New York 2

This reference to New York is made by Hans van den Broek, the protagonist of "Netherland", written by Joseph O'Neill (Harper Perennial, 2009) and suggested by the book club of my beloved local library, Dulwich Library, in London. "You might say, if you're the type prone to general observations, that New York City insists on memory's repetitive mower - on the sort of purposeful post-mortem that has the effect, so one is told and forlornly hopes, of cutting the grassy past to manageable proportions. For it keeps growing back, of course". Van den Broek is a cricket player.