The First World War is over. Eric Vernon is on the cusp of adulthood. Tall, bony and awkward, he finds himself torn between a desire to emulate his heroic father, who led a life of quiet sacrifice, and resentment toward his father’s roguish friend Edward Blake, who survived the war only to throw himself into gay life in Berlin.

With subtle wit and trademark irony, Isherwood’s second novel evokes a society in flux. Its many facets are voiced here with true sophistication and warmth by Nicholas Boulton.