Review: God Is an Englishman

God Is an Englishman by R.F. Delderfield

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



God is an Englishman is historical fiction written in the 1970s about the Victorian era. I’ve always had a soft spot for this era, and only turned to historical fiction once I grew tired of re-reading my favorite classics of the period. Finally, I've found something that satisfies what I’ve been searching for ever since, something that goes beyond an individual or two who happen to be living in a Victorian setting.

This is different. It takes account of the sweeping social and economic turmoil of the Industrial Revolution while bringing individuals to life and capturing the energy of the age in a way that I haven’t felt since Dickens or Gaskell. But yet it has a tone and style completely its own, easy to read, and more direct in dealing with issues of intimacy in marriage or women’s roles, for example, than you get in the classics. (Don’t expect it to read just like a Dickens novel).

This first volume in the trilogy follows Adam Swann as he decides to leave the army and start a business back home. It may not sound very exciting, but I was surprised to find the details of Adam’s startup, from idea to fledgling to success, with ups and downs along the way, to be quite fascinating. Most historical novels focusing on the 1800s stick to the upper classes, and you wouldn’t even know the Industrial Revolution was going on at the same time. But here you get a very interesting picture of England, both urban and rural, with cotton mills and railroads taking over everything and changing the face of the country. You can feel the shifting energy and the clash of old and new. All of this is seen through the eyes of Adam as he puts his flexible mind to the question of how to succeed in the middle of it all while maintaining human dignity and avoiding exploitation. It’s an invigorating tale full of industry, hope, daunting challenges, and perseverance.

Although the business may seem to be the primary focus, Adam’s personal development is the true story. He learns, grows, and changes significantly as he is affected by people he deals with in his public and private lives, as well as external events that impact him.

He marries early on, and the story of his marriage is set alongside the story of his business. The marriage feels real with a full range of affection and distance, knowing and misunderstanding, trials, difficulties and surprises, and learning about the true nature of love. It manages to deal with these variations without growing cynical or using the struggles as an excuse to veer off into infidelity. Instead, they are opportunities for growth and increased understanding.

Aside from Adam, there are also two very capable women in the story who develop and grow significantly throughout the book. One is Adam’s wife, Henrietta. She starts out naive and shallow but with a spark of intelligence waiting to be coaxed into flame. She gradually blossoms and discovers depths and strength you wouldn’t expect, and I ended up actually respecting her.

The other one is Edith, a woman who works beside the men in Adam’s business and takes a special role in Adam’s development as well. Both of these women manage to break out of the mold of their rightful place in society, at least for a while, and I really loved how indispensable they became to Adam and his success. But the story does remain realistic enough that they end up back in the home, a quiet strength behind the men. This is not to say that the men aren't strong too. I liked that the men and women are essentially well-matched in strength and intelligence although their roles end up being traditional.

There are other less important characters as well. Adam’s handpicked managers each get a bit of the spotlight, and their stories add another dimension. I believe they are important in giving you a real feel for the time and place, adding geographical variety as well as interesting personalities. I have to admit that I skimmed some of these sections, though, because I wanted to get back to the main story and the details got a bit much for me at times. Still, they added an extra bit of flavor that I think was important looking back at the whole.

Essentially, this was really well done historical fiction. I cared about the characters, and I was not bored by historical details (mostly). At some points I wondered where it was going - there’s not much predictability in the sudden turns a man’s life can take - but overall there was momentum and motion and purpose, and satisfying change in the characters.

I’m still trying to decide if I want to read the second book. I really liked how this one ended, and sometimes it’s better to leave things alone. But as I find myself thinking about Adam and his family and his network, I am tempted to read on.



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