One August bank holiday, Ted Johnson wakes to a day of reckoning - with his past in Cumberland, his present in London and his fantasies. An inflamed nerve troubles his eye as he veers between elation and despair, overwhelmed by the noise and bustle of the streets, unable to connect even with a visiting girlfriend. Written in 1971, Melvyn Bragg's sixth novel draws a remarkable portrait of a man's courageous fight to keep his mental balance and regain a sense of identity amid the stress and intoxication of modern city life.

'A remarkable novelist' The Times

About the Author
Melvyn Bragg is a writer and broadcaster whose first novel, For Want of a Nail, was published in 1965. His novels since include The Maid of Buttermere, The Soldier's Return, A Son of War, Credo and Now is the Time, which won the Parliamentary Book Award for fiction in 2016. His books have also been awarded the Time/Life Silver Pen Award, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and the WHSmith Literary Award, and have been longlisted three times for the Booker Prize (including the Lost Man Booker Prize). He has also written several works of non-fiction, including The Adventure of English and The Book of Books about the King James Bible. He lives in London and Cumbria.

Reviews
It is an extraordinary blend of delicacy and harsh simplicity which makes Melvyn Bragg a remarkable novelist * The Times *
Since his first novel, Melvyn Bragg's talent has grown until he has now achieved utter truthfulness * Sunday Telegraph *
A graceful and confident writer * Observer *
An effortless writer. He never strains for effect, simply achieves it * Sunday Times *



Book Information
ISBN 9780340518540
Author Melvyn Bragg
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Sceptre
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 143g
Dimensions(mm) 220mm * 129mm * 10mm