Underground Man [Paperback]

Mick Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 1998

The fifth Duke of Portland is a Victorian misfit, man who spends his time and wealth creating a network of tunnels beneath his Nottinghamshire estate. As he withdraws further from society he falls prey to his lonely self-absorption and to the mercy of his household staff. His rare appearances are misinterpreted and local gossip has inflated his eccentricities into sinister deformities. No one, not even he, understands his most persistent ache, a pain of absence that no amount of tunnelling or searching can bring to light. The Duke's slow piecing together of the truth about his past builds to an intensely moving and powerful conclusion. 'The narrative structure is immaculate, the characterization superb, the prose so polished you can see your face in it' Max Davidson, Daily Telegraph 'Soaked through with originality and expertly written: tragicomic fiction with the most endearingly sympathetic of anti-heroes' Dominic Bradbury, The Times 'A remarkable balancing act, witty, restrained and shot through with interesting tensions. As a first novel it is, quite simply, astonishing' Christina Patterson, Observer 'A strong narrative drive, a Gothic twist and a wonderful cast of secondary characters make this an entrancingly readable book. What lifts it into the prize-deserving category is Jackson's uncannily visual prose' Miranda Seymour, Sunday Telegraph

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Mick Jackson makes films. It's no surprise, then, that his first novel, The Underground Man, should be so economically told, the action evoking a mise en scène. The novel takes the form of journal entries interspersed with eyewitness accounts from servants and neighbors. The "Underground Man" portrayed in the novel, William John Cavendish Bentinck-Scott, the Duke of Portland and a resident of Nottinghamshire, England, is mightily eccentric; the man was real (1800-1879), as was his eccentricity. Historical fact: the Duke commissioned eight tunnels on his estate. Present-day fact: if you walk the estate today, you see the skylights--2' in diameter and 4" thick. But why did he build them?

In the last few days of the Duke's life, eccentricity burgeons; madness follows. The reader learns that his odd view of the world was shaped by early tragedy, the full truth of which is withheld until the last few pages.

The Underground Man is that most delectable blend of fact and fiction, one in which the intriguing details of a real life are richly explored through imagination. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Through a fictional journal, Jackson constructs a portrait of William John Cavendish-Bentinck-Scott, fifth Duke of Portland (d. 1879), a prodigious eccentric best known for the elaborate network of tunnels he built beneath his estate. The duke is portrayed as a repressed hypochondriac, an old man morbidly curious about the workings of his body and mind. During the months encompassed by the novel, he grows increasingly obsessed with the fleeting bits of memory that intrude upon his ruminations and hint at some horrific, long-buried secret. A prime example of the psychological bent of the contemporary British neo-Gothic novel, this first novel from a British filmmaker and teacher of creative writing explores the darker fringes of consciousness. A subdued, though peculiarly compelling, tale.?Lawrence Rungren, Merrimack Valley Lib. Consortium, Andover, Mass.
Copyright 1997 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: 272 pages
• Publisher: Picador (January 9, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330349562
• ISBN-13: 978-0330349567
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,429,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well done, and certainly different, July 4, 2001

By 

Lesley West (St James, Western Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Underground Man (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an interesting book, about the type of truly eccentric and driven man that can only have been produced by the Victorian aristocracy. It is an interesting mixture of the main character's journal (which is by far the majority of the text) and the observations of the local people and staff on his estate.

It is certainly a fascinating and richly detailed account of what would be considered at any time chronic eccentricity bordering on madness - the endless underground tunnels and odd eating habits alone are enough to convince you of this, but what I feel is a small weakness of the novel is that there is simply not enough external observations of the Duke. Those observations by the house-keeper and the footman etc are little gems of insight, but they are too few.

The prose itself is beautiful, and once again invokes the feeling of the time wonderfully. It is a fine novel, well worth a read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly impressive debut by Jackson, September 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Underground Man (Mass Market Paperback)

Mick Jackson's debut, a part fictional novel based on the life of the Duke of Portland, is one of the best novels I have read this year. It's written in the style of a mystery - the secret is unveiled only in its final pages - and told through the eyes of the protagonist via his journal entries and those around him. Jackson is a brilliant writer - his prose is sharp, witty and even poetic in places and he has that rare ability to hold you spellbound and on knife's edge as you partake in the unraveling of the mystery. There are hints along the way but the secret is preserved right till the very end. A small criticism - I found the middle section dealing with the Duke's hypochondria a little long and slow. This trips up the natural velocity of the plot which otherwise moves briskly along. As if to compensate for this minor hiccup, Jackson's prose tightens up again as he gives a truly unnerving account of the final stages of the Duke's physical breakdown. The sharpness and pinpoint accuracy of this descriptive passage makes your stomach queasy and your knees want to buckle. Jackson's writing is deceptively simple but it hits you right between the eyes. Beautiful. Stay tuned. You will hear and read alot more of him. In the meantime, enjoy this wonderfully sad and terrific novel.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dear Diary... I'm Insane., May 27, 2002

By 

Akethan (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Underground Man (Mass Market Paperback)

Just finished reading Mick Jackman's THE UNDERGROUND MAN. He creates a tremendous and quick story to describe the life of the quirky, eccentric Duke of Portland in England in the mid-1800's. It's great language, and many interesting ideas explored - eccentricities, anatomy, trepanning, phrenology, bits of everything seem to work their way into the Duke's journal.

Nicely done with some WAITING FOR GUFFMAN-like asides delivered by his staff, neighbors, etc. on how they perceive the Duke as he slowly drifts away from their reality.

Good read.