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About the Author
Patrick Hamilton was one of the most gifted and admired writers of his generation. Born in Hassocks, Sussex, in 1904, he and his parents moved a short while later to Hove, where he spent his early years. He published his first novel, Craven House, in 1926 and within a few years had established a wide readership for himself. Despite personal setbacks and an increasing problem with drink, he was able to write some of his best work. His plays include the thrillers Rope (1929), on which Alfred Hitchcock's film of the same name was based, and Gas Light (1939), also successfully adapted for the screen (1939), and a historical drama, The Duke in Darkness (1943). Among his novels are The Midnight Bell (1929); The Siege of Pleasure (1932); The Plains of Cement (1934); a trilogy entitled Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky (1935); Hangover Square (1941); The Slaves of Solitude (1947); and The West Pier (1951), Mr Stimpson and Mr Gorse (1953) and Unknown Assailant (1955), which together comprise The Gorse Trilogy.
J. B. Priestley described Patrick Hamilton as uniquely individual ... He is the novelist of innocence, appallingly vulnerable, and of malevolence, coming out of some mysterious darkness of evil.' Patrick Hamilton died in 1962.
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The book deals with the universal themes of unrequited love, unrealised potential, the casual cruelty of which some people are capable, and mental illness. In the book, the slightly pathetic George Harvey Bone innocently longs for a beautiful but cruel woman called Netta in the dark, smoky pubs of London, all the while drowning himself in beer, whisky and gin.
All through the novel, George suffers attacks of 'dead moods', during which his personality totally changes and he wanders around as if in a daze, and after which he can never remember anything. It is during one of these moods that he decides that he must kill Netta so that he can be happy again. When he is back to normal, he completely forgets this plan - that is, until he snaps back into the next 'dead mood'. This simple narrative device adds dramatic tension and suspense to the novel's strongest points, which are Hamilton's haunting sense of place and his insight into the tragic aspects of human nature.
This novel is not for everyone, but I would suggest that fans of modern "lad-lit" should check this out and see how it is really done. Some may be alienated by the dark tone of this book, and the lack of sympathetic characters. Other readers may find Hamilton's habit of repeating himself over and over again slightly infuriating, but if you stick with it this is a very rewarding read.
The tormented George pursues his "ideal", the cruel, amoral Netta, to the point where his obsession with her becomes sick and destructive. Behind this agonising tale looms the shadow of the imminent world war. A brilliant, dark, gripping story.
I was born several decades after the time period that Hamilton describes in... Read more
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