overall 5 votes: 
editor average: 
This novel describes an epic journey from Embankment station, to the Elephant and Castle. There are seven carriages on a Bakerloo Line train, each with 36 seats. A train in which every passenger has a seat will carry 252 people. With the driver, that makes 253. . . .
Let me start off by saying that 253 is most definitely not going to be for everyone. Its greatest appeal is characterization. There isn’t much of a plot, and what plot there is is decidedly non-linear. Readers looking for continuous action, a central plot, a main character, or really, anything resembling a traditional story, will probably feel a bit lost.
Though this work isn’t my cup of tea, it’s still getting four stars from me—for reasons I’ll detail in a moment. First, the basics:
253 is more of a listing than a story, providing very brief snapshots of the 252 passengers of the Bakerloo Line train—plus one driver. The author grants [more . . .]