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The Needle
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
27 people want to read
About the author
Francis King
78 books18 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Francis Henry King, CBE, was a British novelist, poet and short story writer.
He was born in Adelboden, Switzerland, brought up in India and educated at Shrewsbury School and Balliol College, Oxford. During World War II he was a conscientious objector, and left Oxford to work on the land. After completing his degree in 1949 he worked for the British Council; he was posted around Europe, and then in Kyoto. He resigned to write full time in 1964.
He was a past winner of the W. Somerset Maugham Prize for his novel The Dividing Stream (1951) and also won the Katherine Mansfield Short Story Prize. A President Emeritus of International PEN and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he was appointed an Officer (OBE) of the Order of the British Empire in 1979 and a Commander of the Order (CBE) in 1985.
Francis Henry King, CBE, was a British novelist, poet and short story writer.
He was born in Adelboden, Switzerland, brought up in India and educated at Shrewsbury School and Balliol College, Oxford. During World War II he was a conscientious objector, and left Oxford to work on the land. After completing his degree in 1949 he worked for the British Council; he was posted around Europe, and then in Kyoto. He resigned to write full time in 1964.
He was a past winner of the W. Somerset Maugham Prize for his novel The Dividing Stream (1951) and also won the Katherine Mansfield Short Story Prize. A President Emeritus of International PEN and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he was appointed an Officer (OBE) of the Order of the British Empire in 1979 and a Commander of the Order (CBE) in 1985.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 6, 2024
3.5, rounded up.
King's 15th novel from 1975; my 20th of his books to read in my ongoing deep dive into his works.
It somewhat seems that mid-career, either of his own volition, or because of some urging from his publishers, perhaps, King decided to go a more commercial route than usual, crafting what emerges as a standard genre psychological thriller. As such, it isn't bad, and contains his usual carefully constructed characters, eminently readable prose, and a few surprises - but it is definitely second-tier King IMHO.
Given that many/most of his books revolve around repressed homosexuality, I had somewhat presumed that what was bothering Bob, the secretive, yet charmingly indigent younger brother of stalwart doctor Lorna was probably the 'love that dare not speak its name' - and, in fact, halfway through the book that is indeed what Lorna suspects his 'problem' to be.
Turns out to be something even more 'aberrant' , and once that is revealed, and due to the way in which the book has been structured and the giveaway title, I had pretty much figured out the ending with 40 pages to go. Again, that DOESN'T make it a BAD book - I was just expecting a little bit more from this now revered author. It's still a quick, enjoyable read.
King's 15th novel from 1975; my 20th of his books to read in my ongoing deep dive into his works.
It somewhat seems that mid-career, either of his own volition, or because of some urging from his publishers, perhaps, King decided to go a more commercial route than usual, crafting what emerges as a standard genre psychological thriller. As such, it isn't bad, and contains his usual carefully constructed characters, eminently readable prose, and a few surprises - but it is definitely second-tier King IMHO.
Given that many/most of his books revolve around repressed homosexuality, I had somewhat presumed that what was bothering Bob, the secretive, yet charmingly indigent younger brother of stalwart doctor Lorna was probably the 'love that dare not speak its name' - and, in fact, halfway through the book that is indeed what Lorna suspects his 'problem' to be.
Turns out to be something even more 'aberrant' , and once that is revealed, and due to the way in which the book has been structured and the giveaway title, I had pretty much figured out the ending with 40 pages to go. Again, that DOESN'T make it a BAD book - I was just expecting a little bit more from this now revered author. It's still a quick, enjoyable read.
March 26, 2023
3.5
Published in 1976, this book deals with topics that were not often addressed in that time period - homosexuality, pedophiles and sex trafficking. Definitely one to think about. I will be reading more of Francis King’s books.
Published in 1976, this book deals with topics that were not often addressed in that time period - homosexuality, pedophiles and sex trafficking. Definitely one to think about. I will be reading more of Francis King’s books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews