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Finer Things
London: 1963. The lives of a professional shoplifter and a young art student collide. Delia needs to atone for a terrible mistake; Tess is desperate to convince herself she really is an artist. Elsewhere in London, the Krays are on the rise and a gang war is in the offing.
Tess’s relationship with her gay best friend grows unexpectedly complicated, and Delia falls for a man she’s been paid to betray.
Tess’s relationship with her gay best friend grows unexpectedly complicated, and Delia falls for a man she’s been paid to betray.
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 18, 2019
https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2019...
This was such a creative premise for a novel. I always love a good historical fiction but this grabbed me from the moment I glanced at the cover.
Wharton absolutely brings his A game to his debut novel, his writing is completely engaging and when I think of this book the first thing that comes to mind for me is ‘beautiful.’
The characters had so much intrigue to them, and the fact that he kept true to the time period of the 60s without taking away from the integrity of the characters just impressed me.
David Wharton gave a truly brilliant debut novel and I loved it, keep an eye out for this book and his future works. If you like a more ‘modern’ historical fiction or just a good fiction novel in general, I hope you’ll give this book a try.
This was such a creative premise for a novel. I always love a good historical fiction but this grabbed me from the moment I glanced at the cover.
Wharton absolutely brings his A game to his debut novel, his writing is completely engaging and when I think of this book the first thing that comes to mind for me is ‘beautiful.’
The characters had so much intrigue to them, and the fact that he kept true to the time period of the 60s without taking away from the integrity of the characters just impressed me.
David Wharton gave a truly brilliant debut novel and I loved it, keep an eye out for this book and his future works. If you like a more ‘modern’ historical fiction or just a good fiction novel in general, I hope you’ll give this book a try.
December 12, 2018
This was a brilliant read - I loved spending time with Delia, Tess and Jimmy (particularly Delia). Wharton brought sixties London to life vividly, and his characters were all wonderfully drawn. The gangster underworld Delia lived in reminded me of Peaky Blinders, despite the decades between their settings, and I loved the way it contrasted with Tess' safe art school existence. Wharton also did a wonderful job of showing how different people who are, on the surface, living similar lives can have entirely different experiences - while Jimmy and Tess are living in the same city, taking the same classes and going to the same parties, their experiences are totally different.
This is one of my go to recommendations for summer reading at the moment, and I'm sure that when I revisit it in a year or two, it will feel like spending time with old friends.
This is one of my go to recommendations for summer reading at the moment, and I'm sure that when I revisit it in a year or two, it will feel like spending time with old friends.
February 20, 2020
Really cool novel, sharp and funny, with all the sixties ingredients you could possibly want - elegant tailored suits, fur coats, small-time gangsters and all the pretentious art students you can absorb. Indeed, the characters are so so vivid and palpable, that they come stealing off the page. From brave Delia put on edge by her troublesome 'imps', the innocent Tess, earnestly struggling to be bohemian, through to the poor vulnerable Jimmy, harbouring his depth charge secret. But as much as the characters live and breathe, the main turn is the era itself, which is depicted with such evident pleasure and utter confidence, the black and white London of the sixties, with all of its fragile glamour and tragic beauty, is shot through with cinemascope and technicolour.
June 28, 2019
Captivating, lively, stylish, and beautifully written, full of wonderful insights into the human psyche. David Wharton has created a layered, nuanced and totally believable world, and a lovely portrait of two young women whose different worlds collide. Delia, in particular, is a fabulous character!
August 5, 2019
A refreshing take on the sixties
Two women from different classes cross paths. A tale about shoplifters, artists, Londoners and struggling with parents' and society's aspirations...or lack of them.
Two women from different classes cross paths. A tale about shoplifters, artists, Londoners and struggling with parents' and society's aspirations...or lack of them.
September 6, 2019
Enjoyed this. Well created location of East End London in the early 60s.
October 21, 2020
Delia is a "hoister," or common shoplifter, working for a petty crime ring that specializes in having its girls lift things from high end department stores to resell. Through the job, Delia is sent to hang out a club one night to gather information from one of its frequent high rolling customers. While there, she meets Tess, an art student who is desperately trying to escape the rural, small-town life of her childhood and become a successful, independent artist.
