The Scheme for Full Employment (2003) by Magnus Mills

I was keen to introduce my book group to Magnus Mills, and also to choose one of his books that I hadn’t read yet – so earlier this year I got them reading The Scheme for Full Employment (2003). Read on for why I regretted that decision… The Scheme for Full Employment was Mills’ fourth novel, following on from my favourite of his, Three To See The King. It is narrated by a man on The Scheme, specifically a delivery driver who drives UniVans between depots. It is one of the routine tasks introduced to make sure that everyone in the country is employed. Vans go between depots on specific routes, sometimes empty, because following the schedule is more important than being purposeful. Now I have to say I could see Len’s point. The success of The Scheme depended above all else on appearances. It was popular because people could see it in operation on a daily basis. When a UniVan passed by, it reminded onlookers that all across the country men and women were occupied in gainful employment.…