Barton has an alluring way of creating bleakness. Despite rich imagery and lovely descriptions, the overall effect is one of gloominess. This is the story of Jeannie and Jimmy, heading towards their wedding in a town on the Leeds-Liverpool canal, but are they happy? The overwhelming sense of ordinariness and dullness of the couple, the town, and life in general seeps out of the page, playing on the myth that its 'grim up North' to full effect.
