The Long Firm [Paperback]

The book consists of five stand alone novelettes, each told in the first person by a different narrator. Each sees a different side of Harry Starks. Terry the rent boy screws him (in every sense of the word) and pays for it. Lord Thursby helps legitimise his rackets, in return for money and sex with young boys. But Starks himself is ripped off by his commercial African connections. He gets his revenge.

Jack the Hat (a small time Soho creep, somewhat sensitive about his bald spot) moves in with Harry for a rip-off at Heathrow airport. Eventually it blows up on them, but the short term profits are good. Ruby Ryder is a down at heel ex-prostitute turned actress who aids Harry in his dealings with the "dirty squad" as he starts to turn a profit from pornography.

And then there is Lenny, the sociology lecturer who sees a thesis in Harry Starks, and whose involvement becomes far deeper, darker and more dangerous than he ever thought it would be. (The 1960s were the golden age of university Sociology departments and right idiots they made of themselves too, in retrospect. The satire in this section of the book is utterly delicious. Even Malcolm Bradbury in his heyday wasn't quite this viciously cynical about the sociologists).

The portrait of Harry Starks that is built up from the different facets seen by the five viewpoint characters is a contradictory one. On the one hand he is a dangerous and vicious psychopath (the book has more than its fair share of grue and gore). But on the other he exhibits a high degree of compassion and puts himself in danger to help those he regards as his friends. Despite his way of life, his amorality, his violence and his selfishness, by the end of the book I had a grudging respect and regard for him. No mean feat, that.

I grew up in the England depicted in this book, and for me one of the delights was to recognise the contemporary concerns and the minor characters from 'real life' who flit through its pages. Many, now safely dead, are pilloried unmercifully. I particularly enjoyed the grotesque descriptions of Tom Driberg MP going down on his latest rent boy. The Krays are there, of course, but what can you say about them? They were larger than life and quite unbelievable anyway. Barbara Windsor has a cameo appearance, so does Kenneth Williams (though for no reason that I can see, he is not called by his real name). Johnny Ray and Judy Garland try to sing.

As a portrait of an era, it seems accurate enough. As a thrilling story of crime and criminals, it works beautifully. As a commentary on the society that lets these things happen, it cannot be faulted. As a character study it is superb. On every level, this is a wonderful book.

A previous reviewer took delight in the way historical figures were used by Arnott - I can see why. They both provide an air of authenticity and an opportunity for satire. Poor Judy Garland doesn't emerge at all well from it!

The style in which the novel is written is also a joy, rising above the usual thriller-by-numbers hackery. Jack the Hat's narrative is particularly good - the tempo and punctuation of the writing affected by his use of speed, acid and booze.

Of course, it's also interesting that Harry Starks is a gay gangster - leading to portrayals of 60s underground gay subculture. Is Stark's brutality and complexicity an attempt to portray an alternative to the effeminate gay cliches in mainstream literature?

Its a great book well worth the time!