The Man in the Seventh Row and Related Stories of the Human Condition

by Brian Pendreigh

The original 2011 version of the novel got great reviews. It is now republished in an expanded edition, with a new ending. And a new title The Man in the Seventh Row and Related Stories of the Human Condition. It is now complete and better.
What happened that turned one man's world inside out?

Roy is a film fan. He loves the cinema.

Maybe he loves the cinema a little too much. Lately, things have been going wrong. He settles into his favourite seat to watch an old movie, but he's not seeing what he expects to see. No matter the film – The Graduate, Brief Encounter, The Magnificent Seven – he finds himself sucked from his seventh- row seat into the heart of the action on the big screen.

Roy's everywhere. Playing lead roles in dozens of classic movies. A fantasy come true? Or a living nightmare?

Praise for the original 2011 version of The Man In The Seventh Row

"A most unusual novel, proving emphatically that life is possible both inside and outside the cinema! It’s a very nice lend of the real, the fictional and the dream world and I really don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it before." – Barry Norman

"…hugely enjoyable. Pacy, sharp and witty – in the proper sense – it is a novel that baby boomers and film buffs will strongly relate to, and all enthusiasts of unusual – of original – fiction will take great pleasure in." – Andrew Marr

Brian Pendreigh is a film critic based in Edinbugh. He is the author of nine non-fiction titles, including Ewan McGregor (Orion) and The Legend of the Planet of the Apes: Or How Hollywood Turned Darwin Upside Down (Boxtree). The Man In The Seventh Row is his debut novel.

THERE IS NOW A NEW DIRECTOR'S CUT EDITION "THE MAN IN THE SEVENTH ROW AND RELATED STORIES OF THE HUMAN CONDITION" WHICH CONCLUDES WITH A SHORT STORY THAT ADDS A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO THE NOVEL.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Paperback

First published October 27, 2011

About the author

Brian Pendreigh is an award-winning writer and journalist, whose regular outlets have included The Guardian (1999-2007), The Times and The Scotsman. He has written several film books and most recently was editor of The Times on Cinema (2018). He was twice Britain’s Film Journalist of the Year and his work has been picked by the Scottish Examination Board for English interpretation questions. He is a keen long-distance runner and pub quizzer (with wins on Mastermind, Eggheads, 15 to 1 and Only Connect). He lives in Portobello, Edinburgh. His lounge overlooks the Pentland Hills and his bedroom looks out to the sea and romance.

You can follow Brian on Twitter @BrianPendreigh

Reviews

[Rosemary (grooving with the Picts) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!
I'll admit I chose it to read intially because one of the settings is local to me. It took me a while to get into, but once I did the story ran away with me until I had finished the book in a sitting. Flashback scenes of Roy's childhood holidays in North Berwick rang true, I enjoyed his relationship with his father and the descriptions of the many cinemas Roy visited as he grew up. Brilliant read for film lovers in particular. (edit for typo)

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Roy Batty who as a young boy was a film fanatic and saw many classic films of the 60s and 70s. Still a film buff as an adult, he finds himself watching himself playing the familiar characters on the big screen from his seat in the Seventh Row. I'm sure that many people have imagined themselves in a favourite film, to escape into that different world, what they'd do, how they'd react in certain situations and so on. It seems that Roy is getting to live out this fantasy - or is it all in his head?

Film fans will love the references to films throughout the years. They brought back so many memories for me of when I was younger and going to the cinema was a big event. As you read you feel a bit like you are watching a film of this man's life yourself, that you're a bit of a voyeur. Roy is a fascinating character. I really enjoyed his boyhood cinema trips either in Edinburgh or North Berwick. Equally intriguing are his experiences watching himself on the big screen - just what was going on there?

The Man in the Seventh Row is a very clever well-written novel, with a wealth of information about film history, without it feeling like you are reading a history book. The short stories at the end of the book picking up on a few minor characters or themes from the main novel, round the book off nicely almost coming full circle. I really recommend The Man in the Seventh Row to any cinema goers who will enjoy reliving their youth. This highly unusual and compelling read will also appeal to anyone who enjoys thought-provoking literary fiction.

