The Old Devils

"The Old Devils" is a novel by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1986. The novel won the Booker Prize. It was adapted for television by Andrew Davies for the BBC in 1992, starring John Stride, Bernard Hepton, James Grout and Ray Smith (it was the latter's last screen appearance before his death). Amis's son, Martin, has said that he considers this his father's finest work.

Alun Weaver, a notable but obnoxious author, returns to his native Wales with his wife Rhiannon, sometime girlfriend of Weaver's old acquaintance Peter Thomas. Weaver begins associating with a group of former friends, all of whom have continued to live locally while he was away. As well as Thomas, they include Malcolm Cellan-Davies and the alcoholic Charlie Norris. While drinking in the house of another acquaintance, Weaver drops dead, leaving the rest of the group to pick up the pieces of their brief reunion.