It's a carefully planned affair, crammed, as one would expect, with local knowledge, but it differs from its predecessors in being a bit of a blockbuster, spanning three generations and including not only the Japanese invasion but much apparently expert information on corrupt local politics, on how to make your first million, on that sort of thing. The title is a translation of 'Hong Kong', and most of the story takes place in that territory, while it was still a colony. Mr Phillips established Lanchester as among the best youngish novelists around, so it seems likely that anybody who has read it will open Fragrant Harbour with high expectations. The voice that tells the story is sympathetic, ironic and funny. He passes the day wandering about London from one scrape or surprise to the next, at one moment a sucker in a porn show, at another a credible hero in a bank during a robbery. Since he has not yet informed his wife of his redundancy, Mr Phillips sets out from home as usual, as if he was on his way to the City. The detail of the day we spend with him is accurate and sometimes painful. It seems Lanchester understands just as much about his middle-aged hero's failed pursuit of pleasure, sexual for the most part but mingled with statistical daydreams (how often do he and his wife do it, compared with the rest of humanity? At what speed would you hit the water if you jumped off the Chelsea bridge, or off the Clifton suspension bridge?) as he does about cheese and wine.Īn accountant all his working life, Mr Phillips has lost his job and says he is 'not anything now', but he is in fact really something. OL20307587W Page_number_confidence 46.75 Pages 262 Partner Innodata Pdf_module_version 0.0.18 Ppi 360 Rcs_key 24143 Republisher_date 20220330155751 Republisher_operator Republisher_time 351 Scandate 20220329131651 Scanner Scanningcenter cebu Scribe3_search_catalog isbn Scribe3_search_id 9781447275381 Tts_version 4.It is a charming book, but its successor, the less challengingly entitled Mr Phillips, is more than that - equally original, yet in its quieter way more adventurous, gentler but more shocking. Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 22:34:08 Bookplateleaf 0004 Boxid IA40416322 Camera USB PTP Class Camera Collection_set printdisabled External-identifier

John lanchester the debt to pleasure