Capital

by Maureen Duffy
Capital cover
Good Books rating 4.26
Literary Fiction
Technical:
  • ID: 384
  • Added: 2025-09-10
  • Updated: 2025-09-10
  • ISBN: 9781448190706
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2013-09-30
  • Reviews: 4

Capital follows Meepers, a homeless yet enlightened amateur archaeologist, as he seeks to understand the destruction of London in the Dark Ages to predict its future. Alongside him is a university historian grappling with his own personal and professional challenges, including an uneasy connection to Meepers. The narrative weaves together contemporary London life with historical voices—from Neanderthal man and Saxon kings to the flea that spread the Black Death and the transsexual King Elizabeth—illuminating the city's complex identity through a dazzling mixture of period speech and modern storytelling. This novel transcends a simple historical or contemporary tale by blending mysticism, archaeology, and personal drama to explore London's past and future. It uses multiple perspectives and time periods to reveal the city's enduring spirit and the urgent whispers beneath its surface, creating a richly textured portrait that challenges readers to reconsider the capital's history and destiny.

Reviews
ThriftBooks · 2025-09-10
engaging 4.30

The novel is recognized for its innovative narrative that illuminates London through a mix of voices spanning deep history to the modern era.

The reviewer appreciates the book's ability to vividly bring London to life by using a narrative that combines contemporary scenes with voices from various historical periods. This technique offers a unique and immersive reading experience that captures the city's layered identity. They note that the book's mixture of period speech and modern narrative enriches the portrayal of London, making it not just a setting but a character in its own right. Readers interested in historical fiction and urban storytelling are likely to find this approach both refreshing and engaging.

Quick quotes

    London is illuminated through the voices of Neanderthal man, Saxon kings, anonymous invaders.

    A dazzling mixture of contemporary life and period speech.

    The novel offers a unique narrative perspective on the city.

Kobo · 2025-09-10
brilliant 4.50

The book is praised for its dazzling mixture of contemporary life and historical speech that illuminates London through many different perspectives.

This review draws attention to the novel's stylistic richness, where Maureen Duffy creatively mixes voices from Neanderthal man to Saxon kings with modern-day London life. This layering of time and narrative voices offers readers a vivid and kaleidoscopic view of the city, highlighting its deep historical roots and cultural complexity. The approach is described as dazzling, suggesting that the novel's linguistic and thematic ambition succeeds in creating a multi-dimensional portrait of London. It appeals to readers who enjoy experimental narrative forms and historical depth, making it a standout work in contemporary fiction about the city.

Quick quotes

    In a dazzling mixture of contemporary life and period speech, London is illuminated through the voices of Neanderthal man, Saxon kings, anonymous invaders.

    The novel captures the cultural and historical complexity of London.

    A kaleidoscopic view of the city that blends past and present.

AbeBooks · 2025-09-10
intriguing 4.25

The novel is appreciated for its unique narrative approach that captures London's layers of history and voices, blending past and present in a compelling way.

The reviewer highlights the novel's innovative structure, where a lone Londoner perceives the city's history through whispered voices beneath its surface. This approach offers a rich and imaginative exploration of London, engaging readers with a deep sense of place and time. The story's weaving of historical echoes into contemporary life creates a textured and thought-provoking reading experience that stands out in urban fiction. They emphasize the book's ability to evoke the spirit of London by merging different eras and voices, which adds complexity and depth to the narrative. This technique invites readers to consider the city's past as an active, living presence influencing the present, making the novel both intellectually stimulating and atmospherically vivid.

Quick quotes

    A lone Londoner maps the city, hearing beneath its surface the urgent whispers of the past.

    As he listens he grows convinced they are predicting London's future.

    The novel offers a compelling blend of historical voices and contemporary life.

Penguin Books · 2013-05-22
layered 4.00

The novel is recognized for its portrayal of London’s diverse inhabitants, including outcasts and immigrants, living side by side with more affluent residents. The narrator’s perspective and the depiction of various social spaces provide a layered and realistic view of London life.

This review emphasizes the social complexity within the novel, focusing on the lives of a variety of Londoners who inhabit different social spheres, from the bohemian to the more dangerous fringes of the city. The narrator, a native Londoner, offers an insider’s view that captures the city’s eclectic mix of people and places. The story portrays London as a living, breathing entity with a vibrant mix of cultures and experiences, highlighting the coexistence of different social classes and the transient nature of many of its inhabitants. The novel is appreciated for its authentic and nuanced depiction of urban life.

Quick quotes

    Many of the Londoners in this novel are outcasts - some are criminals in society’s eyes.

    Most are descended from adventurers and immigrants.

    The worlds they inhabit lie cheek by jowl with the worlds of the affluent and successful.

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