The Rotters Club (Jonathan Coe)

The first part of this book read like the Golden Years, a description of childhood through rose-tinted spectacles that all of us could wear about growing up decades ago. But this part is brought to a close with cataclysmic events that bring to the story closer to current life. The book then develops depths that I hadn't expected initially, combining a dark humour with the tragedy that made this a more stimulating read. Some of the deep divisions in 1970's society and the collapsing hierarchy are seen through an adolescent's eyes, that tarnish the initial golden years.

This is a mixture of observation of family life combined with commentary on a particular period of British history. The book builds some surprises and tells the story well. The only serious flaw is the third part of the book, which is a stream-of-consciousness download of thoughts around the plot. This fails to add any relevant detail, and merely reflects on events form the fictional main character. This creates a painfully slow means to finish the book.