An intelligent read

A beautiful, often subtle, sometimes shocking read. Not your average book. A new masterpiece.

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A new classic

LGBTQ + literary fiction is niche to say the least. For some reason there seems to be an absolute dearth of intelligent gay stories. So this, unsurprisingly, is an absolute gem. The writing is sublime, the characterisation spot-on and the story heart wrenching. It works on so many levels, the themes layered like a delicious but ultimately deadly mille feuille. More than anything however, it speaks to the truth that being gay – even as recently as the 1990s – meant subterfuge and sometimes an entire masking of self. To boot, narrator couldn’t be more perfect for the job.

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Disappointing

After just four chapters, I abandoned the book for its preposterous plot, which for me needed more subtlety for the book to achieve the intended comedy and satire, which were indeed well captured in a brilliant narration.

Intriguing

Amusing and interesting story with some great characters. It’s extremely well read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Brilliant Debut Novel

I listened to this after reading a favourable review in the Times Literary Supplement. In somes ways the protagonist, Dr Don Lamb, reminds me of Lucky Jim, and there are a few genuinely funny episodes. However, this book is ultimately darker than Amis' novel. A very promising debut novel, that benefits from Barnaby Edwards' superb narration.

No Swimmingpool Library this ...

As a debut novel, one can only think that this writer will soon feel embarrassed by this painful farrago. With a main character who is so accident prone that one can only believe that the author does not like him, (I wonder which Oxford don Don is based on - guess who!); with a plot that has so many holes in it that, since it is not comedic, it is just not funny (who threatens to pull out of financing an exhibition that's already been paid for, and just because he's seen a strange incident involving the hapless hero?); and who could be surprised in 1994 that Caravaggio painted his young lovers, after Derek Jarman's 1986 movie about the artist? It is as though the novelist has not done his research - especially into unprotected sex in the decade when AIDS (which gets a mere one sentence mention) was all gay men thought about. This is dreck.

Unmissable read

This is a wonderful book. Beautiful drawn characters in a disturbing story of love, loss and maybe revenge?

Great narration

Wonderful reading and great novel - I think I would get even more out of a second listening. It is certainly worth that

Don’t normally review but………..

Absolute rubbish. Started off dreary, then meandered into utter insipidity. Listened to it all just in case it improved. It didn’t.

Depressing

How to rate an unfinished novel? I recognized good penmanship and the narration was great. But the story is so depressing I dislike it. The foreboding feeling when following Don's lonely life, manipulated by a villainous character, was to strong for me. Don is a naive idiot and I don't want to know more about his life after listening 50%. I was waiting for the love interest but am afraid that will end depressing, too.