FILTH, in his heyday, was an international lawyer with a practice in the Far East. Now, only the oldest QCs and Silks can remember that his nickname stood for Failed In London Try Hong Kong.
Long ago, Old Filth was a Raj orphan - one of the many young children sent 'Home' from the East to be fostered and educated in England. Jane Gardam's new novel tells his story, from his birth in what was then Malaya to the extremities of his old age.
Brilliantly constructed - going backwards and forwards in time, yet constantly working towards the secret at its core - OLD FILTH is funny and heart-breaking, witty and peopled with characters who astonish, dismay and delight the reader. Jane Gardam is as sensitive to the 'jungle' within children as she is to the eccentricities of the old.
A touch of magic combines with compassion, humour and delicacy to make OLD FILTH a genuine masterpiece.
- 'A novel of great perception and quietly killing prose.' INDEPENDENT
- 'Gardam pulls off the near-impossible trick of great emotional depth delivered with wingtip lightness. Her characters are drawn with rich humour, and Old Filth himself is a marvellous, moving creation whose company you find yourself sad to leave.' DAILY TELEGRAPH
- 'a beautiful, melancholy novel which captivates, saddens and delights.' OBSERVER
Paperback:
£8.99
Published 27/10/2005