One of the many books I snatched from Books for Free in Stratford before
it closed (the reserves, unfortunately, are starting to slowly run out…). A few
months ago I read – and really enjoyed – The
Rotters’ Club, but found this novel to be on another level.
What a Carve Up is a cross between epic family novels (Solomon Gursky Was Here is the first one
that comes to mind, because of the nature of the Winshaw family and the
mischievousness of some of its older members – often more interesting than
their kids), cheesy mysteries (Ten Little
Indians) and the most enjoyable and ironic Alan Bennett works.
The constant alternation of styles, narrators and registers is obviously
yet again a display of Coe’s considerable talent. And the fact that so much of
the novel is set in Northern England is again a welcome departure from
London-centred British literature.
Much like in The Rotters’ Club with
Malcolm, even in What a Carve Up Coe
kills off one of my favourite characters (Fiona) relatively early (I mean, not
super-early, but the writing is on the wall from the start, so I don’t feel
like I’m spoiling too much). Yet I don’t hate him for that. Although I really
wish I knew what happened to Phoebe and Graham…
