''Past Imperfect'' is a

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

Julian Fellowes Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, (born 17 August 1949) is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, and a Conservative peer of the House of Lords. He is primarily known as the author of s ...

, published in the UK in 2008. The main character, Damian, is trying to find out if he has fathered a son who he can leave his vast fortune to when he imminently dies.

Reception

Kate Kellaway, writing for ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', says "the book could not have been published at a less sympathetic moment" and that the book "is without moral reach and, more fatally still, lacks wit. Instead, there is lots of crude, misogynistic imagery." In ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', Raffaella Barker proclaims: "This is a book for a hot winter beach, an escape from life as we know it. Fellowes does us a huge favour in chronicling the world of class-bound aristocrats and their arcane snobbery."

References

{{Julian Fellowes 2008 British novels English novels Works by Julian Fellowes Weidenfeld & Nicolson books