I am always partial to books set in Great Britain and I am falling more and more in love with historical fiction everyday, so this book had two things going for it before I even started reading it. I loved the 1960s setting and the story of Delia, a tough, street-smart girl trying to take care of herself in that era which generally saw women in the roles of wives and mothers. This was also the theme of Tess's storyline, too - searching for independence, but wanting to do so through her passion and talent for art. I always find it interesting when a male author writes from a female character's perspective; many times the female character seems "harder" and do not have quite the emotional perspective and thoughts. I found this true in this story, but that is not to say the characters were not well-developed or empathetic to the reader. It was easy to root for the characters and understand their choices, fears, and motives.
I will be on the look out for more books by this author.
I am always partial to books set in Great Britain and I am falling more and more in love with historical fiction everyday, so this book had two things going for it before I even started reading it. I loved the 1960s setting and the story of Delia, a tough, street-smart girl trying to take care of herself in that era which generally saw women in the roles of wives and mothers. This was also the theme of Tess's storyline, too - searching for independence, but wanting to do so through her passion and talent for art. I always find it interesting when a male author writes from a female character's perspective; many times the female character seems "harder" and do not have quite the emotional perspective and thoughts. I found this true in this story, but that is not to say the characters were not well-developed or empathetic to the reader. It was easy to root for the characters and understand their choices, fears, and motives.
I will be on the look out for more books by this author.
March 11, 2021
David Wharton has created a layered, fabulous novel set in London in the 1960s. It is a wonderful portrait of thirty-eight-year-old Delia, and Tess Green whose worlds come together though they normally move in different circles. Delia is a shoplifter who is part of a crime ring, stealing goods from high-end shops for reselling. Sent to a club, the Ferrara, one night to watch customers for information gathering, she meets Tess.
The characters had so much intrigue about them and David Wharton's portrayal of the 60s without taking anything from their integrity was very much appreciated. All the characters had a vividness and appeal, not just the put-upon Delia, or Tess as she tried so hard to be individualist, but the secondary ones as well. A super, sharp, well-delivered début!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Sandstone Press via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
The characters had so much intrigue about them and David Wharton's portrayal of the 60s without taking anything from their integrity was very much appreciated. All the characters had a vividness and appeal, not just the put-upon Delia, or Tess as she tried so hard to be individualist, but the secondary ones as well. A super, sharp, well-delivered début!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Sandstone Press via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
January 8, 2020
David Wharton's debut novel is a fine thing. It's a novel about life, love, loss, identity, finding your way, getting derailed and finding a way to get back on track. Don't be put off by the cover, it's not chick-lit. If it's anything it's a kitchen sink drama. If you've ever watched any of those British films of the 60s you'll hear those voices loud and clear in the dialogue of Finer Things.
The story trots along at a fair old pace, there's always something happening. Most of it you don't see coming. I always like that in a writer, that they don't signpost everything from three miles off. There's Tess, just left home to go to Art College, there's Delia a professional thief and there's a cast of characters around them both. Their worlds collide, but it's not really what happens next, it's how the two of them navigate their individual lives alongside one another.
There was only one plot twist I didn't like. It happens to Tess fairly late in the book, but I won't spoil the surprise here. The reason I didn't like it is because it felt lazy, an easy way to change the direction of travel, but oh so overused.
On balance a good book, a great debut that evokes 1960s London brilliantly. It will bear re-reading, which to me is always the mark of a good book - and of course a good writer.
The story trots along at a fair old pace, there's always something happening. Most of it you don't see coming. I always like that in a writer, that they don't signpost everything from three miles off. There's Tess, just left home to go to Art College, there's Delia a professional thief and there's a cast of characters around them both. Their worlds collide, but it's not really what happens next, it's how the two of them navigate their individual lives alongside one another.
There was only one plot twist I didn't like. It happens to Tess fairly late in the book, but I won't spoil the surprise here. The reason I didn't like it is because it felt lazy, an easy way to change the direction of travel, but oh so overused.
On balance a good book, a great debut that evokes 1960s London brilliantly. It will bear re-reading, which to me is always the mark of a good book - and of course a good writer.
April 22, 2021
Set in early 1960s London, the central characters in this engrossing novel are art student Tess and 'hoister' Delia. They inhabit very different worlds, drawn together by mutual acquaintances.
Although Delia's world is much seedier and potentially more dangerous than Tess's, this is a surprisingly uplifting and life-affirming story of taking chances and coping with whatever life throws at you.
