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The Dirty South by: Alex Wheatle List Price: £9.99 City Travel Guides Price: £7.69 You Save: £2.30 (23%)Prices subject to change. |
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Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92 EAN: 9781852429850 ISBN: 1852429852 Label: Serpent's Tail Manufacturer: Serpent's Tail Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 224 Publication Date: April 03, 2008 Publisher: Serpent's Tail Studio: Serpent's Tail Sales Rank: 18067 Related Items: Related Items:      see moreBrowse for similar items by category:
Editorial Review: Observer: `Wheatle's style and command of language and plot ensure he is a writer to watch' Daily Telegraph: `Alex Wheatle weaves witty patois dialogue and cool, crisp narrative into a tone of playful irony, wholly free of rant or rancour' The Times (for East of Acre Lane): `Alex Wheatle's second novel is a rhythmic, fast-talking tour of the tower blocks of South London... It is this blend of frantic action and thoughtful writing that ranks Alex Wheatle... as one of the most exciting writers of the black urban experience' Metro: 'He's given a potent fictional voice to the often marginalised world of black urban youth. His writing is rich in the ever-changing dialogue of the streets... Wheatle illuminates the conflicted notions of masculinity, the lack of social opportunity and the smouldering gang violence that frame his characters' lives, while evoking the colourful, often pitiless landscape of Brixton' Time Out: 'Interesting... an entertaining - and occasionally engrossing - read' Shortlist: 'Gripping' Andrea Enisuoh, New Nation: 'The Dirty South accurately depicts the complexities of a life growing up in many urban areas... a thoughtful novel. Part love story, part social commentary' Book Description: Set in Brixton, 20 years after the race riots, The Dirty South follows the adventures of Bricky teenager Dennis Huggins as he drifts into the easy, dangerous life of the shotta - or drug dealer - and discovers that, hard as the struggle for respect on the streets is, the struggle for love is harder still. At least Dennis has involved parents looking out for him; too many of his friends have no guidance other than that offered by their fellow shottaz, or the dubiously motivated black Muslims. Wheatle brilliantly evokes the temptations of the thug life for young black men growing up in London's Dirty South - a fast, compelling novel that offers no easy answers, but refuses to shy away from asking the difficult questions. Synopsis: Set in Brixton, 20 years after the race riots, "The Dirty South" follows the adventures of Bricky teenager Dennis Huggins as he drifts into the easy, dangerous life of the shotta - or drug dealer - and discovers that, hard as the struggle for respect on the streets is, the struggle for love is harder still.At least Dennis has involved parents looking out for him; too many of his friends have no guidance other than that offered by their fellow shottaz, or the dubiously motivated black Muslims. Wheatle brilliantly evokes the temptations of the thug life for young black men growing up in London's Dirty South - a fast, compelling novel that offers no easy answers, but refuses to shy away from asking the difficult questions. About the Author: Alex Wheatle was born in 1963 to Jamaican parents living in London. He spent most of his childhood in a children's home, which he left at 14 to live in a hostel in Brixton. At 18, he was involved in the Brixton uprising and went to prison for 3 months. On his release, he continued to perform as a DJ and MC under the name Yardman Irie, moving in the early `90s on to the performance poetry circuit as The Brixton Bard. His second novel, East of Acre Lane, won the London New Writers Award (2000). Customer Reviews
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 Rating: - must readThis is a must read for anyone who wants to start to understand the youth culture that has led to so many stabbings and shootings in London in recent months. Written in Alex's usual gripping and immediate style I was grabbed by the narrative right from the start. The "street language" can be challenging, but you soon get used to it (and if you're like me have to be careful not to start using it yourself!). Alex lives within the community about which he writes and clearly has observed the culture he talks about first hand. Keenly observed and with strong characterisation you get caught up with the action and live the events, so as the action unfolds you start to understand the main character's motivation. If you enjoy this you ought to read ... Read More: |
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