Philip Hensher is an engaging writer, always readable, even if you may sometimes wish that the word “economy” was to be found in his lexicon. Lacking it, his novels move slowly. Scenes go on too long. Detailed description is piled on detailed description, and yet he holds the attention. “There is no there there,” wrote Gertrude Stein , speaking of her home town Oakland. There is always a “there” somewhere in Hensher’s novels , though you may have to wait or search to find it.
