Book of the week: The Young H.G. Wells by Claire Tomalin
Tomalin’s ‘compulsively readable’ book shows how Wells became the ‘great prophet of the modern age’
In 2017, Dan Rhodes “severed all ties” with his long-standing publisher, Canongate, following a row over missing royalties, said David Sexton in The Sunday Times. His new novel is an act of revenge, targeting the “whole books business”.
In the village of Big Bottom, a “preposterous literary festival” is being held – at which arrives Wilberforce Selfram, a “tall, cadaverous writer” known for using absurdly long words and for pronouncing everything as “symptomatic of a broad cultural malaise”. Fun is poked at various other literary eminences: J.K. Rowling, Salman Rushdie, the festival director Peter Florence. “The effect is just hilarious”: I read this novel in one sitting, “laughing like a banshee”.
It didn’t have that effect on me, said Adam Roberts in The Guardian. The satire feels very outdated, and the overwhelming focus on the Will Self character “unbalances the whole”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Yes, it’s cartoonish and rather uneven, said Rosemary Goring in the Scottish Herald. But it’s an “enjoyable romp” – one that “nails many pretensions, not least the literati’s overblown sense of self-importance”.
Lightning 384pp £14.99; The Week Bookshop £11.99
The Week Bookshop
To order this title or any other book in print, visit theweekbookshop.co.uk, or speak to a bookseller on 020-3176 3835. Opening times: Monday to Saturday 9am-5.30pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Horror stories of women having to carry nonviable fetuses'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Haiti interim council, prime minister sworn in
Speed Read Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns amid surging gang violence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 26, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - teleprompter troubles, presidential immunity, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Sarah Langan recommends 6 women-centric horror books
Feature The horror novelist recommends works by Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 spacious homes for car lovers
Feature Featuring a 14-car showroom in Oregon and a Bentley-style apartment in Florida
By The Week Staff Published
-
6 serene homes in Vermont
Features Featuring a four-level Shaker barn in Hartland and a Scandinavian-inspired home in Stowe
By The Week US Published
-
Amanda Montell's 6 favorite books that will expand your knowledge
Feature The linguist recommends works by Mary Roach, Alice Carrière, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Rowan Beaird recommends 6 compelling books from the 1950s
Feature The author recommends works by Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 spacious homes with great rec rooms
Feature Featuring a suspended fireplace in Arizona and a marine-themed home in Maine
By The Week Published
-
Recipe: gnocchi di spinaci (spinach gnocchi)
The Week Recommends Forget the potatoes for this gnocchi made of the 'classic combination' of spinach and ricotta
By The Week UK Published
-
Stephen Graham Jones' 6 scary books with deeper meanings
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Stephen King, Sara Gran, and more
By The Week US Published