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The Street Philosopher (2000)

by Matthew Plampin(Favorite Author)

3.49 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

000727243X (ISBN13: 9780007272433)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

review 1: When I began reading this book, after the first few pages, I considered giving up or abandoning it because I didn't think it would be the sort of book that I would enjoy. Ultimately I did enjoy it, although I found the style a bit plodding and was put off initially by the very descriptive account of the Crimean war. I'm glad that I persevered with it, the story although a bit convoluted I did enjoy it in the end.The style in which it is written moves backwards and forwards over time to build the story up. I didn't like quite a few of the main characters and was glad to see them get what they deserved eventually.
review 2: The Street Philosopher – by Matthew PlampinFrom the thickened grit of the Crimean War to the dimly lit and civilised streets of Manchest... moreer in the 1850s, author Matthew Plampin offers love, mud and almost everything between them, in his novel The Street Philosopher.With the Russians now invading Turkey and the British on the front line, promising art critic for the London Courier, Thomas Kitson, has left the London lights and fashioned a life as a war reporter. Joined by his senior reporter Richard Cracknell, a drunken slosh of an Irishman, and the young and naïve illustrator Robert Styles, the three journalists follow the British lines into what soon becomes a bloody mess. With characters as rich as the setting they are in, the novel paints imagery that is not intended for the squeamish but throws the mind to new lengths.Plampin’s novel tears the reader from the grips of Russian invasion, and drops them onto the marbled floors of Manchester dancehalls, offering a crazed and flimsy Kitson, now a street philosopher who writes about the lives of the rich and powerful; a verified gossip.Although the jump between the settings and time periods risks a loss for the reader, Plampin writes in a style that allows for simple transitions and gives you an almost lingering feeling for a return to the battlefields. The facts and research are a credit to the author and the plot clearly benefits from richer detail. Unfortunately some of the action is left unfinished and one painting too many is added to the twists and turns of the storyline, leaving a need to take just a few deep breathes. On the whole, the novel needs to be faced with a healthy heart and iron stomach, but is a read that becomes difficult to put down. less

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