510. The Lonely Londoners

The Lonely Londoners
Sam Selvon
1956
Around 140 pages

Okay, the hot streak had to come to an end at some point. We were flying awfully close to the sun. While this is by no means a terrible novel, it's not quite as good as the previous three masterpieces. I get spoiled fast. 

What I would give to be a lonely Londoner! I love novels that take place in London, as I can actually recognize the locations, even if the novel takes place hundreds of years ago. My old Tube stop even got a shout out (Great Portland Street, what up!). Of course, this novel focuses on the difficult life of West Indian immigrants in post war England, so it's not exactly a glowing review of the city.

I believe this is our first writer from Trinidad and Tobago. We've had stories that cover these themes before, but Selvon manages to make this distinct by using a creolized form of English. Utilizing a distinct dialect is risky, but it worked here. I didn't find it hard to understand, and it really contributed to the unique feel of the novel.

London is a real melting pot and this book captures how lonely city life can be, even if you are part of a community.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Included on the "Big Jubilee Read" list of 70 books selected by a panel of experts to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee in June, 2022.

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