Although Delia's world is much seedier and potentially more dangerous than Tess's, this is a surprisingly uplifting and life-affirming story of taking chances and coping with whatever life throws at you.
October 16, 2020
Beautifully written, this is such a visual book that it would be a joy to make a film of it. Delia is a great character, strong and brave but with a shady job that keeps her in debt to Stella, a sort of underworld gang leader. Tess is an art student, fascinated by life and all its many experiences. Their meeting is unexpected and their friendship more so. They both take unconventional paths but 1960s London provides a wonderful backdrop to a changing world. Delightful.
maybe-read
June 23, 2019Recommended by Haley @ The Caffeinated Reader.
September 20, 2020
A self-assured debut that beautifully evokes London in the early 1960s, Finer Things is a smooth, fast read. I didn't buy a few of the coincidences/plot twists that were obvious deus ex machinas (why was Tess so intrigued by Diana over anyone else as a potential portrait subject? and the third-act interplay between Tess and Jimmy was both blatant and silly, imo). Because the writing and the setting were so enjoyable, though, those plot devices did not bother me as much as they would have in a less-engaging book.
Thank you, NetGalley and Sandstone Press, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley and Sandstone Press, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 20, 2021
This was such an absorbing story. From the first page I was sucked into the lives of the characters and their taut tales. Wharton also did an amazing job at truly evoking a place and time.
September 4, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley, for letting me read this book. I enjoyed it so much.
Set in the 1960s, in London, this is such a well-written book, that gently pulls you in to the lives of Delia, a professional hoister, and Tess, an art student. They are women who shouldn't really meet, but they do, and they develop a friendship that works. Both women are well-drawn - Tess is from Dewsbury, set free in London, learning how to be herself. Delia is from the East End, but can pass herself off as just about anybody.
The rest of the cast are great, too - Penny, all image; Jimmy, with his secrets; the various gangsters - male and female; and the art teachers. It's very atmospheric, and very visual.
I highly recommend this one.
Set in the 1960s, in London, this is such a well-written book, that gently pulls you in to the lives of Delia, a professional hoister, and Tess, an art student. They are women who shouldn't really meet, but they do, and they develop a friendship that works. Both women are well-drawn - Tess is from Dewsbury, set free in London, learning how to be herself. Delia is from the East End, but can pass herself off as just about anybody.
The rest of the cast are great, too - Penny, all image; Jimmy, with his secrets; the various gangsters - male and female; and the art teachers. It's very atmospheric, and very visual.
I highly recommend this one.
September 19, 2020
London, 1963. The lives of Delia, a professional shoplifter, and Tess, a young artist, unexpectedly collide while each are grappling with their own hardships.
😁❤️:
-The visuals Wharton created in his writing were excellent. I could see the fashion, the department stores, and the London streets,. The writing was very descriptive and you really felt like you were there.
-The story flips perspective between Tess and Delia but I gravitated most to Tess’ storyline; art school in 1960s London was 👌🏼
😕🥴:
-I found the first half a bit slow for me, but the last half picked up.
-Outside of Delia, Tess, and Jimmy (Tess’ gay best friend), I didn’t connect fully with the other characters and found myself a bit bored when the story/chapter wasn’t centered around Delia, Tess, or Jimmy.
Overall I definitely enjoyed this mostly because of the setting and time period; the storyline was just ok for me. I would definitely recommend to anyone who connects with London in the 60s! 3.5/5⭐️
Thanks to Sandstone Press and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
😁❤️:
-The visuals Wharton created in his writing were excellent. I could see the fashion, the department stores, and the London streets,. The writing was very descriptive and you really felt like you were there.
-The story flips perspective between Tess and Delia but I gravitated most to Tess’ storyline; art school in 1960s London was 👌🏼
😕🥴:
-I found the first half a bit slow for me, but the last half picked up.
-Outside of Delia, Tess, and Jimmy (Tess’ gay best friend), I didn’t connect fully with the other characters and found myself a bit bored when the story/chapter wasn’t centered around Delia, Tess, or Jimmy.
Overall I definitely enjoyed this mostly because of the setting and time period; the storyline was just ok for me. I would definitely recommend to anyone who connects with London in the 60s! 3.5/5⭐️
Thanks to Sandstone Press and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 5, 2020
Eminently readable. I liked the main characters a lot.
