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The Lowlife (Faber Editions)

'Terrific. Propulsive, funny and touching.' - Sebastian Faulks
Series: Faber Editions
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( 23 ratings, 5 reviews)
Brief Description
"The day they moved in was a memorable one for me. Not because of them, for I couldn't know what they were to bring into my life, but because of a dog." Harryboy Boas is a gambling man. An independent Jewish bachelor, he lives in a... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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One man gambles on not only the racing dogs but his life in this charismatic rediscovered Jewish post-war classic of London's seedy underbelly, introduced by Iain Sinclair.

One man gambles on the dogs and his own life in this rediscovered Jewish post-war classic of London's seedy underbelly, introduced by Iain Sinclair.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

"The day they moved in was a memorable one for me. Not because of them, for I couldn't know what they were to bring into my life, but because of a dog."

Harryboy Boas is a gambling man. An independent Jewish bachelor, he lives in a Hackney boarding house: reading Zola, betting on the dogs at the track, womanising, philosophising, and repressing his tortured wartime past. Until, that is, a new family moves in. As his life dramatically unravels—financially, emotionally, and existentially—Harryboy descends into a murky criminal underworld where debts, violence, gangsters and revenge are the inevitable payback for those who can't pay up...

'Extraordinary.' William Boyd

Series: Faber Editions

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571393473

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 May 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Iain Sinclair

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Alexander Baron (1917 - 1999) grew up in in Hackney, East London. The son of Jewish parents, he was drawn into the anti-fascist struggle, confronting Mosley's blackshirts on the streets of Whitechapel. He became assistant editor of Tribune before enlisting in the army in 1940 and fighting in Italy, Sicily and across France from the Normandy D-Day beaches. His experiences during the Second World War gave him the material for his first novel, From the City, From the Plough (1948), the first in his celebrated wartime trilogy. He wrote several novels set in London's East End as well as Hollywood screenplays and BBC adaptations of classic novels. Carl Foreman's great war film The Victors (1963) was adapted from Baron's The Human Kind (1953). He died in 1999.

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