BLAKE MORRISON South of the River ****

After something of a famine, at last another book I really enjoyed.

This is a novel set 'south of the river' - the part of London generally ignored by the trendy London set. And it's a great and easy read.

It centres on 5 days during the first 5 years of the New Labour government, starting with the election day. There are five characters, whose stories interweave throughout - Libby, a successful advertising executive; Nat her useless husband - a part-time English lecturer and would-be playwright; Anthea, a former student, who becomes his lover; Nat's uncle Jack, a fox-hunting businessman from Suffolk; and Nat's friend, Harry, a black journalist.

I was afraid it might be a heavy political novel, but it's not. While some of the political issues of the time get a mention they're more a backdrop to the action than its main subject matter.

The characters are beautifully drawn and I was rooting for all of them.