[John Hutcheon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a real hidden gem which I can heartily recommend. While a love of the movies (and cinemas) helps, it is a book more than worth reading even if that isn’t your thing. Anyone who can remember the excitement of being a wee boy sitting in the cinema waiting for the lights to dim and the film to start will relate to this book though. Alongside this there is a fair bit of nostalgia for 1960s/1970s Edinburgh and East Lothian, along with a palpable yearning for that precious childhood time spent with your Dad. The central character is clearly lost and damaged now. The narrative flits between his obviously secure and happy Edinburgh childhood and him now struggling to cope with life (and some dark secret) in modern day LA. This is a man carrying some serious baggage, which he seeks refuge from in the safe cocoon of the cinema.

It’s not really clear why he is in LA. Elements of his past appear as he develops a relationship with a woman he meets in an LA bar. His obsession with the movies becomes more and more apparent, almost as if it were taking over, literally absorbing, his life. Somehow she sees this happening, and seeks to draw him back into living his life, perhaps with her, in the ‘real world’. The whole thing is handled skilfully and with wit and no little tenderness. There are countless wry references to movies that are fun to spot, but not key to the narrative. The revelation of the terrible and tragic event in his past from which he is hiding takes the breath away when it is revealed.

In the edition I read there are also three short stories, each of which has a satisfying twist. I particularly enjoyed Sometimes She’ll Dance which features a fictional writer of the great Scottish novel of the twentieth century. The author has a pleasant narrative ‘voice’ and is an excellent storyteller. I found myself humming the them tune to The Magnificent Seven for days after finishing this book.

[Carol McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roy Batty is obsessed with the movies. Since the age of four, he’s been mesmerised by the beam of light travelling across the darkened auditorium over the heads of the audience and exploding into life in glorious technicolour on the screen.

What happens when you’re so obsessed that you begin to see your own features replacing the faces of the actors on the screen? Is real life so bad that Roy is losing his grip on reality? The Man in the Seventh Row is an intelligent and entertaining book about yearning for worlds we can't have. It's also a really enjoyable re-engagement with some classic Western movies.

You can read an extract and a chat with the author on my lockdown book blog - https://carolmckay.blogspot.com/2021/...

[Barry Haniford · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable and interesting read, evoking a wide range of classic film memories (tho' doubtless many also evaded me!), The Man in the Seventh Row has an unusual, sometimes challenging structure, but manages to keep the reader engaged throughout. For me it was best consumed in bite size chunks which made me keep wanting to come back for more, at the end it added up to a satisfying feast of literature and of film nostalgia!

[David Maidstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever idea that really does work well. It may take you a while to get into and you may not know all the film references but persevere as the story snd ending is quite beautiful.

[Marilou George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roy Batty is the quintessential movie enthusiast. As a child movies were an integral part of his life. He would see movies with his family, especially with his father and always sitting in the seventh row. He would assume the role of one of the characters to act out the movies with his friends. Movies were companions and a source of release for him as his life was played out in the characters. Roy made it a point to introduce his daughter to the world of movies at a young age so she would have affection for them as well.

Roy reached a time in his life where his existence, emotions and memories played themselves out in the movies he watched. The time came when he was actually living his life through the characters in the movies. Roy appears to be comparing his life and circumstances to the roles the characters play out on the big screen. He is losing himself in the movies and also losing himself in the process.

This story is delivered to us by Roy himself; he gives the reader a glimpse into his loss of self as it is played out through his eyes. He appears to be going through a breakdown of sorts and the only way that he can deal with his life and emotional distress is in the movies. He attempts to gain wisdom and life from the movies only to find that his very being is slowly being sucked into these films.

The author has given us a fast paced story full of emotion yet fun to read. The cast of characters are vivid and believable and bring an interesting dimension to the story. The story line will grasp and hold the reader captive. The story is jammed full of classic movie references as Roy pictures himself in these roles.

