PHILIP WOMACK

Sam Thompson’s Communion Town: A City in Ten Chapters is on the Booker longlist. Whilst I wasn't entirely convinced by it, there are some very strong passages, and Thompson is a beautiful writer of great style, able to shift perspectives and to pastiche everything from Raymond Chandler to Sherlock Holmes.

As a whole these loosely linked stories, designed to capture the many styles and sectors of an imaginary city, seem too elusive to offer any true insight. This is a shame, as it’s a wonderful conceit, and there is no doubt a lot to look forward to from Thompson. I would still recommend it, heartily so, as a strange, often absorbing, and often brilliant read.