Mr. Light Book

This contemporary fable follows a man who lives part of his family tree. Slipping between a London suburb, 2005 and the fields and skies France 1917, the story charts the journey of a man who, for lack of his own identity, tries on his hero R.F.C. grandfather's for size. Despite the fairly buoyant and fast moving beginning, the story moves on to explore deeper issues, and develops from a safe Surbiton 2005 into a dog fight over enemy lines, France, 1917. The central character and narrator, Brach Jameson has a history of epileptic episodes and is viewing his world as it crumbles about him - wife gone and career in tatters, hope eludes him. Even Calum, his old school friend, now a less than scrupulous estate agent, seems to be conniving to fleece him out of house and home. Feeling an acute sense of failure in his own time, Brach decides to investigate something positive. The past, for instance, may offer solace and is far more intriguing than the present. A chance encounter with the eponymous Mr Light revives his flagging interest in life. At first, reluctant to strike up conversation, he finds the ubiquitous old man to be the only reliable and trustworthy person around. Furthermore, his bloated briefcase contains all the papers that anybody will ever need when tracing their ancestors. Following his introduction to the strange and burdened gentleman, Brach meets more characters: a ravishing young girl called Beth, and a soldier who cannot bear the sun. But most curious of all is Mr Light's knowledge of these new people, his apparent understanding of the self-effacing man's own circumstances, and the desperate search to find a mote of worth in his life. But Mr Light cautions the hapless researcher to be his guard; he may not like what he finds. It's not just a matter of looking for names in a book and inventing a trifle around them. And once you have started, you must finish. There is only one sure way to know our ancestors, heroes or not, and that is to become who they were. Wandering along the tame suburban riverside, Brach drifts in and out of time and place, relating his often humourous, always droll mental travelogue. The trouble is, only Mr Light understands him. And when you've come back from a war that happened ninety years ago, things will have changed. Well, you'd certainly think so.Read More