Set against the background of Thatcherite Britain in rural East Anglia, Wonderful Tonight plots the journey of Stuart Harvey, an above-average teacher, who has become frustrated and disillusioned by the job he is trying to do and quits. The novel chronicles the journey which takes him into the unknown as he forms a band in order to pursue his dream. The novel charts the establishment of the band and the successful first gig. Whilst Stuart struggles financially, taking on seasonal employment and going through some turmoil in order to maintain his own grip as part of a functioning family. The novel explores the effect Stuart’s decision to quit has on those around him and also explores the changes within himself via his inner guitarist, ‘alter’ ego Clem.
After a disastrous gig in rural Lincolnshire, the band breaks up leaving Stuart marooned in the wreckage of the consequences and in a darker phase of the novel looks again at the cumulative effect this has on those close to him. A series of events eventually rescues Stuart and sees him emerge from his relative depths back to his re-entry back into teaching where everyone including Stuart finally realises this is where he probably belongs.
Wonderful Tonight is named after a track by Eric Clapton which appeared on standard set lists for bands at the time and the novel contains numerous musical references from a wide range of musical genres.
In every sense, Wonderful Tonight is a journal of a journey, chronologically through a pivotal academic year in Stuart Harvey’s life, as well as through the mindscape of his experiences, as he travels from ‘normal’ to the role of anti-hero and back again.
Although based on the broader life experiences of the writer, Wonderful Tonight is not biographical and as it is set out of present-day context, a glossary of terms is included to help the reader who did not experience these times.
Wonderful Tonight |
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