196:
through the tunnel and finds a box in the field that contains a pack of cigarettes. When Keith opens the packet, a slip of paper pops out with a single letter written on it: X. Another night, Stephen sneaks out to the tunnel and goes to the box once again; this time some clean clothes are inside. As he is looking through them, somebody appears behind him. Stephen is too scared to turn around and holds his breath hoping that he isn't noticed. Still holding a sock, Stephen runs away as soon as he cannot hear the sound of breathing behind him. His family are outside looking for him and are furious.
275:– A deeply introverted man, who spends most of his time in his shed working on various mechanical projects. He mostly ignores Keith, and only acknowledges Stephen's existence when it is apparent that he knows something he should not. He has a peculiar hold on his wife and is subtly conveyed as quite a nasty, mean-spirited individual. His anger at being unable to fight in the war like the rest of the men is channelled into a very calm (but all the more threatening)
211:. Keith and Stephen take bars and smash at the sheet until finally realising they may have killed the vagabond. They run and bump into Keith's mother in the tunnel. She holds back Stephen and tells him since he is not going to stop spying on her, he will have to do her favours for the man in the field. Stephen realises that Mrs. Hayward is not a German spy, but in fact helping the vagabond whom she has taken under her care.
366:
263:– A snobbish, domineering child with a worryingly vicious streak, possibly inspired by the cruelty his father bestows upon him whenever he misbehaves. His inherent snobbery has alienated most other children and his parents seem to largely ignore him, so in a sense he relies on Stephen for companionship, although he frequently condescends to and mistreats him.
29:
188:
husband, Uncle Peter, is away in the RAF), and walking through to the end of the cul-de-sac where she disappears into the nearby town. When the boys follow her, they cannot find her in any of the shops; and when they get back to their hiding place, Mrs. Hayward is already ahead of them, walking back into Keith's house.
214:
Stephen discovers the tramp is dying while taking eggs and milk to him, and is asked to give a silk map to Mrs. Hayward to show the man's love for her. However, Stephen is too scared to do so and later that night sees the police taking him away on a stretcher, his face badly mutilated after being hit
199:
The next day, when Keith is doing homework, Mrs. Hayward visits
Stephen in his hiding place in the bushes and tells him that she knows he is following her, and that he should stop now before he gets hurt. Despite this, Stephen shows Keith the sock, not telling him about Mrs. Hayward's warnings, and
195:
leads them to believe that 'x' is another secret agent that Mrs. Hayward has meetings with each month. One day, the boys realise that Keith's mother does not turn left into the town every day, but instead turns right into a grimy tunnel that leads to a disused field. Later that night, Stephen goes
187:
working for the
Germans. As the two boys spy on Mrs. Hayward from a hiding place in the hedges, they notice her unusual daily routine: leaving Keith's house with a picnic basket full of food, tapping on the window of Auntie Dee (Mrs. Hayward's sister, next-door-neighbour and best friend, whose
269:– A mysterious character, implied as being very attractive. She vanishes for various amounts of time throughout the day for no apparent reason, leading her son to believe that she may be an undercover operative. She has a distant relationship with her husband and seems vaguely scared of him.
230:
for revealing very important information that helps
Stephen understand the mysteries he is uncovering. Barbara is also an important part of Stephen's transition from the childish world that he shared with Keith to the adult world, filled with complications but also understanding.
285:– A school peer of Keith and Stephen, who shows an interest in Stephen and occasionally accompanies him on his adventures. She often appears bossy and annoys Stephen, although it appears that he may have a slight crush on her. Barbara serves as a
183:
Now a young boy, Stephen, regularly bullied at school and bored with his home life, is informed by his best friend Keith
Hayward, a snobbish and domineering neighbour, that Keith's mother is an
226:
A subplot is also included in the novel, where
Stephen finds comfort in Barbara Berrill – a girl Stephen's age living in his neighbourhood – who is used as a
191:
When snooping in Keith's mother's room, they find her diary which contains a small 'x' marked on a day of every month (in reference to her menstrual cycle). The boys'
558:
548:
409:
518:
351:
157:
329:
was well-received by the literary community, with many critics praising Frayn for his creative and original approach. Upon release,
203:
The next day, the boys revisit the field where they find the box empty. A few feet ahead of them they see something hiding under an
112:
104:
543:
215:
by a train. Fifty years later, Stephen ties up the loose ends, explaining that the vagabond was in fact Uncle Peter who had gone
568:
553:
573:
563:
219:
and was carrying out an affair with Keith's mother while dying from war wounds. As well as this, it turns out that there
533:
28:
538:
223:
a German spy living in the cul-de-sac: Stephen's father, although he was actually working for the
British.
307:– Auntie Dee's husband, a handsome young man currently fighting abroad. He has garnered a reputation as a
347:
276:
447:
421:
141:
510:
301:– Mrs. Hayward's sister, whom she sees every day. Described as very bubbly and a frequent smiler.
514:
208:
177:
120:
108:
99:
173:
58:
473:
335:
243:– A shy boy who finds himself drawn into Keith's games and is a frequent target of school
200:
says that they need to uncover the truth before Keith's mother's next meeting with 'x'.
527:
379:
371:
169:
145:
192:
184:
339:
saying on the consensus "Not quite a consensus, but most largely very impressed".
398:
286:
227:
204:
506:
365:
361:
156:, literature students in various schools. It is also studied by some Year 12
308:
244:
127:
172:, an elderly man, Stefan Weitzler, reminisces about his life during the
149:
289:
for revealing important information at certain times during the novel.
