Janet Davey

Set in contemporary London, Another Mother's Son is an intriguing and unusual novel which follows events in the lives of the narrator, Lorna, and her three sons as they struggle with adolescence and moving into adulthood.

Lorna, an archivist, is divorced from the boys' father, Randal, who left her to start a new relationship and family. Oliver has left for university and hardly ever sees his mother, while Ross, the youngest son, has recently started going out with Jude, a girl from school, whose own parents are having difficulties in their marriage. Ewan, the eldest, is the most troubled, as he dropped out of university after a term and now lives in the attic room of Lorna's house, barely speaking to her, not studying or working, and only occasionally leaving the house on solitary expeditions. The main focus of the novel, however, is an incident at Ross's school involving his English teacher, Mr Child, and the consequences for the students and parents.

One thing I really liked about this book is the realistic way it describes modern urban life. Everyday details are narrated in a detached, emotionless tone, which distances the reader from them and makes them appear fresh and even slightly surreal at times. The deadpan narration brings out the humour or strangeness in minor events and encounters. It reflects Lorna's alienation from most of the people around her: the parents at Ross's school, her ex-husband, a disturbing visitor to her archive who wants to write a novel abut a historical transport disaster, and the irritating Jane, who appears to have set her sights on marrying Lorna's elderly father.

The novel explores motherhood and more generally the relationships between the generations. Lorna sees her sons' generation as under pressure and at risk from modern technology and social media in a way she wasn't when growing up. Ross's school, Lloyd-Barron Academy, is portrayed as a terribly unsympathetic, humourless and over-regulated environment. The headmaster is obsessed with management-speak and only concerned with marketing and creating a perfect image for the school. Meanwhile, the group of middle-class parents and their attempts to interfere with issues at school is described precisely and wittily.

The dialogue between Lorna and her sons seemed very believable to me. I could feel Lorna's anxiety and attempts to build relationships with her sons, as well as their irritation with her. The relationship between Lorna and Jude was interesting because they seemed to grow to like each other, despite their initial awkwardness and distance. Lorna sees everything from the outside as no one really confides in her and so she has to piece events together, always discovering the truth later than others.

Although I liked the book, I found its events at times almost too mundane and disconnected from each other, lacking in any meaning. I was most interested in the events at Ross's school, the interactions between the parents and teachers. The novel left me wanting more; for example I found Ewan's situation intriguing and wanted to explore that. I wondered why he seemed to have given up on life and spent his time in bed or sitting at his desk for hours on end. I liked the description of his intricate artwork, elaborately drawn but executed in the most throw-away materials possible, cheap biro and lined A4 paper. Perhaps the mystery and lack of explanation reflected the way Lorna felt, as if she had no idea how Ewan had reached this point and had already exhausted all possible ways of helping him. The whole novel is written in a muted, melancholic tone, as if Lorna is just watching events unfold and is unable to help her sons or have any impact on the world around her.

I have now read and enjoyed all Janet Davey's novels. Another Mother's Son seemed a more personal book than the others, with its introspective first-person narration. If you enjoy fiction by Anita Brookner and Tessa Hadley, I would recommend picking up Davey's books.… (mais)

This was a difficult and frustrating read, and one I was glad to finish in the end. It isn't badly written - in fact I'd say the author has a very good writing style - but it fails to get on with the story in any coherent way, preferring instead to mess around with deep and meaningful musings. Time after time I got to the end of a page and had to decide whether to read it again in a futile attempt to work out what was being implied, or whether to say 'sod it let's get the book finished'. Frequently it was the latter.… (mais)

A book I wouldn't have come across if I hadn't been reading the Guardian reader's reviews at the end of 2007. It's quite a short read and is unusual. I've not read any of Janet Davey's work before and I believe this is her third book.

During a heavy snow storm travelling in London is difficult and a chance meeting at a taxi queue between Abe and Richard opens up a realm of possibilities. Abe is in his early twenties and Richard is married and I had him pitched in his late forties maybe. Both characters are well described and the plot is excellent. The chapters change from the perspective of one character to another, including characters within Abe's and Richard's lives.

A pleasure to have read; you either have to be a believer in fate to appreciate some of the ideas or you could simply read it for what it is, a good piece of literature. I will certainly try her other two books and more should they arrive.… (mais)