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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Documenting the past decade through a fairly large cast of characters, Middle England is a hugely enjoyable chronicle but has slightly too many plots for its own good.
How have I not met Jonathan Coe before? And how was I unaware that Middle England is actually part of a series, the third book in that series? Never mind, the book works perfectly well as a stand-alone. But now I really want to go back and read those other two books.
Coe's writing is humorous, insightful, and humane. This book deals with the effects of politics on families and on England and can be extrapolated to extend to other Western countries. America, for example. Reading the book gave me (finally!) a sense that I better understood the human issues around Brexit, as well as perhaps the human issues driving the wave of white exceptionalism in my own country.
Coe's novel begins in 2010 and the narrative includes perspectives from a daunting number of characters, but all of the characters are connected in some way to two: Benjamin Trotter, age 50, who we meet as he is leaving the funeral reception of his mother along with his father, Colin, a former car factory employee; and Doug Anderton, a lifelong friend of Benjamin, who is a left-leaning journalist with sources in the staff of Prime Minister David Cameron. Through these two characters and their families, friends, and connections, Coe explores the divisive and depressing politics of England from 2010 to the current day as Brexit threatens to tear the country apart, making it a disunited kingdom.
In spite of the sad and chaotic history during the time period about which he is writing, this is quite a funny book. It is filled with wry and forgiving humor that encompasses all sides of the political spectrum. There is one particular scene just about halfway through the book that left me just about literally rolling on the floor. I laughed until my stomach hurt and my cheeks were wet with tears. It was cathartic.
Coe writes compassionately about the fear and nostalgia driving the anti-immigrant, anti-Europe feeling in Britain. He sees it as a generational phenomenon. Certainly, the younger generation is much more accepting of multiculturalism and different lifestyles. In fact, he sees their ages as the most pertinent facts about his characters. From the elders like Benjamin's father who are implacable in their opposition to the European Union and in their support of Brexit, to Doug's young daughter Coriander whose views on racism, inequality, and identity politics were utterly uncompromising, and then to Doug's and Benjamin's generation caught in the middle, each generation is defined, at least to some extent, by the era in which it grew up and in which it felt most comfortable.
I was completely absorbed in this study of the personal and the political as told through the stories of engaging characters whose efforts to carry on with their lives in the face of chaos offered me glimmers of light through the murk of these times and gave me hope for the future. I found it interesting that one of the characters, a son of immigrants says at one point that he thinks the country's essence may have been most powerfully expressed by Tolkien when "he created the Shire and populated its pastoral idyll with doughty, insular hobbits, prone to somnolence and complacence when left to their own devices but fierce when roused." Middle England as Middle Earth. Yes, Frodo lives.
Coe's writing is humorous, insightful, and humane. This book deals with the effects of politics on families and on England and can be extrapolated to extend to other Western countries. America, for example. Reading the book gave me (finally!) a sense that I better understood the human issues around Brexit, as well as perhaps the human issues driving the wave of white exceptionalism in my own country.
Coe's novel begins in 2010 and the narrative includes perspectives from a daunting number of characters, but all of the characters are connected in some way to two: Benjamin Trotter, age 50, who we meet as he is leaving the funeral reception of his mother along with his father, Colin, a former car factory employee; and Doug Anderton, a lifelong friend of Benjamin, who is a left-leaning journalist with sources in the staff of Prime Minister David Cameron. Through these two characters and their families, friends, and connections, Coe explores the divisive and depressing politics of England from 2010 to the current day as Brexit threatens to tear the country apart, making it a disunited kingdom.
In spite of the sad and chaotic history during the time period about which he is writing, this is quite a funny book. It is filled with wry and forgiving humor that encompasses all sides of the political spectrum. There is one particular scene just about halfway through the book that left me just about literally rolling on the floor. I laughed until my stomach hurt and my cheeks were wet with tears. It was cathartic.
Coe writes compassionately about the fear and nostalgia driving the anti-immigrant, anti-Europe feeling in Britain. He sees it as a generational phenomenon. Certainly, the younger generation is much more accepting of multiculturalism and different lifestyles. In fact, he sees their ages as the most pertinent facts about his characters. From the elders like Benjamin's father who are implacable in their opposition to the European Union and in their support of Brexit, to Doug's young daughter Coriander whose views on racism, inequality, and identity politics were utterly uncompromising, and then to Doug's and Benjamin's generation caught in the middle, each generation is defined, at least to some extent, by the era in which it grew up and in which it felt most comfortable.
I was completely absorbed in this study of the personal and the political as told through the stories of engaging characters whose efforts to carry on with their lives in the face of chaos offered me glimmers of light through the murk of these times and gave me hope for the future. I found it interesting that one of the characters, a son of immigrants says at one point that he thinks the country's essence may have been most powerfully expressed by Tolkien when "he created the Shire and populated its pastoral idyll with doughty, insular hobbits, prone to somnolence and complacence when left to their own devices but fierce when roused." Middle England as Middle Earth. Yes, Frodo lives.
