England, England

BookerPrizeFinalist"Wickedlyfunny."--TheNewYorkTimesImagineanEnglandwhereallthepubsarequaint,wheretheWindsorsbehavethemselves(mostly),wherethecliffsofDoverareactuallywhite,andwhereRobinHoodandhismerrymenreallyaremerry.Thisispreciselywhatvisionarytycoon,SirJackPitman,seekstoaccomplishontheIsleofWight,a"destination"wheretouristscanfindreplicasofBigBen(halfsize),PrincessDi'sgrave,andevenHarrod's(convenientlylocatedinsidethetowerofLondon).MarthaCochrane,hiredasoneofSirJack'sresident"no-people,"ablyassistshiminrealizinghisdream.Butwhenthislandofmake-believegraduallygetshorriblyandhilariouslyoutofhand,MarthadevelopsherownvisionoftheperfectEngland.JulianBarnesdelightsuswithanovelthatisatonceaphilosophicalinquiry,aburstofmischief,andamovingelegyaboutauthenticityandnationality.