The Sett

Why? Well the book itself is nothing short of magnificent. What at first feels like a sequence of unrelated vignettes suddenly knits together to form an impossibly linked insight into a tortured man's life. I chose to say impossibly as opposed to improbably here as throughout there are smatterings of true life events that only serve to reinforce this meld. And this is where I feel my head has (carefully) been placed within the book's own lion's mouth; for many, this fine line between the improbable and impossible will be hard to persevere with. Do you trust what is in front of you enough to suspend the belief that the claimed true life element of the book is nothing short of cynical ploy - after all, how can all these seemingly unconnected happenings coincide to shape the life of a poor, down and out man dying of cancer who has only 1 remaining photograph to prove his existence? Or, do you embrace the book and marvel at the bravery of a man who chose to confront, expose and even come to understand many of the dark, hidden evils that are prevalent upon our own doorsteps only to lose everything dear to him?

There is no grey area with this book and this is borne out by the reviews on this page. You either believe it or you don't; after all the lion man doesn't take a bow for simply walking into the cage with the lion - he either gets booed for not going in at all or he gets plaudits for clearing the lion's saliva from his brow.

I for one chose to keep my head firmly in the lion's mouth right until the very end and found it was one hell of a rewarding read.


Memories   April 27, 2005
Mr C Howell-Jones (Wantage, Oxon United Kingdom)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Flicking through the site I came across this book. It's one that I read many years ago now, but the plot was that impressive, I can still remember it all - love the way Fiennes weaves in fact with the fiction eg, the Broadwater Farm estate riots - a masterful thriller.