Francis Spufford

[wavingfuriously]

Tell me about his books please?!

I am 80 pages into Cahokia Jazz. So far so very good.
It's a very interesting premise whereby the native American history developed quite differently. Set against that is a crime scene in a 1920s jazz era.
I've read Golden Hill. A more straightforward historical tale but a pretty good yarn.

I have enjoyed all his books. My favourite is Light Perpetual . His nonfiction is good too, particularly The Child that Books Built, a memoir of childhood reading.

I read Cahokia Jazz and really liked it until the end. It's a good take on an alternate NA history and I went there when I was a kid.

I actually know Francis a little bit (clang, name drop) and he’s a lovely man as well as a great writer. The Child That Books Built and Unapologetic are my favourites.

Wow! He does a creative writing at Goldsmiths uni in London, bet its way over - subscribed though.. 😀

I really like his non-fiction too - yes to The Child that Books Built, and I also enjoyed Backroom Boys very much - a study of the British boffin and some notable British inventions of the post-WW2 period, not all of which stood the test of time. The only fiction of his I’ve read is Golden Hill and I was blown away by it. A fantastic novel.

Yes, Golden Hill was brilliant.

I like him, but find him variable.
I love On Golden Hill and Unapologetic (i would really like another theology book from him, as he writes so well on the subject).
The Child that Books Built is also excellent.
The rest are good.
He's very varied in what he covers and i'm looking forward to his next book.

I May Be Some Time is excellent; I read it when I was working on a piece about the earlier lost Franklin expedition and became absolutely fascinated by Arctic/Antarctic exploration. Well researched, beautifully written, and definitely contributed to an enduring interest!