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All the Way Home and All the Night Through
An English art school Casanova wrestles with his personal demons in this jazzy, sexy and seemingly autobiographical first novel by the author of Get Carter
Victor Graves is in his last year at Hull Art School. The handsome pianist for a jazz ensemble that plays the local pub circuit, Victor has a way with words and women, but struggles with personal demons—alcohol chief among them—that increasingly get the better of him. But Victor’s wildness meets its match in the gorgeous and sensitive Janet, whose hard-to-get routine awakens in Victor a desire to leave-off his rakish ways.
But Victor’s caddish life as top man on campus comes screeching to a halt after graduation, when booze, lack of focus, and deep-seated insecurities slowly get the better of him. Jobless and increasingly alienated from Janet and his friends, Victor lets his misanthropic tendencies grow stronger, until they are unbearable. All the Way Home and All the Night Through is a stirring portrait of a young man inadvertently tearing down himself and those he holds dear.
Victor Graves is in his last year at Hull Art School. The handsome pianist for a jazz ensemble that plays the local pub circuit, Victor has a way with words and women, but struggles with personal demons—alcohol chief among them—that increasingly get the better of him. But Victor’s wildness meets its match in the gorgeous and sensitive Janet, whose hard-to-get routine awakens in Victor a desire to leave-off his rakish ways.
But Victor’s caddish life as top man on campus comes screeching to a halt after graduation, when booze, lack of focus, and deep-seated insecurities slowly get the better of him. Jobless and increasingly alienated from Janet and his friends, Victor lets his misanthropic tendencies grow stronger, until they are unbearable. All the Way Home and All the Night Through is a stirring portrait of a young man inadvertently tearing down himself and those he holds dear.
- GenresFiction
378 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
42 people want to read
About the author
Ted Lewis
13 books65 followersTed Lewis (1940 – 1982) was a British writer born in Manchester, an only child. After World War II the family moved to Barton-upon-Humber in 1947. He had a strict upbringing and his parents did not want their son to go to art school, but Ted's English teacher Henry Treece, recognising his creative talents in writing and art, persuaded them not to stand in his way.
Lewis attended Hull Art School for four years. His first work was in London, in advertising, and then as an animation specialist in television and films (among them the Beatles' Yellow Submarine). His first novel, All the Way Home and All the Night Through was published in 1965, followed by Jack's Return Home, subsequently retitled Get Carter after the success of the film of the same name starring Michael Caine, which created the noir school of British crime writing and pushed Lewis into the best-seller list. After the collapse of his marriage Lewis returned to his home town in the 1970s.
Ted Lewis died in 1982 having published seven more novels and written several episodes for the television series Z-Cars.
Lewis attended Hull Art School for four years. His first work was in London, in advertising, and then as an animation specialist in television and films (among them the Beatles' Yellow Submarine). His first novel, All the Way Home and All the Night Through was published in 1965, followed by Jack's Return Home, subsequently retitled Get Carter after the success of the film of the same name starring Michael Caine, which created the noir school of British crime writing and pushed Lewis into the best-seller list. After the collapse of his marriage Lewis returned to his home town in the 1970s.
Ted Lewis died in 1982 having published seven more novels and written several episodes for the television series Z-Cars.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 11, 2021
Almost feels autobiographical in the telling of this tale about the maturing emotions of young men and women.
I expect most people could relate to many of the scenarios within this well crafted text.
I expect most people could relate to many of the scenarios within this well crafted text.
September 6, 2023
Ted Lewis is best known for Get Carter (1970, aka Jack's Return Home), a UK crime masterpiece. GBH (1980) is Ted Lewis's crowning glory. Sadly it was published just two years before his untimely death.
By contrast the clumsily titled All the Way Home and All the Night Through is Ted Lewis's first novel and was written in the early 1960s. Here he heeds the timeless advice to "write about what you know" and so produced this highly autobiographical novel about his time at art school in Hull during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This is the era of Trad Jazz, with Britain still a drab and restrictive place. All the Way Home and All the Night Through is great at bringing the era, and the parochial world of Hull Art School, vividly to life. The young people are all believable complete with their vulnerability, insecurity, bravado, love of Jazz, and intense emotions.
