Old Filth: Jane Gardam

 

Description from the paperback edition I read...

Filth, in his heyday, was an international lawyer with a practice in the Far East. Now, only the oldest QCs and Silks can remember that his nickname stood for Failed In London Try Hong Kong. 

Long ago, Old Filth was a Raj orphan – one of the many young children sent 'home' from the East to be fostered and educated in England. Jane Gardam's new novel tells his story, from his birth in what was then Malaya to the extremities of his old age. In so doing, she not only encapsulates a whole period from the glory days of the British Empire, through the Second World War, to the present and beyond, but also illuminates the complexities of the character known variously as Eddie, The Judge, Fevvers, Filth, Master of the Inner Temple, Teddy and Sir Edward Feathers.

Teddy Feathers acquired the name "Old Filth" when he was in Hong Kong. FILTH is an acronym for Failed in London Try Hong Kong. When it first came into usage, it was an insult, but later did not have that negative connotation.

The story begins when Teddy is living in Dorset with Betty, his wife. They are both in their late 70s and live a very isolated life. The story jumps around, from his childhood in Wales living with a foster family, to the years that he spends in boarding school and then prep school. When World War II starts, Teddy's father has him evacuated to Singapore, at the age of eighteen, which he finds mortifying. The story covers very little of his time working in Singapore and later in London.

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Old Filth. Teddy Feathers is a wonderful character. He had a sad life, but the story is not depressing. 

I will admit that the hopping around to various times in his childhood was confusing for me at times. Normally, I like that format of story telling, but in this case it may have been a problem because I did not have much knowledge of the time before World War II in the UK, and the relationships between the UK and various Asian countries. As usual, that makes me want to read more about the period (and any suggestions are welcome). There is a 2nd book, The Man in the Wooden Hat, telling the story from his wife's point of view, and I look forward to reading that.

I also want to try more of Jane Gardam's books. In an interview at the Guardian, from 2011, Gardam said "that's what all my books are about, the end of empire," and I think that would be interesting reading. If you have any to recommend, let me know.