A new forty-story tower block on the edge of London houses a thousand tenants, stacked by income, with professionals on top and families lower down. When the building's services begin to fail, the residents start to form factions by floor and retreat from the outside world. Robert Laing, a doctor on the middle levels, Richard Wilder, a documentary maker who lives lower, and Anthony Royal, the architect in the penthouse, each play a part as order breaks down into territorial violence.
This is a cool, deadpan fable about class and modern architecture. It suits readers who like dystopian fiction rooted in the present, with no explanation and no rescue, and who can tolerate its cold tone.
Deep, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1975
- Language
- EN
