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Old Filth
by
Jane Gardam
FILTH is a lawyer with a practice in the Far East. A few remember that his nickname stands for Failed In London Try Hong Kong. But Old Filth is not as pompous as people imagine, and his past contains many secrets and dark hiding places.
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
December 28th 2004
by Chatto and Windus
(first published 2004)
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Julia
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone (especially Katy Lain & Amy White)
Recommended to Julia by:
I read it for book club
I really enjoyed this book - it is a British book, so there is quite a bit of uncommon (to Americans) vocabulary, but don't let it put you off, it is a bit like seeing a British film, once you just sit back and relax about it and don't worry about what each word means, you will thoroughly enjoy it. The story is wonderful and the manner in which it is written, between the past and the present, is well done. Don't let the title put you off, either. You will quickly learn that Filth stands for ...more
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Great novel, read it on the way back from Czech Republic. Children's experiences informing later life, individuals and cultural change, history, family...
As Eddie Feathers enters his last days he, like the narrator of Julian Barnes's SENSE OF AN ENDING, feels compelled to revisit the places and people that formed him and locked him tight within himself. His deeply hurtful fictional biography mirrors the final period of the British Empire. Eddie's "club" is not dissimilar from Dickens's clusters of odd and grotesque characters who keep finding each other as if they came from a small village. And as disparate as Eddie's experiences are...more
I'm reading it through a second time! It's incredible how many little secrets are hidden that I did NOT notice the first time. Well, of course, the first time I did not know to what those little nuggets were referring and now I do. It is almost better the second time around - or at least I'm appreciating the depth of it more.
This is one of those books that I didn't enjoy reading that much, BUT I did and do really appreciate it in the overall and in retrospect. I think the author wa...more
This is one of those books that I didn't enjoy reading that much, BUT I did and do really appreciate it in the overall and in retrospect. I think the author wa...more
I resisted reading this book because of the title, but when I finally did, I thought it was great. FILTH stands for "Failed in London, try Hong Kong" and the book tells the story of a British man who rose to prominence in Hong Kong then retires to Enlgand. I was fascinated by the whole orphans of the Raj story, which I hadn't known about, and how Gardam shows that those experiences in cildhood can change a character for life, affect a marriage--this was one of the most honest parts of ...more
Marvelous. Great read! Why? Well, it is informative - it depicts the life of a Raj orphan, of which there were many. Through books such as this history becomes real, not just a subject of dates and numbers. I like learning as I read. Furthermore FILTH, the main character of the book, does not have an ordinary life, but as the author emphasizes everyone mistakenly thought he did. How often do we think that that person doesn't have our problems? Think if we only knew more about all these ordinary ...more
This witty novel was inspired by Rudyard Kipling's life as a "Raj orphan," that is, a British child born in the Eastern empire and shipped back home to be raised by surrogate parents. Old Filth, Edward Feathers, one such "orphan," is now in his 80s and living in England after a successful career as a barrister in Hong Kong. We first meet Old Filth (filth standing for "failed in London, try Hong Kong") snoozing in a chair at the Inner Temple being observed by some yo...more
I was skeptical at first, but it really is a brilliant book: the plotting, characters, and description all come together just right. I'm not going to re-hash the plot, which can be found elsewhere, except that I'm now quite curious as to whether Gardam always intended the "sequel" to cover the Hong Kong years (barely touched on here), before starting this one, or whether she started this one first, and later decided: "Rather than making this one into an opus, I'll do a separate Ho...more
FILTH is an acronym for Failed in London, Try Hong Kong. Old Filth, Sir Edward Feathers, is a retired, rather famous judge. He and his wife return to England for their retirement.
This book is comic in parts, but also poignant. Edward was what is known as a "Raj orphan." His mother died in childbirth and after several years of living with a native family in Malaysia, Edward is sent to live in Wales with a woman who abuses him. Edward's father never sees him, so Edward grows ...more
This book is comic in parts, but also poignant. Edward was what is known as a "Raj orphan." His mother died in childbirth and after several years of living with a native family in Malaysia, Edward is sent to live in Wales with a woman who abuses him. Edward's father never sees him, so Edward grows ...more
Captivating. One of the most rewarding things about reading is discovering a character, a piece of history, a perhaps arcane bit of information that somehow finds its way into your life, even if it just leads you to another great book. Old Filth was the first time I had ever heard the term "Raj Orphans," referring to the children of British citizens posted in Asia during Britain's rule who were sent back to England (or Wales, or Scotland, etc.) to be raised by distant family members or...more
Old Filth by Jane Gardam is well-written intriguing portrait of the British children of colonialism. Old Filth was born overseas and raised first by a local nanny, then sent back “home” for his education. He worked his entire life in the legal establishment in Hong Kong, maybe not as a stunning legal scholar, but one who earned deep respect. He and his wife return to England in their retirement. The author does an excellent job of portraying Old Filth's proper behavior to the extent that it see...more
A great story that follows the career of a British civil servant that starts his live in Malaya, son of another civil servant, rises to be a judge in Hong Kong, then retires to the English countryside.
