Philip Hensher, The Northern Clemency

The Northern Clemency

Philip Hensher

Knopf, Nov 2008, $26.95

ISBN: 9781400044481

In 1974, the Sellars brood leaves hip London for suburban ennui in Sheffield in the inappropriately named South Yorkshire as they trek to the north. The two Sellars sisters, reticent Francis and extroverted Sandra are concerned that life in the burbs will prove boring as the former loves music and the latter loves swinging London.

Their neighbors, the Glover family consists of two parents and three kids. Patriarch Malcolm is outraged when he finds evidence that his wife Katherine is having an affair. As for the children, bookworm Jane conceals from everyone she is writing a novel; Daniel's brain consists of one icon sex with any carbon bearing species; and the youngest preadolescent Tim is friendlier with snakes than people.

One decade later, the kids are away from home either at universities or working. The empty nest syndrome is compounded with employment issues for the older generation as their hobs die and the new economy begins to shape everyone. Into the nineties, the children as adults live around the world, but come home as often as they can seek solace.

This is an interesting family drama that showcases two families during the Thatcher Era. Each of the ensemble cast is fully developed as readers see them all from multiple perspectives. Although the storyline is extremely passive, fans will relish this deep character study of two generations struggling in different ways to survive the Conservative period, a time of technology and dramatically changing globalization (Thomas Friedman's 'The World Is Flat' comes to mind although much of his treatise occurs after the events of 'The Northern Clemency') in which the older generation feels hopelessly lost and left behind and their offspring disillusioned and unhappy.

Harriet Klausner

When approaching The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher, the heaviness of the book, mirror's the heaviness and the weight of the subject matter. The book is set in Sheffield, following two neighbouring families,' the- Glovers and the Sellers, through the personally emotional and landscaping physical journey of two decades where England changed from the mid 1970's to the 1990's, with industry declining and the service sector booming. The book focuses on the North, with the events of the miners' strike of 1984. It reflects on a period of history spanning over 20 years, and is Henshers' right wing biased and subjective view of a period in which he lived. He has used real historical events as a backdrop to his fictional characters and story lines to give his work reality and credence. There is much to be appreciated about this book with its depth of detail of personal relationships and cultural references and I can definitely see why it has been short listed for the Man Booker Prize 2008, but unless you are particularly interested or motivated to read about this period of history it can be a long and arduous journey.

By Celia Bissell