Barbara Trapido's 'Brother of the More Famous Jack' Reissued by NYRB Classics

NYRB Classics has reissued Barbara Trapido's 1982 novel 'Brother of the More Famous Jack,' a book that has remained in print since its original publication and has been passed among devoted readers. Trapido, now 84, wrote the novel in her fortieth year while living in Oxford with her husband Stanley, a professor, and their children. The story follows Katherine, a young woman from a conventional background who becomes entangled with the Goldman family, a bohemian, intellectual clan. The novel won a Whitbread Prize for fiction and was praised for its sharp depiction of a raucous family, often compared to Nancy Mitford's 'The Pursuit of Love.' Trapido, born in South Africa to German-speaking parents, moved to England in 1963. She wrote the book in longhand at her kitchen table after her children were asleep, speaking every word aloud. Initially rejected by Jonathan Cape, it was accepted by Victor Gollancz and published with minimal edits. The reissue features an introduction by Mick Herron and an afterword by Rachel Cusk. Trapido's other novels include 'Temples of Delight' (1990), 'Juggling' (1994), and 'The Travelling Hornplayer' (1998). She has toyed with writing a sequel focusing on the Goldmans, and says she can still hear their voices.