In the Kingdom of Air [Paperback]

Tim Binding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 2002

* A turbulent story of childhood, love and meteorological forces * This is the story of weatherman Giles Doughty. Giles does not wear sensible ties and knitted jumpers like other weathermen. Rather, his life is a whirlwind - of romance, sex and decadence. But then one day he is shocked out of his self-absorption by the reappearance of his childhood friend Stella Murdoch. Stella, who disappeared suddenly so many years ago. As the novel develops and darkens, Giles is forced into an exploration of his childhood, and of cruelty. He has to face what he has always tried to escape - a mystery, at the heart of which lies Stella. A confession, a journey, an enquiry - embracing the great storm of October 1987, murderous doings, and eccentric characters - this brilliant first novel from Tim Binding is bound to thrill and delight all its readers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Recently I have discovered that I am attractive to women," confides BBC weatherman and self-appointed raconteur Giles Doughty in the opening words of this funny, poignant first novel. He then sets out to prove it by recounting his three current affairs: with the head of an employment agency, a children's television star and an unnamed "Woman from Spain." The woman who occupies his mind most, though, is his high school sweetheart Stella Muchmore, who vanished the year he was 16. When Giles's sister spots Stella in a London bar, he's forced to relive the events that led to her disappearance. Much of the text consists of a charming, ongoing conversation between the narrator and his younger self; we soon see that Giles is a much more pathetic character than he would care to admit, but the author treats him with respect and evident affection. Despite the recurrent, rather dull use of four-letter words, Binding's language often makes poetic and delightful swoops. This is a solid, entertaining first effort.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Giles Doughty, a BBC weatherman, is the narrator and central character in this first novel by former editor and publisher Binding. Middle-aged Giles seemingly suffers from an advanced case of priapism, since he's carrying on sexual liaisons with three women as the novel begins. EventuallyGiles's narration of his sexcapades gives way to the search for a mysterious woman, Stella Muchmore, who had disappeared from Giles's village when he was growing up. As the story unfolds, the reader comes to understand the effect of events during Giles's adolescence upon his adult years. This part of the novel works, but because Giles is such an unendearing character in the early stages, few readers may persist far enough to get to the real meat of the book. In addition, Binding's dense writing and stream-of-consciousness style (in which Giles can go on for pages without a paragraph break) make the book a bit difficult to read. Recommended only for literary fiction collections.
- Dean James, Houston Acad. of Medicine/Texas Medical Ctr. Lib.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Picador (August 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330487493
• ISBN-13: 978-0330487498
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,334,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a need to read, April 1, 2000

By 

Lynn Leach (Suffolk England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In The Kingdom of Air (Hardcover)

Tim Binding is spellbinding, or at least this book is. The story of a weatherman, shameless and without conscience, shielded from the events of his childhood untill Stella Muchmore's name suddenly appears, like a ghost from the past, leaving him with a need to come clean and to discover the real truth. Set against England's great storm of '87 this wonderfully written book is funny, tragic and disturbing, and left me anxious to discover what had happened to Stella Muchmore, so much so that I stayed in bed for most of the day, forgetting to breakfast and hardly daring to breathe. Quite brilliant.

5.0 out of 5 stars A page-turner, for sure, November 17, 2007

By 

Elaine Watkins (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Kingdom of Air (Paperback)

Here's a novel that doesn't get to the point until it's ready to, with a satisfying payoff for the patient reader. It's a confessional: A man who, on the surface, cares little for commitment. He strikes the reader initially as the shallowest of libertines. But gradually, Binding draws us closer to the center of his story -- the tragedy that existed behind the quiet walls of his childhood home and the seething restlessness of the ordinary working-folk who were his neighbors. The second half of the novel gels, picks up speed, and the reader forgets all the apparent blind alleys and red herrings of the first chapters. The flashbacks are relentless, but skillfully employed.

Truthfully, this was probably meant to be several novels, or perhaps several short stories ... but they work together to paint a vivid portrait of English life in the post-war decades, up to the present time.