John Hampson (1)

A somewhat grim little slice of life novel about a failing public house run by a feckless alcoholic, his infatuated wife and her brother.

There is something special about these early Penguins, their bright orange covers and dustjackets, 6d printed on the cover and the jaunty penguin in different poses. This Penguin has a really clear font and I like books which start well: `Mrs Tapin had no use for books; they only told of soft people who did not exist. Mrs Tapin loved four things - money, gossip, thinking, and Clara'.