... An intensely flavoured excavation of our times... wholly original.

... A brilliantly constructed contemporary novel, written with considerable style and illuminated with wit and intelligence on almost every page.

it's about love, friendship and the struggle to be true in a world that has lost its grip on certainties

The stock of the Dundee-raised journalist and author continues to rise with this impressive follow up

A breathtaking contemporary novel of love and war

works on so many levels: as a thriller, a love story, and a modern parable about greed and envy

Meek exhibits such a knowing sense of humor about it all...typically audacious

'Compellingly authentic.'

The message was short. 'I want to see you now. I want you to come to me, it doesn?t matter how late it is, and tell me exactly what you want from me.' Like the world around him, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, Adam Kellas?s life is showing distinct signs of cracking apart. Against his better judgement, Kellas ? divorced, unstable, spurned by his lover and by the world of letters ? accepts a war assignment from his newspaper. It is the beginning of a journey which takes him from the mountains of Afghanistan to the elegant dinner tables of north London, the marshlands of the American South and, ultimately, to the darkest realms of the human imagination. Only the memory of the beautiful, elusive Astrid, a fellow reporter in Afghanistan, offers him the possibility of hope. With all the explosive drama of The People?s Act of Love, James Meek?s new novel spans continents and cultures. It is a timeless tale of folly and the pursuit of love, set against the incendiary politics of our time.

The message was short. 'I want to see you now. I want you to come to me, it doesn't matter how late it is, and tell me exactly what you want from me.'Like the world around him, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, Adam Kellas' life is showing distinct signs of cracking apart. Against his better judgement, Kellas - divorced, unstable, spurned by his lover and by the world of letters - accepts a war assignment from his newspaper.It is the beginning of a journey which takes him from the mountains of Afghanistan to the elegant dinner tables of north London, the marshlands of the American South and, ultimately, to the darkest realms of the human imagination. Only the memory of the beautiful, elusive Astrid, a fellow reporter in Afghanistan, offers him the possibility of hope.With all the explosive drama of "The People's Act of Love", James Meek's new novel spans continents and cultures. It is a timeless tale of folly and the pursuit of love, set against the incendiary politics of our time.

2008-08-05 Capable of more

James Meek's latest book, We Are Now Beginning Our Descent is a more contemporary narrative than that of his previous novel, The People's Act of Love. Adam Kellas, a British journalist reporting from Afghanistan, falls in love with the enigmatic Astrid, only to be separated from her. His love for her and other doubts lead him to abandon his old friends and set off in search of Astrid. At the same time, Kellas is attempting to push through a glossy war-thriller novel for publication, but questions its artistic credibility.

This latter narrative strand, along with Meek's own journalistic past, means that it is tempting to view We Are Now Beginning Our Descent as autobiographical to a certain extent, or at least addresses issues directly relevant to Meek's own experiences in writing. One passage in particular suggests as much, when Kellas' friend M'Gurgan contemplates how and why people write. He suggests that there are two kinds of writers - bards, who write principally to entertain people ("He remembers the people he meets and makes history out of things that have only just happened") and priests, who search for higher meanings and ideas ("The way the priest sees it, truth is more important than happiness").

From the evidence here however it seems Meek is comfortable with both approaches. The book is a fast paced, entertaining read, but also raises big questions about the modern world - such as how can a war-time journalist ever be detached from the conflict he is reporting on? Or how can love survive in a world of such huge distances? (A point emphasised by the many different locations.) However, whilst accomplished and at times thought-provoking, I believe Meek capable of better. None of the characters inspire much sympathy or interest (Kellas in particular has little likeable about him) and few sections linger long in the mind after you have put the book down. Having said that, if you read and enjoyed The People's Act of Love then We Are Now Beginning Our Descent is well worth checking out - it illustrates Meek's imaginative breadth and his thoughts on the written word as a tool for entertainment and enlightenment. I would certainly recommend you read The People's Act of Love first however.