October 1960
This is Mr. Storey’s second novel, and it is good. The flight is from Yorkshire to Camden Town - from mere respectability into direct experience - and the story is told by a young girl who runs away with a man older than she, and already married. Margaret’s family cannot bear this: Howarth’s wife changes her mind about divorcing him, and these pressures weigh upon their isolation, which is broken only by the violence of her father’s and brother’s visits.
It is a tale of classical simplicity, with its end implicit from the beginning: what distinguishes it from very much else on this subject is the way in which Mr. Storey writes about his people, with both detachment and compassion - in fact, with real understanding of them. He has also a loving eye for words - their shape and texture and colour have all been taken into account - and this is a most powerful addition in his sincerity and feeling. Strongly recommend for those who are looking for interesting new writers.