"This Boy - a Memoir of a Childhood"
by Alan Johnson M.P.
A lovely evening, hosted by Chris and Pete and with the welcome presence of founders of the book club and friends Chris and Nige.
The poverty described was relentless.
It depicted a time of change, starting with the austerity following the war and the desperate plights of those living in poverty in the slums of London and the book ended as council housing, offering homes with modern facilities, took hold.
There was some discussion as to whether things had improved, given the existence of Food Banks.
The general consensus was that while poverty and inequality still existed, incidences of extreme poverty, where children had no shoes and days with no proper food, were rarer.
There was sadness that racial prejudice and tensions still existed.
This is far from being a “Misery Memoir” however. Alan Johnson clearly enjoyed himself at times and there is no sign of anger or self-pity.
It is a book written with warmth and humour.
This story is also the story of Lily and Linda and Alan acknowledges his debt to them throughout.
All expressed great admiration for Linda and we were pleased to hear that she is alive and living in Australia.
Most people there identified in some way with the period described; the fifties and early sixties, although our reactions to this varied depending on our personal experiences.
Some remember feeling alienated at Grammar School, for others it was a very positive experience.
For some, there was too much repetitive detail concerning family and friends. For others, this was entirely natural.
There was universal acceptance that this was an easy read, depicting an honourable, approachable and generous man.
An opinion endorsed by those who had met him in some capacity.
It was particularly poignant that the review of this book followed so soon after the election.
At least Alan Johnson retained his seat.
Our final judgement of 3.5 is more a reflexion of the acknowledgement that the book is not a classic or a work of great literature.
It does not reflect our pleasure at having read the work and our admiration for the protagonists Lily, Linda and Alan Johnson.
JC
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