This week we’re reading

Writer and journalist Ben Hall’s first novel is an absorbing read. Although grim at times, it presents a variety of endearing characters, all of whom are connected with the Quarry Lane Estate in West London, which rose out of the ruins of the Second World War.

Each of the chapters tells the story of a Quarry dweller. Whilst no one actually interacts with the other nine Quarryites, the locations overlap and the overall presence of the housing estate ties the separate stories together.

The narratives begin with Jacky, who introduces readers to the activities at the local pub, The Falcon. His life is going nowhere and when fate presents him with a chance to change things, he needs to act. The bouncer at The Falcon is getting on in years and has seen it all. But his life holds a poignant secret. Mo (Mohammed) works at the local Paddy Power betting shop and gets more involved with the punters than he should. Nick and his mate spread their wings but end up realising that friendship can flourish anywhere. David the Postie heads back to the streets of his youth, to deliver his mail, but experiences a rude awakening.

Confirmed alcoholic Colin reaches out to Jane, who serves him his drinks every day. “Fix” recounts the sad wrecking of a betting addict’s resolution to stay away from temptation, and the resultant destruction of his family life. Grant tries to recover a former intimacy but his thoughtless actions come back to haunt him. The tragic unpredictability of life is poignantly highlighted in “Kate”. Finally, gay Quarry-dweller Gareth (or Katie, when he’s in drag) inadvertently causes his regular Friday night visitor, Stephen, to be outed to his wife, leading to mixed results in their lives.

The 10 vignettes of The Quarry focus on actual human stories in a depressing milieu, and resonate with Ken Loach’s film Sorry We Missed You, which is also born out of a vicious circle of poverty, brought about by decades of austerity and cuts. This wider political resonance is ever-present and bears topical scrutiny in the troubled times we live in. But as grim as life can be at this level of British society, the warmth of the human connection is ever-present. Love and hate, tenderness and rejection, are shown to be at odds, yet linked.

As we sit in enforced leisure during the time of the virus, this début novel is a wryly entertaining antidote against ennui.

Review by John Badenhorst. 8/10

By Ben Halls, Dialogue Books, £14.99. The Quarry