Crace under pressure

There’s a good reason why Jim Crace never writes autobiographical fiction. It’s got to do with his personal history of happiness.

‘‘Never smacked as a child,” Crace lists off, with a smile. ‘‘Never heard my parents argue. Married to the same woman for 33 years, never strayed. If I told my publishers, ‘I’m going to write an autobiographical novel’, they would be dying, they’d say, ‘Please don’t write that novel’.

‘‘Novels like ill ...