Review
The Outcast is the story of Lewis Aldridge, a
troubled nineteen-year-old just returning to his family
after a two-year stint in prison. Much of the book relates
the series of events that eventually lead to Lewis's arrest,
with the last third relating the aftermath of his
homecoming.
The novel's framework is the 1950s middle-class stereotype
which both American and UK readers will find familiar. The
husband goes off to work every day; the wife's chief
responsibilities are to look good and meet her spouse at the
door with a drink and a smile when he returns. There are
parties in the garden, tennis matches on the lawn, and
everyone goes to church on Sunday. Jones deftly describes
these clichéd scenes, but always with an eye toward exposing
the hypocrisy that lies...
Beyond the Book
Surrey
The landscape in which
The Outcast is set plays a
large role in the overall feel of the novel. Much of the
story takes place in the county of
Surrey, just south of London. Most of Surrey
lies in the "Green Belt" (a ring of rural land around London
protected from excess development), making it a popular
place of residence for those commuting into London who can
afford the high house prices. With a population of about
1.1 million, Surrey is the most populated rural country in
England, but there is still plentiful
open space and large areas of woodland. In fact, Surrey
is the most wooded county in England, with over 1/5th of the...