September 30, 2022
The 1960s are starting to swing! For some this is a time to strike out on new adventures, but for others it is not so easy to break away from the gloom and austerity that has overshadowed the post-war years.
For Delia, a professional shoplifter or 'hoister' to those in the trade, things are very much as they have ever been since she was welcomed into Stella's gang just after the war. She is used to living life on the edge, and trusting her instincts to keep her out of harm's way, but she is under no illusion that her world could come crashing down at any moment.
For the young, naive Tess, this is her chance to break away from her northern roots and make it as an artist. Her exciting new life as an art student in London is proving to be something of an eye-opener, and she cannot seem to help herself from being drawn to living dangerously.
When Delia's good fortune comes to an end, and power struggles in the criminal underworld find her contemplating a different kind of life, fate throws her and Tess together in a most unexpected way. An unlikely friendship develops between them - one that proves to save them both from disaster.
The blurb for this novel is surprisingly spare, giving little away about the evocative delights that lie within its pages. As the narratives of Delia and Tess swap back and forth, weaving their separate stories and then colliding together, Wharton does a truly impressive job of vividly bringing alive the early 1960s, and his choice of characters is perfect to examine the huge social and political changes going on at this time.
Delia's story immerses you in the lives of those living on the fringes - the ones who find themselves caught up on a path that takes them off the straight and narrow in order to survive. Through her, you are introduced to hard life of those growing up in the rubble and desolation of the post-war East End of London, and the power of the criminal underworld. Delia has had to grow up be tough in this world, and she takes pride in being the best 'hoister' in Stella's gang, but as the story progresses you begin to see that there is so much more to her character. Underneath the cool, calm exterior Delia cares very deeply about some things, and when a job goes horribly wrong her vulnerability is exposed. Delia was my favourite character in this tale. She is smart, full of insight, and acutely aware of the unpredictable nature of the life she lives. The moments when she considers the 'path not taken' are especially poignant. My own father was born and bred in the East End of this era, and he often talked about the people, the social, political and physical landscape of this part of London - hinting at the power of the gangs at this time, and the awareness of all that perceived infractions could impact their lives. This really connected me to Delia's story, and I was so impressed with the way Wharton brings such an authentic feel of time and place when he writes about the life she leads.
Tess is not quite so easy to sympathise with, as her brash and unsophisticated nature carries with it the selfish arrogance of youth - the stage of life hindsight often makes us cringe about in our later years. Her single-minded eagerness to gain the experience she feels required of her as a 'real' artist does not always make her the most sensitive of friends. This is the side of the 1960s where change is coming, but first she has to have her eyes opened to many issues she has not considered before. Tess' awakening on many fronts explores the stirrings of someone developing a political and social conscience, especially around the beginnings of the anti-Apartheid movement, illegal homosexuality, abortion and birth control, as she learns more about the world around her. I also really enjoyed the way Wharton uses Tess' side of the story to beautifully look at the gulf that can develop between parents and their off-spring when the lives they find themselves living have so little in common.
I absolutely loved this novel. It has style. pace and real emotional depth, all tied up in the kind of story that holds you fast from the first page to the last. The way the relationship develops between Delia and Tess is really something special, as they both find a way to move forward in ways they could never have imagined before they met. I am really not ready to let these characters go, which is the highest compliment I can pay to the work of an author.
For Delia, a professional shoplifter or 'hoister' to those in the trade, things are very much as they have ever been since she was welcomed into Stella's gang just after the war. She is used to living life on the edge, and trusting her instincts to keep her out of harm's way, but she is under no illusion that her world could come crashing down at any moment.
For the young, naive Tess, this is her chance to break away from her northern roots and make it as an artist. Her exciting new life as an art student in London is proving to be something of an eye-opener, and she cannot seem to help herself from being drawn to living dangerously.
When Delia's good fortune comes to an end, and power struggles in the criminal underworld find her contemplating a different kind of life, fate throws her and Tess together in a most unexpected way. An unlikely friendship develops between them - one that proves to save them both from disaster.
The blurb for this novel is surprisingly spare, giving little away about the evocative delights that lie within its pages. As the narratives of Delia and Tess swap back and forth, weaving their separate stories and then colliding together, Wharton does a truly impressive job of vividly bringing alive the early 1960s, and his choice of characters is perfect to examine the huge social and political changes going on at this time.
