"When Henry Freedman met Miriam Claret in February 1929, he was a barrow boy, she a milliner's apprentice. In 1953, they were presented to the Queen..."
That sounds exciting, I thought, after reading both the the blurb on the back of The Earl of Petticoat Lane and a gushing review in Time Out.
What's more, author Andrew Miller was in the year above me at school. My own father's family had began its rise up the British social scale in the same East End depicted so vividly in this book. And I'd lapped up the author's dispatches from Russia in The Economist, which he still writes for. But when when finishing the book, it was more relief at having come through some gruelling challenge, rather than delight at having read a literary masterpiece.
That's not to say that it doesn't mesmerise in parts. Miller's investigative verve has pieced together his grandparents' life history. He brings to life - and brings together - the Jewish, the historical and the geographical elements of his family's past. His late grandmother's journey back to Eastern Europe to prove her Jewishness ranks as a highlight.
But the central thrust of the book is that his grandparents not only started off poor (like most Jewish immigrants of the time), but that they ascended the heights of the British aristocracy. Sadly, Miller has been unable to unearth how Henry earned his money, at one point owning one of the multi-million pound Nash flats that lines London's Regents Park.
In fairness, Miller admits as much. But this book could have done with harsher editing because at times, it's just too indulgent, particularly when it comes to the page-numbing missives his grandparents sent to each other and their friends. "I know this is his personal history," I told my girlfriend, "but why do I have to read about it?"
No doubt Miller will learn from this first novel and go on to bigger and better things. He can certainly write - school friends tell me even as a teenager he was heralded as a genius-in-the-making. I'm sure he one day will be.
I updated this post after the author pointed out a couple of errors - please see comments for more details.
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Hi David
ReplyDeleteI was google-alerted to yr post. You're entitled to your view, of course (though I think it's a bit unfair not to mention the underwear industry stuff in the book); but I did just want to point out that The Earl didnt get a gushing review or any other kind in The Economist, cos we have a policy of not reviewing our own books. It might have been the New Statesman, Sun Times, Time Out, Indie or Mail, which were all pretty positive. Oh and it was a flat on the park not a house.
Best wishes
Andrew
My apologies, Andrew. I think you're right - it was Time Out (though I thought The Economist policy was to name the reporter that reviews a colleague's work). I shall amend the blog accordingly. Many thanks for taking the time to comment.
ReplyDeleteRegards
DC