Dovrei probabilmente rileggere i primi due romanzi per esprimere un giudizio su tutto il ciclo dei Brocchi (e solo a distanza di anni mi rendo condo del gioco di parole del titolo originale del primo, peraltro), ma sono assolutamente sicuro che questo mi abbia lasciato più soddisfatto: sarà che l'arco temporale è più vicino (lo scorso decennio), ma l'ho trovato veramente a fuoco, ficcante, intelligente, ironico al punto giusto. E poi gli argomenti ci toccano da vicino, anzi oggi sono ancora più di attualità: il sovranismo/populismo che si nutre di paura e intolleranza, la spregiudicatezza della politica nel processo verso Brexit, ma anche l'altra faccia della medaglia, rappresentata dall'intransigenza cieca della cancel culture. Non è un saggio sociografico, ma almeno per me ha rappresentato un bel modo per capire meglio l'anima di questa grande nazione.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great third book in a fab trilogy that tells the stories of a group of friends over three period of recent British history--the 70s, millenium and Brexit. Really evokes the periods and social and economic situation of each period. Very insightful and funny; with all characters totally believable and rounded (although you don't have to like them all!). Really enjoyed the historical reach of the trilogy, authenticity and intertwined stories of the characters.
This book is just so British, like a novelization of Coronation Street. (my apologies, I'm sure there are far more apt analogies but that is about the extent of my knowledge of British soaps)
It is the world prior to the pandemic. Of xenophobic rhetoric, an aging populace wishing for past glories, dog whistle politics dreaming of a whiter past, people reacting against political correctness and a polarized nation. Government flacks toeing the party line, spewing partisan double-speak, overzealous millennial social justice warriors and, inexplicably, two feuding children's entertainers. Sounds a lot like a place we all know on this side of the pond, except this book is unapologetically, 100% English - so of course this is a Brexit novel.
But it's almost too Brit-lit. Like a North American writers room trying extra hard to convey that this is set in England. I mean if this was anyone else writing, I'm sure the editor would have demanded they try and tone down the Britishness of it all a smidge. "Look Brett, I love what you're doing but could you dial down the tea and crumpets of it all a tad?" Coe doesn't miss a chance to drop a street name or rural village into the mix - but I will give him credit, his lavish coverage of the 2012 London Summer Olympics opening ceremony did prompt some YouTube viewings. In the end, much like Coronation Street, the story doesn't quite wrap up but rather stop as if in anticipation of yet another season.
It is the world prior to the pandemic. Of xenophobic rhetoric, an aging populace wishing for past glories, dog whistle politics dreaming of a whiter past, people reacting against political correctness and a polarized nation. Government flacks toeing the party line, spewing partisan double-speak, overzealous millennial social justice warriors and, inexplicably, two feuding children's entertainers. Sounds a lot like a place we all know on this side of the pond, except this book is unapologetically, 100% English - so of course this is a Brexit novel.
But it's almost too Brit-lit. Like a North American writers room trying extra hard to convey that this is set in England. I mean if this was anyone else writing, I'm sure the editor would have demanded they try and tone down the Britishness of it all a smidge. "Look Brett, I love what you're doing but could you dial down the tea and crumpets of it all a tad?" Coe doesn't miss a chance to drop a street name or rural village into the mix - but I will give him credit, his lavish coverage of the 2012 London Summer Olympics opening ceremony did prompt some YouTube viewings. In the end, much like Coronation Street, the story doesn't quite wrap up but rather stop as if in anticipation of yet another season.
Took me a while to get into the characters but some were extremely well crafted and very astute on Brexit Britain and it's spectrum of views, demographics, delusions and upsets. 'Nigel' was a masterstroke!
--- 3.5 stars ---
My first "Brexit novel", not that I was actively searching for one. You don't need to have read the two previous Rotters' Club novels to understand this one, but you do need knowledge of UK politics (and political events of the past decade) and be familiar with British culture and psyche, which isn't surprising as Coe often writes very British characters with very British lives, problems and desires.
A solid book which I enjoyed very much, although not as much as some of his other novels. Jonathan Coe never disappoints.
My first "Brexit novel", not that I was actively searching for one. You don't need to have read the two previous Rotters' Club novels to understand this one, but you do need knowledge of UK politics (and political events of the past decade) and be familiar with British culture and psyche, which isn't surprising as Coe often writes very British characters with very British lives, problems and desires.
A solid book which I enjoyed very much, although not as much as some of his other novels. Jonathan Coe never disappoints.
I wasn't sure I would like this much. The phrase 'state of the nation novel' never bodes well to me. How can you sum up such a thing without lazy generalisations and/ or attempting to write about lives you don't know much about? Coe (and it's not him who used the phrase) concentrates on characters we're already familiar with, however, and it's a warm depiction of their latest developments, over the background of events that would seem outlandish if they hadn't already been replaced by something even madder. I ended up really enjoying it and laughing out loud regularly.