Voices without parts

In the green room of history silent (or silenced) characters rehearse their parts for their big chance on stage - Crusoe, Lizzie Siddall, Connie Chatterley, and the indefatigable Trabb's Boy among them. But what do they have to say? The interlinked stories span history and genre and are littered with fascinating literary references, but they all show us people who are disfigured or silenced in some way. Often the reasons for that disfigurement are unfathomable. Nevertheless, these stories contain a good deal of humour and are beautifully written. One cannot fail to enjoy the rollercoaster ride but also you realise that you are dealing with an alternative set of ideas about narrative, history, truth and action, as well as ideas about personal loss, solitude and futility. Despite this panoply of intellectual questions, the author has not forgotten to tell fascinating stories that link together subtly and linger in the mind like dreams.