Narrated by Vikas Adam
If you like the sound of an historical romance in which one of the principal characters makes his living by selling pornographic literature and the other is an uptight lawyer, then you need look no further. In Unfit to Print, K.J. Charles has crafted a romantic, witty and socially observant story in which two long-lost friends reunite to solve a mystery while they ponder morality and sexuality, and try to work out how – and even if – they can ever again be what they once were to each other.
Gilbert Lawless is surprised – to say the least – when he’s asked to attend his half-brother’s funeral. Matthew Laws was a complete git who wanted nothing to do with his illegitimate, half-breed mulatto brother and had sixteen-year-old Gil cast onto the streets before their father’s body was cold. Even more surprising is the discovery that the sanctimonious bastard had amassed a truly amazing amount of porn during his lifetime. Gil – who owns a small bookshop in Holywell Street (which was the centre of the pornography trade at this point in time) and both writes and sells erotic fiction – has never seen anything like it, which, considering his line of work, is saying something!
But of course, there was an ulterior motive behind the invitation. The family wants the library of illicit books and pictures got rid of as quickly and quietly as possible, and what’s the point of having a purveyor of porn in the family if he can’t be made useful? Gil isn’t too wild about the idea of carting everything away – he certainly won’t be able to sell it all from his own shop, and some of the stuff isn’t worth all that much; but he changes his mind when he comes across a copy of Jonathan: or, The Trials of Virtue – “one of the most precious rarities in his line, an incredibly rare a cross between a pornographic novel and a Gothic romance, featuring an innocent young gentleman and the heroes and villains—all male—who pursued him.” Only ten copies were ever printed, and this one is probably worth more than everything else in Laws’ collection put together – not that Gil plans on selling it. So… a deal is struck, and the mountain of filth is conveyed to London where, while combing through some of the albums of photos, Gil is surprised to see a face he knows looking back at him. The face of a young man – a rent boy – who was found beaten to death in an alley a few weeks earlier.
Vikram Pandey comes from a well-to-do Indian family – his father was a high-ranking government official – although Vik was brought up and educated in England. He read law at Oxford and now works as a solicitor in London where he divides his time between paying clients and pro bono work for the poor Indian workers barely eking out an existence in the East End. He receives a letter from the Guptas in Shad Thames (the area of London around Tower Bridge), begging him to help find their sixteen-year-old son, Sunil, who has gone missing. Vik knows the boy was most likely selling himself in order to help support his family, and recalling his own distress when his best friend disappeared from school one day without word or trace, he agrees to see what he can do to help.
Before he disappeared, Sunil left his family a framed, professionally-taken photograph of himself, so Vik decides to start at the photographer’s – in Holywell Street. Vik knows exactly the sort of trade engaged in by the proprietors of the various establishments there and isn’t surprised when he draws blanks from the shopkeepers, given one wrong word could see them brought up on indecency charges. Frustrated and annoyed at coming up against yet another dead end, Vik is debating what to do next when he finds himself looking up at the shop-sign of Gilbert Lawless, Bookseller – and thinks he must be seeing things. Vik hasn’t seen or heard from Gil since he disappeared from school without warning or explanation some thirteen years earlier, and after Vik’s enquiries about his disappearance were met with nothing but silence, he was forced to concede that Gil was likely dead – because it was easier than believing that his dearest friend had abandoned him without a word.
Their unexpected reunion is somewhat awkward at first – or it is on Vik’s part, because Gil is as breezy and good-humoured as he ever was, and is at a loss to understand Vik’s anger and bitterness. But there’s no room for long, drawn-out misunderstandings here; Vik and Gil clear the air fairly quickly, their “odd couple” personalities – tightly controlled Vik and laid-back Gil – providing some wonderfully humorous moments and allowing a deeper insight into their characters. Gil’s treatment at the hands of his family has left him wary of trusting anyone and forming relationships, while Vik has bolted down the lid on his emotions and ruthlessly suppresses the desires he tells himself he shouldn’t have. The men are complete opposites in so many ways, and yet they just fit, the bond – and mutual attraction – that developed between them when they were younger as strong as it ever was.
If the novella has a weakness, it’s that the mystery plotline is resolved a little quickly, but that wasn’t really an issue, as I was happy with the focus remaining on Gil and Vik and their second-chance love story.
I knew before I started listening that Vikas Adam is a very experienced narrator, but as he mostly narrates books in genres I don’t generally gravitate towards, I’ve not listened to him before. I will admit to having been a little wary, especially given that the narration in The Henchmen of Zenda and Spectred Isle (also published by Tantor) didn’t meet my expectations or, more importantly, do the books justice. Thankfully, however, Unfit to Print has fared better than either of those titles; Mr. Adam sounds invested in and emotionally attuned to the story, and in spite of an occasionally wobbly English accent (according to his bio, Mr. Adam hails from British Columbia and lives in the US), and the odd mispronunciation, delivers an accomplished and satisfying performance. His voice is smooth and very easy on the ear, pacing in both narrative and dialogue is just right, character differentiation is good throughout, and his portrayals of Gil and Vik work really well. The clipped, precise tones he adopts for Vik convey the character’s highly controlled, uptight personality perfectly, and contrasts nicely with Gil’s slightly higher pitched congeniality and less polished accent.
Unfit to Print is the perfect example of K.J. Charles’ trademark combination of fascinating historical detail, winsome humour, and characters who feel real and of their time. Paired with Vikas Adam’s engaging narration, I count it four-and-a-half hours very well spent.
Caz
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