Tropic of Ruislip
Tropic of Ruislip is a 1970s novel by British author Leslie Thomas. It explores the British class divide and themes such as wife swapping. The book sold well, although Thomas' later work never matched the success of his first novel, The Virgin Soldiers, published in 1966.[1]
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Setting
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The book is set in the suburbs of London, specifically "Plummers Park", which is apparently a fictional version of Carpenders Park, where the author lived in the 1960s.[2] Carpenders Park railway station is on a commuter railway line. In the book a railway line marks a physical and social divide between a council estate and middle class housing, mirroring to some extent the real-life division between Carpenders Park and South Oxhey.
Other locations in the book include Watford, where the male protagonist Andrew is employed by a local newspaper. Ruislip is near Carpenders Park, as the title suggests, but receives little attention.
Adaptation
It was adapted for television in 1979 as "Tropic" with a cast including Ronald Pickup.[3]
References
- McKie, A (May 2014). "Leslie Thomas". heraldscotland.com.
- "'Tropic of Ruislip' author Leslie Thomas dies aged 83". Watford Observer. May 2014..
- "Tropic". British Comedy Guide (www.comedy.co.uk). Retrieved 2018-08-20.