The Great When

What The Great When is about

It is 1949, and eighteen-year-old Dennis Knuckleyard works in a second-hand bookshop in Shoreditch. Sent by his employer, Ada Benson, to collect some rare books by Arthur Machen, he comes back with something extra: a small volume called A London Walk. Ada tells him it comes from another London and was never meant to exist, and she wants it returned at once.

What follows takes Dennis out of his ordinary life and into a hidden version of the city, one with its own rules and its own dangers. Along the way he meets helpers, a few frightening figures from London's underworld, and real people from the period, including the painter Austin Spare. Alan Moore opens a planned five-book series here, mixing fantasy, the occult and crime with a deep fondness for old London. Readers who enjoy secret histories and strange, atmospheric adventures will feel at home.

Questions about The Great When

When was The Great When published?

The Great When by Alan Moore was first published in 2024.

Was The Great When one of the best books of 2024?

The Great When is #17 on BookWard's Best Books of 2024, out of 33 2024 books that cleared our data bar. 300 readers have shelved it on Open Library; its Wikipedia page averaged 2,807 views a month recently.

Why is The Great When on the Best Books of 2024 list?

300 readers have shelved it on Open Library; its Wikipedia page averaged 2,807 views a month recently.

More of the best books of 2024

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• The Women Kristin Hannah, #4
• Funny Story Emily Henry, #5
• The Wedding People Alison Espach, #6

See the full Best Books of 2024, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.