Sounds pretty dull from that summary, but it's a neat (and well-written) exploration of what the Raj (colonial expats) expected for itself, what was expected of it, and how that all broke down over time as the Empire slowly dissolved. Lots of interesting meditations from a thoughtful ma...more
Sounds pretty dull from that summary, but it's a neat (and well-written) exploration of what the Raj (colonial expats) expected for itself, what was expected of it, and how that all broke down over time as the Empire slowly dissolved. Lots of interesting meditations from a thoughtful ma...more
Read this for a book group (part of my synagogue shopping here in IL) -- really liked it, and given the first aborted attempts at starting, that was surprising. Also, I generally don't like the "let's reveal surprising things little by little" type books, but this was done so perfectly, that even when I suspected something or wasn't all that surprised, it was fun to uncover. An expat book that takes place mostly in the UK, although the characters spend most of their lives abroad -- ver...more
Dee
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Raj Quartet lovers; end of Empire; Evelyn Waugh-esques
Old Filth is a judge in the last days of colonial England--his name is an acronym for Failed in London, Try Hongkong. This is a literate and wonderful elegy of his last days, looping around to his earliest experiences as a Raj orphan, a child sent home from India by himself to be educated. It's got all the signifiers you would expect in upper middle class books about English boys, including louche barding school experiences, a certain kind of obtuseness of character, irony, and beautiful writi...more
Eddie Feathers was an accomplished and admired judge and, before that, solicitor, working in Hong Kong before retiring to Dorset. The engaging title of the novel was his nickname within the legal world. In his private life, however, he was a monumental underachiever, living within a shell of icy dignity, married to a decent but (towards him) passionless wife. They have no children.
The Justice had been dealt a colossal injustice in his developmental days. The old filth of his past em...more
The Justice had been dealt a colossal injustice in his developmental days. The old filth of his past em...more
What a surprise! When I first looked at the cover, I wasn't immediately drawn. I guess it is hard to get excited by a book with the word "Filth" in the title. But now, I am a big Filth fan.
But within the first few pages, I was completely in love with this book. It has that British charm (think Muriel Spark) but shows the underbelly of a colonial society. It is about a group of Raj orphans in England. Never heard of the term "Raj orphans"? Neither had I. Raj...more
But within the first few pages, I was completely in love with this book. It has that British charm (think Muriel Spark) but shows the underbelly of a colonial society. It is about a group of Raj orphans in England. Never heard of the term "Raj orphans"? Neither had I. Raj...more
Can the tale of a decaying lawyer whose specialty amounted to waste disposal be the stuff of a literary novel? Off the top of one's head, one would doubt it. Does it make any difference to the story that he was raised in Asia? That he was a personal attendant to the Queen Mother during World War II but never saw a bit of action? That he had a dull, boring conventional marriage to a woman who, we may learn, was far more interesting than he? That he hardly suffered a moment without a roof over his...more
I really enjoyed this book once I got into it. "Old Filth" is the nickname of a retired British barrister and judge. The name "Filth" comes from the phrase, "Failed in London, Try Hong Kong." Old Filth left London early in his career and found great success in Hong Kong. He becomes an icon in the British legal community. This book gives us Filth's reminiscences of his long life. He started life in Malaya, now Malaysia, but then part of the British Empire. His...more
If I am limited to recommend only one book, I urge you to read these two books. Jane Gardem writes prose that begins gently, invitingly, leading you to the next page and the next, never permitting you to notice that you have been drawn in to her story because all the while you read a part of your mind is asking whether ‘that could have been me….’
Old Filth has almost nothing to do with filth but, rather, is the life revisited of a British attorney who Failed in London, Tried Hong Kong. Sir...more
Old Filth has almost nothing to do with filth but, rather, is the life revisited of a British attorney who Failed in London, Tried Hong Kong. Sir...more
I have a confession: I collect books by publishers. It’s something I thought I stopped doing when my bookshelves filled up and I stopped buying books as frequently, but it turns out I was lying to myself. Now I collect books on my library account by searching the stacks for copies of Europa Editions books, which are mostly translations of modern European novels. The books are soft paperbacks with astoundingly boring and matching spines, and I am fascinated. Any book that has been translated has ...more
Jane Gardam is not only one of England’s best writers, she one of literature’s best writers. It’s a mystery to me why her books, which are so popular in Britain, are, for the most part, ignored in the US. She’s won scores of literary awards, including the Whitbread for The Hollow Land and Queen of the Tambourine, and her novel, God on the Rocks was shortlisted for the Booker. True, she draws her material from the manners and one-time class system of Britain, and a way of life that’s foreign to m...more
Despite being very funny in parts, Old Filth overall is quite a sad book. But a great and memorable read.
The protagonist, Sir Edward Feathers ,or Old Filth, is a famous and successful lawyer and later judge; we are given barely a glimpse however of his active professional life, the narrative constantly swinging from his early childhood years, and gauche youth, to his lonely old age.
