The Pull of Familiar Stories

There is no time of the year quite like Christmas. Those of us who celebrate it have our traditions, both personal and cultural, which mark the festive season. I have CDs I play, DVDs I watch and, books I read every year. My current book is always the one I start Christmas reading with in early or mid November. I first read it in 2010 so this is the 16th time I have read it. So what makes it such an integral part of my Christmas build up?

A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks

As the title suggests it is a novel set across one week from Sunday December 16 to Saturday December 22. It follows seven characters from a range of backgrounds whose lives intersect in a variety of ways. The subjects that the book covers include finance, the book industry, football, mental health and religious beliefs. Whatever the subject, Sebastian Faulks has a way of writing about it that gives it both a universal and a personal angle. The humour throughout the book frequently makes me smile and occasionally laugh out loud. The anger with human nature and the way that the world works is palpable and occasionally breathtaking in its intensity. Often the two combine to brilliant effect. However flawed the character is, Faulks has a sympathy for them and explains the situation that has led to their behaviour. The one exception to this is the greedy and ruthless John Veals who runs a hedge fund that is part of the financial system that, a year or so before this book was published, completely upended the world and plunged us into a situation that is still affecting us financially, politically and personally to this day. He is the epitome of everything that is bad in the world and the fact that he and his kind are in charge is something that Faulks reflects and bemoans.

Every year I read this I find a new appreciation for it. The satire is always current because human nature never changes and the institutions that controlled us then still control us now and make our lives worse. The sympathy for the characters reminds even someone like me that we are often victims of circumstance doing our best in life. The way that the writing moves apparently effortlessly from religion to finance to online games via law, psychology and genetics is quite incredible.

My favourite strand is the connection between Jenni Fortune, the tube driver and Gabriel Northwood the solicitor who is handling the case in which she is involved. In many ways I see Gabriel as the narrator of the novel as much as he is one of the main characters. He has a very good appreciation of the influences working on us all and explains them to Jenni as their relationship deepens.

If you have never read this, I can only recommend that you find a copy. You may not take to it, but if you do I really think it could become a favourite novel of yours as well.