Delia's story immerses you in the lives of those living on the fringes - the ones who find themselves caught up on a path that takes them off the straight and narrow in order to survive. Through her, you are introduced to hard life of those growing up in the rubble and desolation of the post-war East End of London, and the power of the criminal underworld. Delia has had to grow up be tough in this world, and she takes pride in being the best 'hoister' in Stella's gang, but as the story progresses you begin to see that there is so much more to her character. Underneath the cool, calm exterior Delia cares very deeply about some things, and when a job goes horribly wrong her vulnerability is exposed. Delia was my favourite character in this tale. She is smart, full of insight, and acutely aware of the unpredictable nature of the life she lives. The moments when she considers the 'path not taken' are especially poignant. My own father was born and bred in the East End of this era, and he often talked about the people, the social, political and physical landscape of this part of London - hinting at the power of the gangs at this time, and the awareness of all that perceived infractions could impact their lives. This really connected me to Delia's story, and I was so impressed with the way Wharton brings such an authentic feel of time and place when he writes about the life she leads.
Tess is not quite so easy to sympathise with, as her brash and unsophisticated nature carries with it the selfish arrogance of youth - the stage of life hindsight often makes us cringe about in our later years. Her single-minded eagerness to gain the experience she feels required of her as a 'real' artist does not always make her the most sensitive of friends. This is the side of the 1960s where change is coming, but first she has to have her eyes opened to many issues she has not considered before. Tess' awakening on many fronts explores the stirrings of someone developing a political and social conscience, especially around the beginnings of the anti-Apartheid movement, illegal homosexuality, abortion and birth control, as she learns more about the world around her. I also really enjoyed the way Wharton uses Tess' side of the story to beautifully look at the gulf that can develop between parents and their off-spring when the lives they find themselves living have so little in common.
I absolutely loved this novel. It has style. pace and real emotional depth, all tied up in the kind of story that holds you fast from the first page to the last. The way the relationship develops between Delia and Tess is really something special, as they both find a way to move forward in ways they could never have imagined before they met. I am really not ready to let these characters go, which is the highest compliment I can pay to the work of an author.
August 21, 2022
This is Book 17 of my 20 Books of Summer 2022.
1960's London is the setting for this female driven story, and it gives a real good insight into the darker aspects of society such as thieving from stores and the kind of women who were drawn into that walk of life. Delia is a 'hoister' and very good at her job so shows other girls the ropes to the world of stealing.
On the flip side, we meet young Tess who moves to London to take her place at art college,and their paths cross and we soon find they're very much connected despite the differences in their lives . There's a real sense of time and place with the writing style which transports you back to the swinging sixties, and I liked that we got to see a darker side to it all. It gives a voice to those who were dealing with prejudices at the time, and was quite uplifting to see the women wanting better for themselves and not willing to hide away.
1960's London is the setting for this female driven story, and it gives a real good insight into the darker aspects of society such as thieving from stores and the kind of women who were drawn into that walk of life. Delia is a 'hoister' and very good at her job so shows other girls the ropes to the world of stealing.
On the flip side, we meet young Tess who moves to London to take her place at art college,and their paths cross and we soon find they're very much connected despite the differences in their lives . There's a real sense of time and place with the writing style which transports you back to the swinging sixties, and I liked that we got to see a darker side to it all. It gives a voice to those who were dealing with prejudices at the time, and was quite uplifting to see the women wanting better for themselves and not willing to hide away.
April 16, 2022
I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Okay read, not what I thought it would be. Writing was good. The language was a little strong.
November 1, 2020
An interesting book. This story takes place in the '60s in London. Tess, a young woman, arrives in this great city intending to enter one of the most prestigious art schools in the country. On this visit, Tess meets a woman with whom she makes a deal to live together. Delia is a girl who needs to correct a mistake made in the past. Tess is desperate to convince herself that she is a real artist. In another area of the city, they meet the Krays, a gang who are ready to wage war. I liked this story because it describes complex relationships. Wharton, the author, not only tells the tale of one character but of many. I think the description of that time is magnificent. The book narrates the actions of Delia, who all she wants is to be able to survive. I like that the conversations were clear and that there was no dull moment for me. It is a perfect book to learn about the emotions that many people felt during this time that is worth reading. I thank NetGalley and Sandstone Press for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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