All the Way Home and All the Night Through is clearly a debut novel and the writing and the plotting is a million miles away from the taut punch of Ted Lewis's best work. It could easily be half the length without losing anything and gets very repetitive, and even annoying, in sections.
Well worth a read for Ted Lewis completists but otherwise give it a swerve.
3/5
An English art school Casanova wrestles with his personal demons in this jazzy, sexy and seemingly autobiographical first novel by the author of Get Carter
Victor Graves is in his last year at Hull Art School. The handsome pianist for a jazz ensemble that plays the local pub circuit, Victor has a way with words and women, but struggles with personal demons—alcohol chief among them—that increasingly get the better of him. But Victor’s wildness meets its match in the gorgeous and sensitive Janet, whose hard-to-get routine awakens in Victor a desire to leave-off his rakish ways.
But Victor’s caddish life as top man on campus comes screeching to a halt after graduation, when booze, lack of focus, and deep-seated insecurities slowly get the better of him. Jobless and increasingly alienated from Janet and his friends, Victor lets his misanthropic tendencies grow stronger, until they are unbearable. All the Way Home and All the Night Through is a stirring portrait of a young man inadvertently tearing down himself and those he holds dear.
By contrast the clumsily titled All the Way Home and All the Night Through is Ted Lewis's first novel and was written in the early 1960s. Here he heeds the timeless advice to "write about what you know" and so produced this highly autobiographical novel about his time at art school in Hull during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This is the era of Trad Jazz, with Britain still a drab and restrictive place. All the Way Home and All the Night Through is great at bringing the era, and the parochial world of Hull Art School, vividly to life. The young people are all believable complete with their vulnerability, insecurity, bravado, love of Jazz, and intense emotions.
All the Way Home and All the Night Through is clearly a debut novel and the writing and the plotting is a million miles away from the taut punch of Ted Lewis's best work. It could easily be half the length without losing anything and gets very repetitive, and even annoying, in sections.
Well worth a read for Ted Lewis completists but otherwise give it a swerve.
3/5
An English art school Casanova wrestles with his personal demons in this jazzy, sexy and seemingly autobiographical first novel by the author of Get Carter
Victor Graves is in his last year at Hull Art School. The handsome pianist for a jazz ensemble that plays the local pub circuit, Victor has a way with words and women, but struggles with personal demons—alcohol chief among them—that increasingly get the better of him. But Victor’s wildness meets its match in the gorgeous and sensitive Janet, whose hard-to-get routine awakens in Victor a desire to leave-off his rakish ways.
But Victor’s caddish life as top man on campus comes screeching to a halt after graduation, when booze, lack of focus, and deep-seated insecurities slowly get the better of him. Jobless and increasingly alienated from Janet and his friends, Victor lets his misanthropic tendencies grow stronger, until they are unbearable. All the Way Home and All the Night Through is a stirring portrait of a young man inadvertently tearing down himself and those he holds dear.
February 12, 2026
The debut for Ted Lewis. I found this book a really slow read. The main character Victor the most self destructive young man with the biggest victim mentality. Throughout the book he tries to justify his drinking, jealousy and intrusive questioning especially over his girlfriend Janet. I have no idea why Janet stayed with him for so long.
It’s truly a bleak and frustrating read.
Ted Lewis delves deeper into the bleak and criminal world as he writes more of his books. Most famously Jacks Return Home which was adapted into the film Get Carter.
Great debut novel by a great British author.
It’s truly a bleak and frustrating read.
Ted Lewis delves deeper into the bleak and criminal world as he writes more of his books. Most famously Jacks Return Home which was adapted into the film Get Carter.
Great debut novel by a great British author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2021
This is a fantastic read. Lewis evokes the angst and misery of early adulthood with a keen eye, and the result is raw and fascinating, I couldn’t put it down. We could do with more working class coming of age stories like this!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews