Old Filth

by Jane Gardam

The first novel in the Old Filth trilogy.

Eddie Feathers is the real name of the famed lawyer known as Old Filth (Failed in London, Try Hong Kong). In his life, he has been a brilliant lawyer and a respected judge, but now he’s just an old widower.

How did Eddie get to this place in life? Well, it all goes back to his childhood as a Raj orphan. His sad, sad childhood.

He did not know his parents, he did not have any siblings, and he did not have any notably loving relationships. All Eddie had was himself. In fact, this sums it up best:

All my life, Tansy, from my early childhood, I have been left, or dumped, or separated by death, from everyone I loved or who cared for me. I want to know why.

What is most interesting about Eddie is that everyone seems to think that he lived a charmed (and boring) life. In fact, his life was full of pain, sorrow, adventure, and longing. His life was anything but easy or happy.

I enjoyed this novel, though it totally changes how I could have read the second book in the trilogy (which I read first). Still, it is great.
3/2/15