The Long Firm

"What's breaking into a bank compared with founding one?" Bertolt Brecht's provocative question opens Jake Arnott's first novel The Long Firm and sets the scene for its memorable exploration of the London underworld at the beginning of the 1960s. Five very different characters tell their five very different stories about "Torture Gang Boss" Harry Starks. A man who "liked to break people" but also a "frightened little child" is how his lover and kept boy Terry recalls him; a "lower-class tearaway", according to the Tory lord who frequents his erotic parties; a depressive with a diabolical mind, one who likes to "stage manage the fear", in the eyes of his various criminal and starlet peers; a product of working-class subculture and a living critique of capitalism, concludes the radical young sociologist who teaches him in prison. Harry Starks is the beginning and end of The Long Firm, a compelling showman who embodies the brutal realism and impossible dreams at the heart of Arnott's vision of London low life. The glamour and corruption of that life drive this story but Arnott manages to weave cliche into enigma, myth into inquiry, in a way that revitalises the well-worn images of the mad and the bad. As Starks would put it, keeping Brecht's question before the readers' eyes, "It's all about the economy of power, Lenny". --Vicky Lebeau

View other editions of The Long Firm.
View books by Jake Arnott.

Gripping gangster story - Rated
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Arnott's central character of the gay gangster Harry Starks is charismatic, enigmatic and deeply disturbed. His story is told through the eyes of 5 other characters, all whom are given their own distinct voice and offer a perspective on him from the point of view of a boyfriend, a love rival, a political contact, a criminal on the edge and a 70s sociologist.

The story's got a great scope, taking the reader from the early 60s to 1979 and Arnott has a great feel for the history and culture going on around his plot.

If I had a complaint, it's that the final section, told by a sociologist, is a little slower than the rest. We get a great deal of sociological theory on the nature of deviance which is interesting, but gets in the way of the plot and I wasn't that interested in the sociologist's domestic breakdown as his wife becomes a radical feminist lesbian.

That aside, it's definitely a book that's worth a few hours of anyone's time.

An ambitious sweep across the decades...... - Rated
Well researched story of sixties London gangland told from different perspectives - rentboy, would be actress, corrupt MP, fellow criminal Jack the Hat and hippy sociology lecturer. Focuses on Harry Starks, a charismatic gangster with very brutal tendencies.

An ambitious sweep across the decades which includes factual figures - Kray brothers, Judy Garland etc. The inclusion of the sociology/Open University part was very entertaining and there was a satisfactorily dramatic ending. I listened to The Long Firm on an audiobook - very well read by Dave John.

The first book I have read by Jake Arnott - but will certainly look out for more....

Fantastic - Rated
This is an episodic, fantastic page turner set in the 60's. The Kray comparisons are very obvious, but do not spoil or detract from this page turner.
Sex-Drugs-Violence-Crime-60'S Glamour and Grime are all to be found in spades in this book. Not for the faint hearted.
The central character Harry Sparkes is big enough to carry any novel of this genre, or most other genres, The minor characters all have their part to play, and are skilfully written.
Fantastic, I recommend it, even if like me, you have no interest in the Krays or 60's swinging gangland London.
PS Did I say I thought it was Fantastic?

Good well researched read (but not the claimed masterpiece) - Rated
Having lived through the sixties and in many of the areas of London covered by this book plus I fear read one too many books on the Krays, I looked forward to this with some expectation. Sadly while a fascinating and well written read given the interaction of the key characters and the sixties backdrop, I ended up feeling the whole package was a bit contrived (the gay peer and the "on the edge of fame" sixties actress being the worst cases).

One suspects too much rose tinted retrospective by critics may be partly to blame for the aura surrounding the book and subsequent TV drama but for me it was worth the price just for the spot on characterisation of Jack the Hat McVitie - the fact such a marginal character in the Kray story gets delivered here in his full warts and all glory, proves Arnott is a writer who should be watched out for.

Amazing!! - Rated
Wow. From the moment I started the first chapter I knew this was going to be the business. This book takes you back to sixties London, through the eyes of five compelling characters. Each with their own story of evolvement with a top level gangster, Harry Starks. Whats amazing about this book is that there is no dead wood. Each story is utterly compelling. One of these chapters is a story about real life gangster Jack The Hat, told from a first person point of view and includes an account of his real life murder by the Krays...its genius. Anyone from London will find Arnotts description of seedy London in the sixties mega interesting, and the detail and pictures they paint in your mind is brilliant. Jake Arnott had definately done his homework. I cannot recommend this enough to be honest, its the best piece of fiction I've ever read. Go buy it right now!!!