The Good Companions

This is a wonderful book, marvelously constructed with a lovely showbiz story that fulfills the reader's hopes while always being fresh and contemporary in feel -- though it's almost 100 years old. Such a good book to pass along!

This book is great. I'm not normally into comparisons - just don't expect anything below the high standard of Dickens or Thackeray. I think you may find this an easier read though. The Good Companions are a 3rd rate theatre company represented by an unusual assortment of characters, each of them on their own unique passage through life, intersecting in the forming of the Good Companions. It's a story that's rich in humour, pathos and humanity. Priestly's characters are as real as any you may expect to meet in similar setting, with the exception of one or two intentionally "larger than life" caricatures who provide an enjoyable excess of colour and movement. It is the realistic and detailed portrayal of each individual's journey that gives the story it's robustness. A lot can be learnt from these characters and their particular era of fast-moving social change. A deeper longing for a distant shore resides in the soul of each character and though not expressed in words, it underpins their relationship with one another and drives the reader on to a satisfying conclusion.