Penelope Lively

I'm afraid I had never read this author before, despite her having a prolific output of books for children and adults. Judgement Day is erudite and detailed in its observations of people and places and well worth reading, although ultimately rather sad. I'm going to try her other books.

I also read the play version of Robert Tressell's Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, by Stephen Lowe. This is a classic of socialist literature which, however, I don't think I would ever have got round to reading without this blog. The best scene comes when the character Owen demonstrates capitalist economics to his fellow workers, using the cutlery and food on the table as props. The bosses may strike us today as too reminiscent of moustache-twirling villains, but that doesn't take away from the significance of this work and the radical thinking it represented at the time.

Day 153; Book 153