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Ernest Eccles, an elderly customer of the pub. She is torn between a possible escape from her dull routine and a potential marriage to a man she does not love. We are also introduced to Ella's mother, trapped in a loveless marriage to Ella's violent stepfather. One of the episodes is a replication of
167:
The first book in particular contains autobiographical elements—Hamilton worked in London pubs before becoming a successful writer, was infatuated with a prostitute at that time, and eventually died of liver failure caused by alcoholism. The books are also notable for their portrayal of working class
201:
is the shortest of the three stories, and recounts a little over twenty-four hours in Jenny's earlier life. She gets a new job as a housemaid to two elderly sisters, but later the same day along with her friend encounters three men in a bar. She elects to stand her erstwhile boyfriend up, gets drunk
228:
A common theme across all three stories is
Hamilton's use of "narrated monologue or free indirect discourse", wherein a single character's thoughts (in this trilogy Bob, Jenny and Ella respectively) are reproduced directly through the third-person narrator. This is particularly evident in the third
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tells the story of Bob, a sailor turned bar waiter who becomes infatuated with Jenny, a prostitute who visits the pub. Ella, the barmaid at the pub, is secretly in love with Bob. In one of the most autobiographical narratives
Hamilton ever wrote, Bob squanders his life savings on Jenny, whose lack
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and is involved in a car accident where there is a possible fatality. The following morning, having spent the night in the home of one of the men, she determines not to go back to the sisters' employ. Bob and Ella do not feature at all in this novel.
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No doubt you are through with me as I did not turn up today but Bob it was not my fault dear... And I have not had anything to eat all day dear as I have no money." (quoted by French, p. 95).
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section, where Ella is attempting to interpret Eccles' semi-coherent intentions, from trying to work out if a bunch of flowers are for her, to an apparent proposal of marriage.
212:, with Ella as the focus. Ella, still nursing a sublimated affection for Bob, has to deal with the increasingly unwelcome (and not always comprehensible) advances of the
396:... Well dear I suppose by this time you are finished with me... I havent had anything to eat all day not even a cup of tea so you can see how I feel dearest." (p. 95)
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of interest in Bob (beyond his money) is painfully evident to all but Bob. Eventually, Jenny loses all interest once Bob has spent all his savings on her.
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386:) details the extent of Hamilton's use of his own experiences: in the novel, Jenny writes a brief letter to Bob after she fails to meet him yet again:
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In the Spring of 1928, in near-identical circumstances, Hamilton had received a letter from his prostitute girlfriend Lily which read:
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362:"Is the world ready for him? A new BBC documentary and serialisation look set to revive the profile of Patrick Hamilton"
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164:(1934). They focus on three of the people who populate The Midnight Bell pub in London; the stories interconnect.
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Sean French, in his 1993 biography of
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Classic Serial: Twenty
Thousand Streets under the Sky
418:Titles Hamilton considered for this novel included
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299:. The three-part drama was also released on DVD,
145:is a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels by
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171:The trilogy was published in paperback by
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246:In November 1989 the novels appeared on
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269:In 2005, the books were serialised as
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272:Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky
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16:Series of novels by Patrick Hamilton
501:Novels by Patrick Hamilton (writer)
330:. Greenwich Exchange. p. 66.
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551:British novels adapted into films
295:, accompanied by the documentary
250:in three episodes, dramatised by
168:London in the inter-war period.
521:British autobiographical novels
432:There are Wheels Within Wheels
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208:is set during the events in
142:20,000 Streets Under the Sky
23:20,000 Streets Under the Sky
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243:was based on the trilogy.
546:Constable & Co. books
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511:Lagardère SCA franchises
474:www.nickhernbooks.co.uk
297:Words, Whisky and Women
324:Harding, John (2007).
86:Autobiographical novel
459:Retrieved 27 Nov 2021
447:Harding (2007), p. 22
420:Time Gentlemen Please
199:The Siege of Pleasure
158:The Siege of Pleasure
53:The Siege of Pleasure
526:Novels set in London
436:The Rain On the Roof
206:The Plains of Cement
162:The Plains of Cement
152:The three books are
56:The Plains of Cement
541:1934 British novels
536:1932 British novels
531:1929 British novels
438:(French, pp. 131-2)
262:, Emily Morgan and
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516:Literary trilogies
470:"Patrick Hamilton"
424:The Black Dispnser
405:Originally titled
291:. It was shown on
287:, and directed by
214:lower-middle class
35:1935 joint edition
252:Frederick Bradnum
223:The Midnight Bell
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368:. 18 April 2005.
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479:27 November
343:23 December
233:Adaptations
160:(1932) and
495:Categories
388:"Dear Bob,
311:References
285:Bryan Dick
281:Zoe Tapper
109:Media type
83:Discipline
275:starring
175:in 2004 (
104:1929–1934
101:Published
91:Publisher
293:BBC Four
217:that in
187:Synopsis
156:(1929),
428:All Out
305:Blu-ray
173:Vintage
133:5723581
75:Country
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301:HD DVD
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65:Author
112:Print
481:2021
434:and
380:ISBN
345:2012
332:ISBN
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