Filth

Old Filth is essentially dedicated to the portrait of one character. It introduces him by way of his colleagues, and we quickly learn that most people’s perception of Filth does not quite match Filth as he is. Much of Filth has been kept secret from public life, and thus Gardam draws the reader in: who is Filth, really?

Filth goes by many names in the novel. He is named Edward (Feathers) by his mother before she dies, and is variously referred to as “Teddy,” “Eddie,” and “Fevvers” throughout his boyhood. In later years, he becomes “Sir Edward Feathers,” “Filth” (Failed In London Try Hong Kong) and “Old Filth.” The multiplicity of names points to the many iterations of his life and self he has had, trying always to belong though his life never remains stable until he meets his wife, Betty, in Hong Kong.

The first version...