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British Upper Class Also Can Be Irresistible

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By KEVIN WALKER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2008

In keeping with today's theme (see the story at right), I thought I would open by mentioning "Godchildren," by Nicholas Coleridge (Thomas Dunne Books, $25.95). The British author offers a novel about the British upper class, specifically a business tycoon's six godchildren: the arrogant one, the "devastatingly beautiful" one, the awkward one, the dependable one, the troubled one and the cutup.

Every year, they all go on a trip together to exotic locales (the first, when they are 8 years old, is to the south of France). The book follows the six through these trips, spanning 30 years of "love, lies, sex and power."

Excellent! This looks like Thomas Dunne saved one of its best summer reads for last. Tina Brown is right there on the cover, saying, "Coleridge's portrayal of the British upper class is irresistible from the first page to the last." That sounds diverting in a very good sort of way.

What else? David M. Smick lays down some scary information in "The World Is Curved: Hidden Dangers to the Global Economy" (Portfolio, $$26.95). His basic premise is the credit crisis is just the beginning of a worldwide problem because of complex interlocking global financial systems. Smick promises to help you understand how these systems work.

Also new is "Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder" (Touchstone, $14), in which author Gyles Brandreth offers his second novel in the series that features the classic writer as a detective in Victorian England. I mention it only because I enjoyed the first one, from last year, called "Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance."

Just a few days after filing last week's story on graphic novels, three more came to my attention. It's the same phenomenon that makes the phone ring with my important call the moment after I leave my desk.

Posy Simmonds' "Tamara Drewe" (Warner Books, $16.95) is loosely based on Thomas Hardy's "Far From the Madding Crowd," much like her earlier "Gemma Bovery" was based on ... well, you know. This one follows a beautiful newspaper columnist who causes all kinds of problems when she crashes a writer's retreat. Publisher's Weekly declares that the book is "slightly evil" (I like the sound of that) and also shows "how feminism has failed in moneyed Britain."

The trade paperback version of "Shooting War," by Anthony Lappe and Dan Goldman (Grand Central, $15.99), is available this week. It's a harrowing look at a near-future world and our involvement in Iraq.

"American Widow" (Villard, $22) begins with the love-at-first-sight meeting between Alissa and Eddie Torres, who marry. Then Eddie got his dream job working for Cantor-Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center. His first day was Sept. 10, 2001. He died the next day, age 31. Alissa Torres uses this graphic novel to tell her story and offer a "universal message of hope and redemption."

As usual, I remind you that just because these books use art to tell stories, they are not comics for kids. Adults only.

Kevin Walker is a reporter for the Tampa Tribune.

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