Old Filth

Why people recommend it

Old Filth by Jane Gardam is a celebrated novel that portrays the life of an aging former judge and his complex, deeply buried past within the British Empire. On an episode of The Book Review titled Marlon James Talks About His Epic New Trilogy, guest Marlon James cited Jane Gardam's novel Old Filth as an important literary precedent for multi-perspective trilogies, explaining that the book forms part of a series told through different shifting points of view. Later, on another episode of The Book Review titled American Apartheid, guest Greg Coles also brought up the publication, briefly mentioning that he was currently reading the novel Old Filth by Jane Gardam and describing the experience simply as wonderful. Both contributors highlighted the enduring appeal and structural richness of Gardam's fiction, drawing attention to how the narrative effectively captures the nuances of character and history across distinct vantage points, making it a recurring point of appreciation among writers and critics discussed on the podcast.