Absolute Beginners

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Title Absolute Beginners~
Author Colin MacInnes
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre(s) Novel
Publisher MacGibbon & Kee
Released 1959
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages ? (1st edition), & 208 pages (paperback)
ISBN ISBN 0-7490-0540-8 (paperback)
Preceded by City of Spades
Followed by Mr. Love and Justice
This article is about the book Absolute Beginners. For the film, see Absolute Beginners (film). For the David Bowie song, see Absolute Beginners (song).

Absolute Beginners is a bestselling novel by Colin MacInnes, written and set in 1958 London, England. It was published in 1959.

Contents

[edit] Plot introduction

The novel describes the rise of a bohemian, style-conscious youth culture, a culture that would become the Mod movement, as seen through the eyes of a nineteen year-old teenager who freelances as a photographer. It describes the fomenting racial tensions of the time in Notting Hill and the influence of the media on public opinion and popular violence.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The novel focuses on a young photographer who records the seedy bohemian night-life in 1958 London, and his views on the infamous 1958 race riots in Notting Hill. The narrator regards himself as an insider on 'the scene' and exposes the workings of the new teenage sub-culture in idiomatic slang. MacInnes used his journalistic background to inform his fictional writings and many of the events of the novel are taken from real-life events, such as the defense of a young black man from an angry crowd by a middle aged greengrocer's wife during the riots. The narrators various friends span all the teenage subcultures, giving the book a colourful range of minor characters, whose lives give MacInnes range to analyse various elements of pop culture such as factionalism in the Jazz world. The action spans the summer of 1958 and is sectioned chronologically into months, with titles such as "In July". This, along with the refusal to use an omnipotent narrator, gives the book a very up-to-date style. The narratorial voice is both flawed and naive, taking a faux-cynical view of the world which quickly reverts to an idealistic and moralistic tone when the rioting breaks out- the narrator is passionately anti-racist and egalitarian and is deeply shocked by the violence. The book builds the personal plot against the background of the rise of developer-sponsored youth gangs of teddy boys who are terrifying people out of their homes so the rundown neighbourhood can be gentrified.

[edit] Characters in "Absolute Beginners"

  • The narrator - 19 year-old unnamed photographer who chronicles life "on the scene"
  • Crepe Suzette - secretary to Henley and later his wife, the love interest of the story
  • Henley - 40 year-old gay fashion designer
  • Verne - 25-year-old half-brother of the narrator
  • Wiz - the streetwise friend of the narrator who becomes a pimp, and later joins the fascist supporters during the riots
  • Mr. Cool - the narrator's black friend who is threatened by the local teddy boys to leave the area
  • Vendice - the Advertising man who exploits the narrator
  • Ed the Ted - the teddy boy who threatens Mr. Cool
  • Flikker - the fascist thug who does Henley's dirty work
  • Arthur

[edit] Major themes

  • Racial tension, teenage subculture, social documentary, pop culture and the influence of the media, national identity crises in post-war Britain
Spoilers end here.

[edit] 1980s revival and film adaptation

The novel enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in the early 1980s, mostly due to Paul Weller - then at the height of his success with The Jam - repeatedly citing it as his favourite book in interviews, and even recording a song with The Jam (albeit not one of their most highly regarded) entitled "Absolute Beginners".

Subsequently the novel was made into the 1986 UK musical film Absolute Beginners, directed by Julien Temple and featuring Patsy Kensit and a performance by David Bowie.1 The song "Absolute Beginners" was composed by David Bowie for this film and appears on the movie soundtrack and on versions of Best of Bowie albums.2 Unsurprisingly there was also a Paul Weller contribution, with The Style Council's "Have You Ever Had It Blue" appearing on the soundtrack.

The film is a stylized allegory of youth vs. the establishment and includes some pointed commentary on race relations in the 50s, English fascists and advertising manipulation. Bowie plays the advertising manipulator. A young Bruce Payne plays the part of Flikker, a neo-fascist thug who leads a gang of teddy boys.

[edit] Release details

[edit] References

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../a/b/s/Absolute_Beginners_b541.html"