aixcentric

‘Middle England’ by Jonathan Coe – just published to positive reviews – features an unusual location in its pages:  Book-in-Bar.

One of the protagonists, art lecturer Sophie, finds herself in Aix and sees ‘ a shop selling English-language books: its sign was a teapot painted like a Union Jack’.  She enters with an attractive fellow academic, American musician Adam.  The place has ‘such a special quality in her memory.  Perhaps it was the atmosphere in the bookshop……..perhaps it was the watchful, smiling attention of the woman behind the counter, who greeted them so politely, in such good English……’ leaving the couple with an ‘imperceptible shift in their centre of gravity’.

It came as such a surprise to me to find this familiar scene in a novel, especially as I had just bought the book there….

Sophie and Adam also spend time in Marseille, taking a boat to Frioul, visiting the beach, stripping off for a swim, and…………won’t spoil the story.

It’s a very enjoyable read, covering the social and political history of the UK from the coalition to the Brexit vote. Lots of different characters from various walks of life enable the author to illustrate different experiences, arguments and opinions and the action between them makes for a page-turner.  Review here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/25/middle-england-jonathan-coe-review