Filth is clever, witty and good-looking, with the ability to charm and mesmerise people ...more
The protagonist, Sir Edward Feathers ,or Old Filth, is a famous and successful lawyer and later judge; we are given barely a glimpse however of his active professional life, the narrative constantly swinging from his early childhood years, and gauche youth, to his lonely old age.
Filth is clever, witty and good-looking, with the ability to charm and mesmerise people ...more
Another great recommendation from my book club member, Ruth. A story about the life — known and not known — of London barrister Edward Feathers known as "Old Filth". Stands for "Failed in London Try Hong Kong.
We discover that Feathers was a "Raj orphan," a term I had never heard before. Appaarently, there was a widespread phenomena of British colonial administrators and their wives sending their young children home to be raised in Britain by other families...more
We discover that Feathers was a "Raj orphan," a term I had never heard before. Appaarently, there was a widespread phenomena of British colonial administrators and their wives sending their young children home to be raised in Britain by other families...more
"Old Filth" is a novel about the lives of Raj orphans, the children of parents who lived in the Far East and sent their children "home" at age 4 or 5 to Britain to be educated. Eddie was one of these "orphans" who was born in Malaya, ignored by his father, and cared for by a local woman, because his mother had died at birth. Eddie is know by various names throughout the book: Fevvers, Teddy, The Judge, Master of the Inner Temple, Sir Edward Feathers and Filth whic...more
This is one of a pair, the other one being The Man in the Wooden Hat. More remains of the Raj. Both books describe the life, marriage and death of an old couple who spent most of their life in the Far East and retired Home at the end. The husband was a very queer fish, if I may use the term in its old-fashioned meaning. The wife was a jollier sort. The marriage seems to have been rather peculiar but is not described very well; the author focuses on the beginning and the end, leaving out th...more
What fun this book. I dated (heck loved) a brit, and while I'm nowhere near an anglophile, I did come to love some of the brit idiosyncrasies. And I like old people's stories. They lived enough to have something to tell, and this is that kind of book. Crazy stories that only someone who lived many a day can tell.
I remember telling my book club, "If I could write a book, this would be the book I would write." So what do I mean by that? I mean, if I could write *any book* I ...more
I remember telling my book club, "If I could write a book, this would be the book I would write." So what do I mean by that? I mean, if I could write *any book* I ...more
Mostly I enjoyed this book. The writing was good, although I felt the structure was too obvious. A London attorney whom everyone thinks had a perfect life reflects on his life, which was far from uneventful. Born in Morocco, raised in Africa, sent to London as a child "for health reasons." The English apparently thought the African climate and environment was too harsh for their children, so they all sent the kids away which they were six. None of the children grew up knowing thei...more
Angela
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who actually buy that bit about "Lawyers, I suppose, were children once"
Old Filth is a brilliant characterization of retired barrister Edward Feathers, who has spent his life being abandoned or predeceased by those he cares about; late in the novel, he asks a priest why this has happened to him. Is it, Filth asks, because of something he did as a child?
Dismissed by those who know only his professional reputation as having lived a staid, lucky life, Feathers retreats into his early memories to show us otherwise. Raised by a Malay village until he was pres...more
Dismissed by those who know only his professional reputation as having lived a staid, lucky life, Feathers retreats into his early memories to show us otherwise. Raised by a Malay village until he was pres...more
My Library Journal review:
Gardam's impressive oeuvre runs to over 25 books for adults and children, including Whitbread Prize winners The Queen of the Tambourine and The Hollow Land, but her latest has the freshness and energy of a particularly brilliant first novel. Filth (short for "Failed in London, Try Hong Kong") is a retired international lawyer who has recently been widowed. Left to contemplate his long marriage, the moral contradictions of his career, and the passiona...more
Gardam's impressive oeuvre runs to over 25 books for adults and children, including Whitbread Prize winners The Queen of the Tambourine and The Hollow Land, but her latest has the freshness and energy of a particularly brilliant first novel. Filth (short for "Failed in London, Try Hong Kong") is a retired international lawyer who has recently been widowed. Left to contemplate his long marriage, the moral contradictions of his career, and the passiona...more
This is a very British book--and it is one of the best novels I have read in the past 10 years. I will put it up there with Atonement--but can't really compare the two as Old Filth has much more wit and humor along with the pathos. In other words, it made me laugh and cry. It's is such a celebration of good writing--and the story is compelling enough that after a very brief slow start, I was carried along with the story and found it hard to put down for two days.
Old Filth is an acronym for...more
Old Filth is an acronym for...more
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Jane Mary Gardam OBE is a British author of children's and adult fiction. She also reviews for the Spectator and the Telegraph, and writes for BBC radio. She lives in Kent, Wimbledon and Yorkshire. She has won numerous literary awards including the Whitbread Award, twice. She is mother of Tim Gardam, Principal of St Anne's College, Oxford. Jane has been awarded the Heywood Hill Literary Prize for ...more
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