Sebastian Faulks - Engleby

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. British bestseller Faulks's latest (after Human Traces ) comprises the dark confessional of Mike Engleby, an intelligent but strange university student suspected in a woman's disappearance. His journal-like account of his life, which begins in the turbulent 1970s and extends to 2006, includes day-to-day accounts of college life, pontifications on time, politics and the nature of thought, and flashbacks to his childhoodparticularly the years he spent as a scholarship student at the exclusive Chatfield, where he was taunted and abused by his classmates (they, among other things, called him Toilet). As the journal progresses, his obsession with university student Jennifer Arkland deepens: he reads her mail, sits in on her classes, joins her political society and becomes involved in her student film. When Jennifer disappears after a party and is presumed dead, Mike finds himself under police investigation. The case remains open for over a decade, and Mike continues on with his life, but Jen is never far from his thoughts, and as he continues to return in his mind to Jen's disappearance, he reveals more about that night and about himself. Though sometimes heavy with the tropes of self-deception and misdirection, this is a compelling psychological portrait of a man who is at once profoundly disturbed and wryly funny. (Sept.)
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From Booklist

"I don't find life unbearably grave. I find it almost intolerably frivolous," says Brit Mike Engleby, the smart social misfit who narrates Faulks' new novel. The story follows Engleby through adolescence in the 1970s, when he's frequent fodder for bullies (the kind that put their victim's head in the toilet, then repeatedly flush). He fares a bit better at university, particularly after he makes the acquaintance of a lovely coed named Jennifer. Alas, romantic interest soon turns to obsession, and when Jennifer goes missing, Engleby becomes a suspect. The case remains unsolved for more than a dozen years, during which time Engleby finds a girlfriend and establishes himself as a journalist. When Jennifer's remains are finally discovered, memories begin to surface that make Engleby question whether he might have been responsible for the poor girl's demise. Faulks, the author of numerous well-received literary novels (including On Green Dolphin Street, 2002), renders luminous prose, but this time it gets lost amid a rambling tale told by a narcissist with little of consequence to say. A disappointment from a talented writer, but still of interest to Faulks' followers. Block, Allison

Table of Contents

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Epub ISBN: 9781409067702

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Copyright Sebastian Faulks 2007

Sebastian Faulks has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental

The author and publisher wish to thank the following for permission to use copyright material:

Brooklyn written by Walter Becker & Donald Fagen, published by Universal/MCA Music Ltd

Dont Think Twice, Its Alright & Girl From The North Country Lyrics by Bob Dylan 1963 Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991 SPECIAL RIDER MUSIC. Administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved

Dont You Want Me Words and Music by Philip Oakey, Philip Adrian Wright and Jo Callis 1981. Reproduced by permission of EMI Virgin Music Ltd, London WC2H 0QY & Callis/Oakey/Wright courtesy of V2 Music Publishing/Virgin Music Publishing Ltd/EMI Virgin Ltd

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin, published Universal/Dick James Music Ltd

Toujour LAmour Written by G. Brooker and K. Reid. Bluebeard Music Ltd, administered by Bucks Music Group Limited

Hold Back The Night Words and Music by Ronald Baker, Norman Harris, Allan Felder and Earl Young 1976 Golden Fleece Music and Mured Music. Lyric reproduced by kind permission of Carlin Music Corp., London NW1 8BD

Hot Love by Marc Bolan Onward Music Ltd

Metal Guru by Marc Bolan Wizard [Bahamas] Limited. By kind permission of Wizard [Bahamas] Limited

First published in Great Britain in 2007 by Hutchinson

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About the Author

Sebastian Faulks was born and brought up in Newbury, Berkshire. He worked in journalism before starting to write books. He is best known for the French trilogy, The Girl at the Lion dOr Birdsong and Charlotte Gray (19891997) and is also the author of a triple biography, The Fatal Englishman (1996); a small book of literary parodies, Pistache (2006); and the novel Human Traces (2005).

He lives in London with his wife and their three children.

ALSO BY SEBASTIAN FAULKS

A Trick of the Light

The Girl at the Lion dOr

A Fools Alphabet

Birdsong

The Fatal Englishman

Charlotte Gray

On Green Dolphin Street

Human Traces

Pistache

For Gillon Aitken

It is a small part of life we really live. Indeed, all the rest is not life but merely time.

From On the Shortness of Life by Seneca, AD49

One

My name is Mike Engleby, and Im in my second year at an ancient university. My college was founded in 1662, which means its viewed here as modern. Its chapel was designed by Hawksmoor, or possibly Wren; its gardens were laid out by someone else whose name is familiar. The choir stalls were carved by the only woodcarver youve ever heard of. The captain of the Boat Club won a gold medal at an international games last year. (I think hes studying physical education.) The captain of cricket has played for Pakistan, though he talks like the Prince of Wales. The teachers, or dons, include three university professors, one of whom was on the radio recently talking about lizards. Hes known as the Iguanodon.