350:
of the year for achievement in literary excellence, and the 2002
216:
153:
248:
121:
333:
was generally well-received among
British press. Globally,
94:
302 pp (hardback edition) & 272 pp (paperback edition)
295:- Barbara's older sister who "meets up" with Geoff.
119:
98:
90:
82:
74:
64:
54:
46:
38:
251:, and seems to be sexually attracted to Barbara.
247:. The book hints at that Stephen suffers from
176:as he wanders down the now modernised London
8:
21:
448:"Books of the moment: What the papers say"
422:"Books of the moment: What the papers say"
27:
20:
391:
317:- The baby daughter of Dee and Peter.
7:
352:Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize
14:
364:
144:by English author and dramatist
86:Print (hardback & paperback)
160:English students in Australia.
559:Novels set during World War II
549:Costa Book Award-winning works
454:. 16 February 2002. p. 56
1:
428:. 9 February 2002. p. 58
148:. It is currently studied by
513:(London: York Press, 2007)
168:Narrating in the form of a
590:
257:– Stephen's older brother.
180:that he once called home.
107:(hardback edition) &
26:
569:Faber & Faber books
544:Novels by Michael Frayn
554:British bildungsromans
354:for comic literature.
16:Novel by Michael Frayn
574:Psychological novels
564:Novels set in London
348:2002 Whitbread Novel
185:undercover operative
534:2002 British novels
452:The Daily Telegraph
426:The Daily Telegraph
346:went on to win the
142:psychological novel
115:(paperback edition)
23:
322:Critical reactions
133:
132:
75:Publication place
59:Faber & Faber
581:
490:
489:
487:
485:
480:. 4 October 2023
470:
464:
463:
461:
459:
444:
438:
437:
435:
433:
418:
412:
407:
401:
396:
374:
369:
368:
342:Once published,
241:Stephen Wheatley
174:Second World War
123:
66:Publication date
31:
24:
589:
588:
584:
583:
582:
580:
579:
578:
524:
523:
499:
497:Further reading
494:
493:
483:
481:
478:Complete Review
472:
471:
467:
457:
455:
446:
445:
441:
431:
429:
420:
419:
415:
408:
404:
397:
393:
388:
370:
363:
360:
336:Complete Review
324:
293:Deirdre Berrill
283:Barbara Berrill
237:
166:
83:Media type
67:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
587:
585:
577:
576:
571:
566:
561:
556:
551:
546:
541:
539:English novels
536:
526:
525:
522:
521:
519:978-1405861830
498:
495:
492:
491:
465:
439:
413:
402:
390:
389:
387:
384:
383:
382:
376:
375:
359:
356:
323:
320:
319:
318:
312:
302:
296:
290:
280:
270:
264:
258:
255:Geoff Wheatley
252:
236:
233:
165:
162:
131:
130:
125:
117:
116:
102:
96:
95:
92:
88:
87:
84:
80:
79:
78:United Kingdom
76:
72:
71:
68:
65:
62:
61:
56:
52:
51:
48:
44:
43:
40:
36:
35:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
586:
575:
572:
570:
567:
565:
562:
560:
557:
555:
552:
550:
547:
545:
542:
540:
537:
535:
532:
531:
529:
520:
516:
512:
509:Advanced) by
508:
504:
501:
500:
496:
479:
475:
469:
466:
453:
449:
443:
440:
427:
423:
417:
414:
411:
406:
403:
400:
395:
392:
385:
381:
380:Michael Frayn
378:
377:
373:
372:Novels portal
367:
362:
357:
355:
353:
349:
345:
340:
338:
337:
332:
328:
321:
316:
313:
310:
306:
303:
300:
297:
294:
291:
288:
284:
281:
278:
274:
271:
268:
265:
262:
261:Keith Hayward
259:
256:
253:
250:
246:
242:
239:
238:
234:
232:
229:
224:
222:
218:
212:
210:
206:
201:
197:
194:
189:
186:
181:
179:
175:
171:
170:bildungsroman
163:
161:
159:
155:
151:
147:
146:Michael Frayn
143:
139:
138:
129:
126:
124:
118:
114:
113:0-571-21296-4
110:
106:
105:0-571-21286-7
103:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
69:
63:
60:
57:
53:
49:
45:
42:Michael Frayn
41:
37:
33:First edition
30:
25:
19:
502:
482:. Retrieved
477:
468:
456:. Retrieved
451:
442:
430:. Retrieved
425:
416:
405:
394:
343:
341:
334:
330:
326:
325:
314:
304:
298:
292:
282:
272:
267:Mrs. Hayward
266:
260:
254:
240:
225:
220:
213:
202:
198:
190:
182:
167:
140:(2002) is a
136:
135:
134:
70:1 April 2002
18:
511:Anne Rooney
410:Independent
305:Uncle Peter
287:plot device
273:Mr. Hayward
228:plot device
152:, and some
528:Categories
507:York Notes
386:References
299:Auntie Dee
235:Characters
205:iron sheet
178:cul-de-sac
484:4 October
55:Publisher
358:See also
309:war hero
209:vagabond
164:Synopsis
128:48236279
47:Language
474:"Spies"
458:19 July
432:19 July
399:Comment
277:persona
245:bullies
193:naïveté
150:A-Level
50:English
517:
111:
39:Author
22:Spies
503:Spies
344:Spies
331:Spies
327:Spies
315:Milly
137:Spies
91:Pages
515:ISBN
486:2023
460:2024
434:2024
217:AWOL
207:– a
154:GCSE
122:OCLC
109:ISBN
100:ISBN
249:OCD
221:was
158:VCE
530::
476:.
450:.
424:.
505:(
488:.
462:.
436:.
311:.
279:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
