First published 2000
Charles Cleasby spends his days in the basement of a Victorian London house, staging miniature versions of Admiral Nelson's greatest naval victories. He sees Nelson as England's perfect hero, a figure of pure light against his own shadowy existence. Charles works on what he believes will be the ultimate biography of his idol, helped by his typist Miss Lily. But Miss Lily starts asking uncomfortable questions about Nelson's true character. Meanwhile, Charles discovers historical evidence that chips away at Nelson's heroic image. Each revelation strikes at the foundation of Charles' carefully constructed world. His obsession with Nelson has become the center of his identity. As the gap widens between the Nelson of his imagination and the flawed man of history, Charles faces a crisis that threatens his grip on reality itself.
Genres: 20th-century, biographical-fiction, 19th-century, academic
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-study, unreliable-narrator
Setting: London, England
Period: Victorian Era
313 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books