Old Filth follows the story of Sir Edward Feathers, a respected judge said to have originated the acronym FILTH (Failed In London; Try Hong Kong). His story, and the writing of Gardam, is fundamentally British, which I think may turn people off (I had to look up the word 'coelacanth'). While it takes a bit of time to get into Old Filth , by the end I found myself fully in the spirit of England, saying "My, what a delightful read. Shall we now have some tea?"
You become immersed in the story of Feathers, from his origins of a "Raj orphan" to his marriage to the mysterious Betty. There's so much going on in Old Filth that there is a lot left unsaid, yet Gardam rewards the reader with her careful deliberate prose. There are tidbits of information and brief characters with surprising resonance, such as a fellow retired judge who runs into Feathers and buys him dinner following Betty's death, or the headmaster called Sir who rescues Feathers from a thus-far desolate childhood.
A non-traditional hero, Feathers is refreshing in that he makes mistakes, but never delves into the self-pity or psychoanalysis of so many protagonists.
Any writer should read Gardam for instructions on how to tell a story. I highly recommend Old Filth and look forward to reading The Man in the Wooden Hat .
