Ring Road

by Ian Sansom

A warm, humane, and sharply observed tale of small town life that is by equal turns hilarious and moving. Big Davey Jones is coming home. He's been gone almost 20 years now, but nobody's forgotten him. Davey's a local hero -- his miracle birth as the seventh son of a seventh son brought fame to this little town and they've been grateful ever since. But Davey's home town has changed much in the intervening years. The traditional family business like Billy Finlay's Auto-Supplies and Calton's Bakery and Tea Rooms have been replaced with 'Exciting New Housing Developments!' and even a nightclub called 'Paradise Lost'. The locals haven't changed much though. Bob Savory, who always had it in him, has made a million with his company Sandwich Classics, and he's branching out now, with an Irish themed restaurant on the ring road. Francie McGinn, the divorced minister at The People's Fellowship, is still trying to convert the town through his Fish-and-Chip Biblical Quiz Nights and his Good Friday Carvery & Gospel Night. And Sammy, the town's best plumber, is depressed as ever and looking for solace at the bottom of the whisky bottle. Clever, touching and, above all, utterly spot-on in its depiction of small town life, Ring Road is confirms Ian Sansom's status as one of our most perceptive authors working today.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Peter Tarnofsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Episodic and sometimes with only the thinnest of links between the chapters, this reads like a book of short stories. But an excellent book of short stories.

Set in a town, the narrator wanders about, introducing us to the characters, their hopes, dreams, successes, failures, etc. Some stories are funny, some odd, one or two almost unbearably sad.

Wrapped up in a satisfying way. I could easily have stayed around for longer. Some of the characters turn up again in the 'mobile library' series - but generally only as bit parts. I particularly enjoyed getting right inside their heads with this book.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Mobile Libray - and am continuously looking for the sequels to that book (in the charity shops!!) so this was expected to be similarly enjoyable. No. I do hope this was Ian Sansom learning his craft because it was like gnawing on a bone. I felt like I was reading a diary of everyday dealings of everyday folk while looking for the theme, the story, the link. Okay so we kept getting references to the ring road (which was built while our narrator was away from home) but I confess I got bored and put this away. Shame.

[Emma Slaughter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this, I really did, but I had trouble getting through it in the end. I think it was the footnotes, which put together could be chapters themselves. Although an admirable attempt at setting a fictional book like a factual one (including the index at the back) in my opinion it just doesn't work

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

The unknown narrator gossips with the reader about the goings-on and lives of people in an English town, and their lives unfold and intersect in increasing detail, revealing secrets that in retrospect always made sense. Ostensibly, a comedy.

[Clare Coffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The character of Israel was very funny. The description of Northern Ireland was fine. However the description of London was excellent.

[Estelle]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13084681

[Diana Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a bit of getting into as each chapter is more like a short story. Very amusing in places. I'd like to know how some of the events in the stories turned out but I guess we'll never know.