(1961), the first novel of Laura Del-Rivo (b. 1934), combines a portrait of London bohemian life in the late 1950s, existential explorations, and a thriller element. It would be filmed two years later by Michael Winner (1935-2013) as

(1963), with a script by Willis Hall (1929-2005) and Keith Waterhouse (1929-2009). The surname of the novel’s anti-hero, Joseph Ignatius (known as Joe) Beckett, inevitably recalls an earlier novel of a misfit protagonist in the capital,

(1938) by Samuel Beckett (1906-89). But

is not late-modernist in the

mode. Structurally, it is a fairly straightforward third-person narrative, told from Beckett’s viewpoint, which proceeds chronologically, apart from occasional flashbacks to Beckett’s past. But…

2635 words

Citation: Tredell, Nicolas. "The Furnished Room". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 July 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35040, accessed 27 November 2024.]