Old Filth cover

Old Filth

by Jane Gardam

The title, first of all, is an acronym, and stands for "Failed in London, Try Hong Kong." Old Filth -- or Dear Old Filth, when the story starts -- is Sir Edward Feathers, a wealthy old Englishman. As a penniless young man, Eddie Feathers left postwar London and made a magnificent fortune -- "a great stack of money" -- as a Hong Kong barrister, retiring as a judge and returning to England to live out his days.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?