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Article: Peter Ackroyd dons a mediaeval doublet; But when it comes to telling tales Chaucer is still miles ahead of his 21st century counterpart.
- Article from:
- The Evening Standard (London, England)
- Article date:
- August 11, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: COLIN BURROW
THE CLERKENWELL TALES
by Peter Ackroyd (Chatto and Windus, [pounds sterling]15.99)
PETER Ackroyd is something of a specialist in books about the burden of the past, fanatical cruelty and London. He also likes dark conspiracies. The Clerkenwell Tales indulges all of these preoccupations. It is about the burden of the past, conspiracy, fanatical cruelty and Clerkenwell - an area of London which Ackroyd has elsewhere suggested has a permanent affinity with violence and radicalism.
It also has a topical side.
Religious extremists are blowing up holy sites in London. As they pick off more targets we discover ...