The crime writer on being fascinated by A Clockwork Orange, inspired by Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and taking comfort in Muriel Spark’s novel
was a huge influence on me in my early 20s. He came from a similar background and wrote exquisitely about the world around him. He had won the Whitbread prize in 1975 for his novel Docherty, but he also wrote crime fiction. I saw that crime was a way of dissecting society and its varied problems, discussing big themes while being entertaining and thrilling.
I read it again during the first Covid lockdown and enjoyed it all over again. Widmerpool is one of the great creations of the 20th century, and shows how a buffoon can rise to prominence and become a monster of sorts.I was a fan of adventure stories when I was in my teens and Alistair MacLean was a favourite. A few of his best books still hold up but many now seem clunky and dated, though if the film of Where Eagles Dare ever pops up on TV, I find myself glued to it.
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