Winner of the inaugural Booker Prize in 1969. It was 1956 and he was in Port Said. About these two facts Townrow was reasonably certain. He had been summoned there, to Egypt, by the widow of his deceased friend, Elie Khoury. Having been found dead in the street, she is convinced he was murdered, but nobody seems to agree with her. What of Leah Strauss, the mistress? And of the invading British paratroops? Only an Englishman, surely, would take for granted that the British would have behaved themselves. In this weirdly disorientating world, Townrow is forced towards a re-examination of the basic rules by which he has been living his life; and into a realization that he too may have something to answer for.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
P. H. Newby, who has always been one of the more distinctive British writers, has so many resources at his command-wit, quizzical satire, immense narrative versatility- that often his more serious intentions have been obscured. Here he returns to the venue of his Anglo-Egyptian trilogy where superficial events are even more parlous and unpredictable: Nasser has just nationalized the Suez Canal and people of all kinds are in a state of uncertainty and disruption. All of this is reflected and magnified through the mind of one Townrow, as slippery as a newt to begin with-a man of no particular scruples or convictions who becomes even more of a drifter adrift. What happens becomes increasingly difficult to determine since actuality and fantasy are indistinguishable in his mind which has skidded. Often he returns to the implication-accusation of the title-on the way to Port Said a Jew holds him responsible as an Englishman for the tragedy of his race's genocide. Townrow chafes at the charges-"It's quite all right to hate people for what they've done in the past but not when it confuses you about the real world you live in." Before long it is evident that Townrow is totally confused about himself and the questions of individual and collective guilt, of allegiance and neutrality lead on to that of personal identity. At no point is Townrow sure who he is or what he now is involved in: his succor of the rich, older widow of a Lebanese entrepreneur (gun runner?) who was killed on the streets; his ambivalent affair with the daughter of her lawyer whose husband is in a mental hospital. Events move swiftly against the violence and anarchy of the city under constant shelling; they are skillfully managed as a photomontage for Townrow's disorientation. A little Kafka-a little Greene-a little Ambler in a charade which is also an expertly agile entertainment poised between the unsuspected and the unknown. (Kirkus Reviews)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
P. H. Newby
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A literary challenge,
By
This review is from: Something to Answer For (Paperback)
P.H. Newby (1917-1997) won the first Booker Prize in 1969 for his novel "Something to Answer For."
I'm working my way through the Booker Prize list and found this novel along with David Storey's "Saville" the most difficult to come by.Indeed, most or all of Newby's eighteen novels seem to be out-of-print. That's not to say this novel is not worth reading. It is a challenge though. I would call it a piece of fictional deconstruction. Our Hero, or anti-hero, Townrow, is living in England and manages a fund which gives money to deserving causes. Townrow, we learn later, is skimming money from the fund and feeling no remorse about it. He receives a letter from an old friend in Egypt where he was stationed during his years in the service. Mrs. Khoury writes that her husband has died - she suspects he was murdered - and would Townrow come and help her get things in order if she pays for his ticket. Townrow agrees and off we go! This is where the fictional deconstruction starts. Is Townrow after her money? Is he English or Irish? People along the way call him by different names. Major this or Sergeant that. What exactly was is history in Egypt? Townrow has a habit of reliving the past again and again in his mind and this is thrown in to the mix muddying the waters. On top of that he is brutally attacked and receives a vicious head injury. Questions lead to more and more questions. All this is set against the backdrop of Nassar's Egypt in 1956 when the country nationalized the Suez Canal and Britain, France and Israel answered with force. For me, the deconstruction of the usual advantages of knowing time, place and identity leave us with a stripped down character of Townrow - with passed uncertain, loyalties uncertain, questionable character and future unclear and no personal relationships - does a man have "Something to Answer For"? It forces the reader to rethink what is truly important to one and where to take a stand and why. I enjoyed this novel and recommend it to those who want a literary challenge that keeps you thinking long after finishing it. As we all know, writers go in and out of fashion to be rediscovered at a later time. I wonder if this intelligent and thought-provoking writer is due for a resurgence soon.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
