ÌÇÐÄVlog

This week's competition, in which you have to identify a book from its opening sentence, comes from a novelist who died in 1991:

"Gerald Middleton was a man of mildly but persistent depressive temperament. Such men are not at their best at breakfast, nor is the week before Christmas their happiest time."

Entries to First Impressions, The THES, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1 9XY, faxed to 0171-782 3300 or emailed to theschat@thes.co.uk The winner receives a Pounds 20 book token and the closing date is June 10.

The winner of last week's competition, who identified In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin, is Jennie Swann from Solihull.