Book Review: The Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman - Bruce Robinson

This book is set in post-war Kent in the 1950s, and is written by the author of Withnail and I. To that end all the characters have a quirky eccentricity about them, but all have a detail and depth too that brings them alive. The great thing about the way the book is structured is that although things do happen, the plot is really about Thomas leaving the misery and misundertandings of his childhood, and entering adolescence.

This is punctuated with several events. His grandad is ill, and appears to have gradually worsening odoema. The old man is presented as an interesting off-the-wall character, and represents the one person that Thomas loves dearly. In addition, his grandfather fuels Thomas' natural inquisitiveness by hinting there are secrets out there that he may never know. The more Thomas pries to discover information, the more devious he becomes, and the more snippets of information that come out. These are accompanied by his increasing awareness of sex, and his decreasing interest in the classic rebellion behaviours that dominated his childhood (he poos himself, smokes with his friend, and blows up beach life with home-made bombs).

Although there seems to be a lot going on, the story is a lovely funny account of the things that go on in most families (secrets and lies), and the inevitable disclosure and problems that comes with them. It's one of those books that you don't want to end, the whole reading experience is so whimsical that you really enjoy the journey with Thomas. That's not to say that there isn't some serious matter dealt with here, but his rites of passage is handled so delicately, that you feel for Thomas with warm affection, and a few tears too.

Nothing really happens throughout, yet for Thomas, it all happens; he comes of age, and is thus saddled with the burdens of enlightenment and responsibility; his life will never be the same again. 8/10

Buy the book here.