Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humour to console him for what he is.

Achene. Front yard, Marieville Esplanade, Sandy Bay. September 2012.

Three books this week, well, two plays and one Regency romance (written in 1944) to be precise...

The Caretaker, Harold Pinter: A play in three acts, largely a psychological study of lonliness, power, allegiance, innocence and corruption. Set in a dingy room with a cast no larger than two brothers and a tramp, this is quite a claustrophobic treat. B+.

An Inspector Calls, J.B. Priestley: Another three-act drama, this time set in 1912. A wealthy middle-class family receives a visit by a mysterious fellow calling himself Inspector Goole, who interrogates the family about the suicide of a young working-class woman. Essentially a scathing critique of the hypocrisies of Edwardian society and a premonition of the inevitable Socialist future. Striking. B+.

Friday's Child, Georgette Heyer: Incredibly silly romance featuring a cast of oddball characters and improbable set pieces. Although some of the tone jars a bit - think He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss) - if you're after some escapist fare and enjoy bounders and cads 'getting theirs', you could do worse. C.