationship. At this point, they've only met a few times, so it's a bit hard to take their interest in each other very seriously, but Priestley seems to think he's provided a very engaging pair of lovers.
While describing the lovers' journey, Priestley tends to alternate more interesting characters with flat caricatures whose only purpose is to voice his personal opinions. Since the book was written in the 70's, many of these seem outdated: he hates avant-garde theater, movies with sex and violence, and student protests (what are they on about?). Even if you agree with his feelings, you may find that his exaggerated ways of expressing them are not that fun to read. Some of the characters have a little more depth, and I wish he had developed them more. All in all, I found the book disappointing, but it might suit other readers as light entertainment, if you enjoy British drawing-room comedies.
The protagonist is an English civil servant who drinks too much. He meets a pretty young lady, who issues him a challenge: she's going to an undisclosed location to write. If he can cut down on his drinking long enough to find her, she'll continue their relationship. At this point, they've only met a few times, so it's a bit hard to take their interest in each other very seriously, but Priestley seems to think he's provided a very engaging pair of lovers.
While describing the lovers' journey, Priestley tends to alternate more interesting characters with flat caricatures whose only purpose is to voice his personal opinions. Since the book was written in the 70's, many of these seem outdated: he hates avant-garde theater, movies with sex and violence, and student protests (what are they on about?). Even if you agree with his feelings, you may find that his exaggerated ways of expressing them are not that fun to read. Some of the characters have a little more depth, and I wish he had developed them more. All in all, I found the book disappointing, but it might suit other readers as light entertainment, if you enjoy British drawing-room comedies.
May 12, 2018
Priestley's final novel written when he was in his eighties, is very low key and minor if still retaining flashes of fun and good natured satire. The plot is almost nonexistent merely serving to introduce a string of characters for Priestley to observe have some fun with then move on to the next.
February 23, 2023
Really enjoyed this easy to read novel from ,what I consider to be, a very entertaining author. simple story line with well received characters. humour added another dimension to the tale.
May 21, 2016
A novel so light it could have floated away. Priestley's final novel and not a good one to leave behind. Supposedly funny, I laughed twice. The humour was silly. Childish names etc. If you are new to Priestley don't make this your first. I suggest Bright Day.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews