Pompey

Pompey is a 1993 masterpiece by Jonathan Meades that portrays a post-war family saga set in Portsmouth. It is an obscene, suppurating vision of an England in terminal decline, with Guy Vallender having four children by different women. The narrator is Jonathan Meades, cousin to Poor Eddie and Bonnie, who tells the story of how their strange and poisonous destinies intersect. The novel is filled with perversity, voyeurism, corruption, religious extremism, and curdled celebrity, but also has an underlying compassion and jet-black humor.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 496 pages
\n Publication date: 25 March 2021
\n Publisher: Unbound
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At first glance, Jonathan Meades' 1993 masterpiece is a post-war family saga set in and around the city of Portsmouth. However, this mere description fails to capture the sheer brilliance of Meades' creation. Pompey is an obscene, suppurating vision of an England in terminal decline. The story begins with Guy Vallender, a fireworks manufacturer from Portsmouth, who has four children by four different women. Among them are Poor Eddie, a feeble geek with a gift for healing; Mad Bantu, the son of a black prostitute, who was hopelessly damaged in the womb by an attempted abortion; Bonnie, who is born beautiful but becomes a junkie and a porn star; and finally Jean-Marie, a leather-wearing gay gerontophiliac conceived on a one-night stand in Belgium.

The narrator is Jonathan Meades, cousin to Poor Eddie and Bonnie, who takes us on a journey to explore the intricate web of their strange and poisonous destinies. And while there is no shortage of perversity, voyeurism, corruption, religious extremism, and curdled celebrity in the world of English literature, what sets Pompey apart is its underlying compassion and a dark, black humor that makes it an important and strangely satisfying work of art.

Prepare to embark on the English novel's darkest ride, where the lines between good and evil, right and wrong, are blurred, and the consequences of one's actions are dire. As you delve deeper into the lives of these characters, you will be captivated by their flaws, their obsessions, and their relentless pursuit of pleasure. Meades' writing is masterful, with his vivid descriptions and intricate plotlines leaving you breathless and craving more.

Pompey is a masterpiece that challenges the reader's perceptions of morality and society. It is a cautionary tale that reminds us of the dangers of excess, the corrupting influence of power, and the destructive nature of our desires. It is a work that will stay with you long after you have finished reading, leaving you pondering the intricacies of human nature and the complexities of the world we live in.

\n Weight: 424g\n
Dimension: 129 x 197 x 41 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781783528547\n
Edition number: 2 ed\n