Christmas Books
A selection of the best and most overrated books of the year, chosen by some of The Spectator's regular contributors
Anita Brookner
For me the most rewarding novel of the year was Albert Camus' Le Premier Homme (Gallimard, FF 100), written with a whole- heartedness and personal commitment to which we are no longer accustomed. At the other end of the scale, the wit and verve of Alain de Botton's The Romantic Movement (Macmillan, £14.99) promise well for the future of this very young writer. And 1 appreciated the latest novels of Ruth Ren- dell (Simisola, Hutchinson, £14.99) and P. D. James (Original Sin, Faber, £14.99). They are both consummate story-tellers, both obedient to Dickens's maxim: 'Make 'em laugh. Make 'em cry. Make 'em wait.' The rest, I fear, have left not a trace behind.
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