Amanda Craig at Shiny…

The Lie of the Land by Amanda Craig

I’ve long been a fan of Amanda Craig, always loving her book reviews in the Times/Sunday Times and then her novels – I still have a couple to catch up on on my shelves which will be a pleasure.

Meanwhile I recently read and reviewed her latest, The Lie of the Land, for Shiny, and sending some questions for her to answer about it. No sooner had I sent the questions off, than she replied to them within an hour or two with some wonderful answers.

The Lie of the Land is a delicious satire of family life in the country, in which warring couple Lottie and Quentin have to decamp to Devon in order to make money on their London house so they can divorce. It’s far more than a comedy of manners though, there’s a mystery, an old rocker, the pie factory and much more as Craig turns her eye on rural poverty, ageing parents and extended families.  Very funny, often moving with some great characters – I loved this book (9/10).

Read my full Shiny review here

Read my Q&A with Amanda at Shiny here

2 thoughts on “Amanda Craig at Shiny…

  1. Steerforth says:

    I’ve been waiting for this novel ever since I read ‘Hearts and Minds’ and it was well worth the wait. I love the Waugh-like wit, but also value the underlying sense of compassion that Craig has for her characters.

    She’s an ambitious novelist and when I began ‘Hearts and Minds’, I thought that Craig had bitten off more than she could chew, but I was wrong – it was one of the best London novels since Dickens. ‘The Lie of the Land’ has been equally successful in depicting the gulf between urban and rural Britain.

    • AnnaBookBel says:

      Hearts and Minds is one I’ve not read – although I own a copy. I remember it being very highly thought of when it came out, which you confirm. I’ve read several of her earlier novels though and enjoyed them all. I hope we don’t have to wait so long for her next one.

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