Holiday, Stanley Middleton – confronting the discomfort of inaction

Photo of the cover of the book Holiday, by Stanley Middleton

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June 27, 2025

Holiday, Stanley Middleton – confronting the discomfort of inaction

A quietly introspective novel set in a fading seaside town, Holiday by Stanley Middleton follows a grieving man’s attempt to make sense of his life, marriage, and identity.

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Photo of the cover of the book Orbital

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June 26, 2025

Orbital – a near earth tour-de-force (or a disappointing novella as novel)?

Join six astronauts as they orbit Earth in *Orbital* by Samantha Harvey, a beautifully written, Booker-winning novel that explores time, grief, and perspective. Dreamlike and meditative, it’s a quiet yet powerful reflection on life above—and far removed from—the world. Perfect for readers who love fiction that lingers.

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Cover of the novel In a Free State

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June 26, 2025

In a Free State – prickly colonial masterpiece?

In a Free State follows two uneasy travellers on a road trip through a country in turmoil. V. S. Naipaul’s Booker winner is unsettling, razor-sharp, and quietly devastating.

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Cover of the novel In Ascension by Martin MacInnes

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June 24, 2025

In Ascension – an uneven attempt at great genre-busting literary science fiction

In Ascension is an ambitious blend of deep-sea science and speculative space fiction. While beautifully written in parts, I found its inconsistencies distracting. A bold but flawed Booker-longlisted novel.

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Photo of the cover of the novel Troubles, by J G Farrell

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June 20, 2025

Troubles – a darkly comic look at English decline and colonial arrogance

A darkly comic tale of decay and denial, Troubles by J.G. Farrell follows a shell-shocked English major adrift in a crumbling Irish hotel after WWI. Lyrical, satirical and quietly devastating, it’s a Booker Prize winner that lingers long after the final page.

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Photo of the cover of the novel The Elected Member

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June 17, 2025

The Elected Member – a vivid exploration of mental health and cultural expectation

A darkly comic and quietly devastating portrait of mental illness, family pressure, and religious identity, The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens begins with a breakdown and spirals inward. This Booker-winning novel explores how brilliance can become a burden—and how love can distort.

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Photo of the cover of the book Something to Answer For, by P H Newby

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June 12, 2025

The First Booker, Something to Answer For – decline and collapse in Suez

P.H. Newby’s Something to Answer For won the very first Booker Prize in 1969, but it’s largely forgotten today. Set during the Suez Crisis, this surreal and absorbing novel explores identity, colonial decline, and quiet disintegration — and it’s well worth rediscovering.

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