I would recommend this book to all readers, especially those movie buffs out there. Some of you will instantly feel a kinship of sorts with Roy through the movies represented in this story. An extremely thoughtful and well written story depicted in a unique manner

[Dena Pardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sounded really interesting and at times it was but, more often then not I was confused as to what was going on, especially in the beginning chapters which made it difficult to get into. The book is only truly appreciated if you are a huge movie buff, particularly of western movies. Roy's life seems to be absorbed into and based on what goes on in the movies, at times he can not tell the difference between reality and the big screen.

In between the scenes of his favorite movies that he begins to take on the roll of the character we find out about Roy's life as a boy with his parents and how he fell in love with going to the movies with his dad. We hear about his first wife, the life and death of his daughter and a new romance with Anna. It is with Anna he finds his movie companion, who also has a deep appreciation for movies but does not get lost within them. She helps rescue Roy and re-grounds himself in reality.

It was a tough read at times because if you did not know the movie that Roy was being absorbed into you couldn't appreciate the fact that he was changing the scene or a famous movie quote. It did make me want to go out and watch a bunch of classics like the Graduate, The Last of the Mohicans and Citizen Kane, not so much for the sake of the book but to appreciate truly great films which shaped the world's audiences.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ambitious by virtue of its ambiguity, ‘The Man in the Seventh Row’, is an unusual look at cinematic infatuation to the point of obsession. Protagonist Roy Batty exists in a world where fact and film coincide and consume his very being. His memories portrayed on the big screen, his emotions laid bare through actors, his narrative delivered in culture shifting sequence through iconic heroes and villains of yesteryear, his life enacted time and time again for the movie-goer’s pleasure. On the screen, he assumes the role of an actor - is this rendition of a broken man fantasy, reality, dream or nightmare? As we bare witness to Roy’s trials and tribulations the questions, ever present, fail in the quest for conclusive answers.

‘The Man in the Seventh Row’ is a movie lover’s delight, with many references to classic and iconic films and an apt re-enactment of the important stories which shaped Roys life. The evasiveness of certainty is alluring and is compounded by the struggles of Roy’s family and solitary life. Pendreigh is on the cusp of something special, and delivers an atmospheric cinematic montage comprising many actors yet only one man. Not to be missed for the literately and movie enthusiasts alike – 4 stars.

[Thom Dibdin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serious movie-buff territory, but with a nicely twisting plot and plenty to hold those who don't get all the references.

Moving from North Berwick in East Lothian, Scotland, to Edinburgh and off to the States, Roy tells of his lifelong obsession with film. Whether it is studying the stills outside the picture houses on holiday or escaping with his father to the various flea pits of Edinburgh, Pendreigh has a great sense of place. He also has a natural ability to enter and display the twisting world of cinema, a subterranean place of magical realism in which events on the screen and in the world outside become enmeshed.

[Karin Montin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, except I kept waiting for the murder. Unlike other Blasted Heath titles, this is not crime fiction or noir.

Roy Batty has always been a film fan, but now he is really losing himself in the movies. He sees himself up on the big screen, while real life happens to other people.

But not only is this a filmlover's novel, it's a love story, with lots of humour and sadness.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roy Batty has grown up with films, is slightly obsessed by films, then he starts to see himself on screen in roles that should be occupied by other people.

Is this his imagination? Is he going mad? Or is something else happening?

It goes a little over the top at times in its descriptions of classic movies but is otherwise well written. A hard book to pigeonhole but well worth a read.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a movie buff. I love hiding in a dark theatre and slipping into that world almost as much as I love reading. The Man in the Seventh Row is a novel for movie lovers. A delightful and lovely story for a light summer read.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfinishable.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story but you really have to know movies to understand and enjoy this book. I mean REALLY know movies.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book - a Scottish childhood steeped in cinema, hints of magical realism, great cinematic detail.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unusual story that jumps around time and two dimensions. Occasionally hard to follow, but satisfying in the end. You do really have to love movies to get anything out of it though.