On The Wall by Anne Fine
a new novel from author of Madame Doubtfire, Goggle-Eyes,, Bill’s New Frock, The Tulip Touch and many more
In Finley Tandy, the central figure in her new novel, Fine has created a character as vivid as Melville’s Bartleby. But where Melville’s story is a tragedy, Fine’s is a heart-warming comedy
Madame Doubtfire, Goggle-Eyes, Bill’s New Frock, Flour Babies, The Tulip Touch… all great, great books, and only a fraction of Anne Fine’s bibliography in her long career as a writer for children of all ages, and for adults too. Visit her Wikipedia page to see for yourself. Twice winner of the Carnegie Medal and of many other awards, especially in the 1990s, Fine is now published by Old Barn Books, a small, indie press.
In Finley Tandy, the central figure in her new novel, Fine has created a character as vivid as Melville’s Bartleby. But where Melville’s story is a tragedy, Fine’s is a heart-warming comedy that follows a group of Y7 children and their form tutor (Mr Goodhew) during a single school year.
What an idyllic secondary school this is — one in which teachers look out for one another, and students do the same. That is not a criticism. It is a legitimate function of ‘fiction’ to present the world as it might be if everyone were a little more considerate than they are in real life and worked as a team. There have been plenty of…
