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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
To me Alan Hollinghurst is a literary titan who writes prose like Mozart or Bach composed, so shockingly there Jenkins this was another masterpiece all gay with complications of race and politics, hope and heartbreak, all knitted together like a rich emotional cardigan.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism
Dear Alan Hollinghurst must be slowing down or at least his narrative pacing is. I was here for the languid slow tempo of this book, I luxuriated in it for the most part. In a novel that examines a life in an episodic way it makes sense for the youth section to be leisurely. But thank god he picked up the pace in the second half. I never knew what was important to the story and what was story because he treated all of Dave’s life events and moments the same way. I didn’t mind this but I imagine it will annoy some readers. And I don’t love the way this book was marketed. They wanted to make it seem like a book about a boy and his teen bully and how their lives intertwine over the years but for me this is a book about a son and his mother grappling with sexuality, race and class. And for that I loved it. At the end of the day it’s Alan Hollinghurst and he’s earned the right to do whatever he wants but for the love of literature if he’s new to you DO NOT START HERE. Read any other of his books. Seriously, any other book.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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Our Evenings has a lot of things going for it, in terms of being a winner for me: It follows a character across their entire life, it depicts that life with tenderness and care, it has a strong first-person voice. And while it didn’t land with me 100%, I netted out on liking it.
Our Evenings follows a gay, half-Burmese actor in England from his childhood as a schoolboy with a scholarship sponsored by a wealthy family through old age. It’s the story of a beautiful life with excellent character work. There is much to love here about queerness, and otherness, and Xenophobia particularly in England, and living a joyful life filled with love anyway.
That said, I personally felt like this book was too long. And I don’t usually say that! I love long books, and I love the story of a full life. But I was ready for the book to end. I also really didn’t like the ending very much — I won’t say more because I’m not one for spoilers, but it made me go, “ugh…really???”
If you’re an especially big fan of queer historical literary fiction, I think this could have enough of what you love to outweigh the parts I didn’t. You may have to see for yourself!
Our Evenings has a lot of things going for it, in terms of being a winner for me: It follows a character across their entire life, it depicts that life with tenderness and care, it has a strong first-person voice. And while it didn’t land with me 100%, I netted out on liking it.
Our Evenings follows a gay, half-Burmese actor in England from his childhood as a schoolboy with a scholarship sponsored by a wealthy family through old age. It’s the story of a beautiful life with excellent character work. There is much to love here about queerness, and otherness, and Xenophobia particularly in England, and living a joyful life filled with love anyway.
That said, I personally felt like this book was too long. And I don’t usually say that! I love long books, and I love the story of a full life. But I was ready for the book to end. I also really didn’t like the ending very much — I won’t say more because I’m not one for spoilers, but it made me go, “ugh…really???”
If you’re an especially big fan of queer historical literary fiction, I think this could have enough of what you love to outweigh the parts I didn’t. You may have to see for yourself!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying