The Crust on Its Uppers (A Mask Noir Title) [Paperback]

Derek Raymond (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Mask Noir Title | Publication Date: July 1, 2000

A humorous send-up of class-ridden Britain set in the London of 1960. The hero is a young man recently expelled from one of Britain's most prestigious public schools. Wishing to escape his upper crust background, he finds his niche as a criminal, surrounded by con-men and petty thieves.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This jittery novel, originally published in England in 1962 under the name Robin Cook ( I Was Dora Suarez ), shows some signs of age (particularly in its depiction of hardline Communists), but it retains the appeal of an old film noir--not of our time, but still interesting. Writing from a prison cell, the unnamed narrator reconstructs an account of upper-class British men turned crooked and an international scheme gone bad. The narrator's voice is so tinged with slang that it is sometimes incomprehensible, despite the inclusion of a glossary. Through all the talk of "gaffs" (apartments) and "boilers" (elderly wealthy women) the story slowly emerges. Despite his reservations, the narrator participated in a grand plan to import counterfeit money. He embellishes this skeletal tale with bits and pieces from his international past--including a stint involving stolen tape recorders in Spain--and wry observations about Britain's class system and relations between the sexes. While he has a "boiler" whom he visits to maintain his income, his true love interest is Christice, the daughter of a lord whom he feels he is fated to be with because "certain ones simply have your number on them, like bombs in the war."
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The nameless narrator of this 1962 British crime novel, written by Robin Cook (not the same of medical mystery fame) and published here for the first time, scorns his privileged background and lives as a petty crook in swinging Sixties London. Suddenly offered a chance to bring off a big coup, he finds he's embroiled in dangerous dealings not only with the law but with East German Communists. He and his pals match wits and courage in a tense confrontation with greater powers than they know. In 1962, the heavy mix of hip, criminal, and cockney slang might have been colorful. Now it's dated and annoyingly inconvenient. Nor has the story worn well, crime having moved on--way on--from cheating at cards, popping ampules of amyl nitrate ("snap"), and passing counterfeit currency. It all seems quaint and precious. For nostalgia buffs only. A glossary is provided.
- Ann Donovan, St. Petersburg Junior Coll. Lib., Fla.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 190 pages
• Publisher: Serpent's Tail (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852422688
• ISBN-13: 978-1852422684
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,110,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)