Another Man In The Street by Caryl Phillips:

Victor arrives in England from St Kitts in mid-1960’s England - the novel follows his life and career to the present day.  

Firstly, let’s praise the prose, which achieves a lot with its simple, first person narrative.  Structurally, is where the novel’s ambition falls short.  Our sympathies are with Victor in the early part of the novel, which switches when we learn more of his character in the final third. The narrative flashes back and forth and often, scenes break for decades to pass. 

The characters are well drawn (I particularly like Victor’s first British friend, a Scouse barman), but the author dispenses with them far too quickly. And again, it follows the recent trend of short, literary novels where the construction seems more important than the actual substance.  

It’s pitched as a post-Windrush novel of black British experience, but it is too brief, too inconclusive and on the edge of perfection to completely be that. It’s published by Bloomsbury on 16th Jan, 2025 and I thank them for a preview copy.  #anothermaninthestreet.