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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
our evenings is a character study centering around our narrator, dave win, a gay man of burmese descent living in traditionally straight, white english society. we follow him throughout his life and his career as an actor, examining his relationship with his mother, multiple love interests, and an old classmate who becomes a conservative politician and keeps popping up in dave’s life. the novel is very slow paced and spans an incredible amount of time, showing how british culture evolved from the 1960s to present day. i thought the longing and displacement david felt because of his identity was palpable and enjoyed reading about his involvement in experimental theater. without giving anything away, i also thought the character of his mother was really captivating as a kind of foil to david’s identity.
i can’t tell if spreading this out over almost the entire month of november worked for or against my experience with the book - clocking in at almost 500 pages, i wanted to chip away at it each day so that i could make time for other books as well. i don’t think the book needed to be as long as it is. the prose was really beautiful but i was having a hard time with some unclear time jumps and keeping straight the introductions of new characters. i will say the ending really got me, i found it to be quite unexpected and a culturally relevant way to wrap things up. overall i just didn’t feel as drawn into the story as i’d like to be with such a long novel.
thank you to random house for sending me a copy!
i can’t tell if spreading this out over almost the entire month of november worked for or against my experience with the book - clocking in at almost 500 pages, i wanted to chip away at it each day so that i could make time for other books as well. i don’t think the book needed to be as long as it is. the prose was really beautiful but i was having a hard time with some unclear time jumps and keeping straight the introductions of new characters. i will say the ending really got me, i found it to be quite unexpected and a culturally relevant way to wrap things up. overall i just didn’t feel as drawn into the story as i’d like to be with such a long novel.
thank you to random house for sending me a copy!
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was really disappointed by this. I’ve been a fan of some of Hollinghurst’s other work like The Line of Beauty and The Sparsholt Affair. But Our Evenings just seemed to have nothing at all to say. A main focus seems to be the main character David’s mixed-race identify, but Hollinghurst doesn’t even seem to have an elementary understanding of racism. Whole plot points rise and fall away with nothing much happening. David gets married but we don’t even see much of their relationship. Totally baffling. The only reason I’m giving it more than one star is because it kept my attention enough to want to finish it.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Lovely book. It conveys the complexity of being human (asking if the characters are loveable is such a childish and self-centred way of looking at literature) and the unglamorous but exciting adventure that it is to live. Above all, the book conveys a certain image - aesthetics, smell and social atmosphere - of England. It goes on a bit, but it lingers and stays with you.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This may be the most beautiful book I've ever read. As a gay man of a certain age, it hit me hard. I fell in love with David and the beautiful, simple life he led. Hollinghurst created a rich world full of complex characters that I didn't want to leave. I'm so thankful for this experience.
emotional
inspiring
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
I loved Our Evenings for its gentle storytelling, rich character-building, and melancholy dripping throughout the narrative. The book spans nearly 80 years, telling the story of David Win (from his POV), a half-Burmese Englishman and queer actor whose life is shaped by the intersectionality of his identity. It’s a bittersweet, layered novel that explores themes of identity, racism, homophobia and British politics, all while offering a deeply human portrait of the protagonist.
Dave spent his early years at Bampton private school, supported by a scholarship granted by the rich Hadlows, a philanthropist family who supported local children and the arts. As a consequence, he had the chance to spend a summer at the Hadlows’ farmhouse where he gets close to Giles, their elder son, who abuses him physically and verbally. Giles goes on to become a far-right Tory politician and later a key figure in Brexit-era Britain, but their paths had been separated from school, as continued to Oxford and a career in experimental theatre.
Dave is not someone who fits any mould - he was raised by a single mother who had spent some time in Burma and returned to Britain pregnant. He grew up fatherless and invented heroic stories about his missing father to protect himself from bullying. His father’s absence casts a long shadow over his life, and he yearns for a masculine presence. His life gets more complicated when his mother falls in love and moves in with a woman. He experiences bullying, racism and microaggression throughout his school years. He grows up lonely and searching for a sense of belonging in a world that often denies it to him. Later on, as an actor, he finds companionship and love, even with a few bumps along the way. As an actor, he feels free to engage in self-discovery and explore his identity under the guise of eccentricity while simultaneously criticising the system that enables his abuse.
Through David’s life, Hollinghurst explores colonialism (his mother’s time in Burma), racism (both overt and systemic), and homophobia (experienced by both David and his mother). The narrative also examines British politics, particularly Brexit, as Giles embodies the xenophobia and nationalism of the time. Dave’s acting career adds another critical layer of social commentary, particularly in 1980s Britain. The novel also touches on COVID-19 and the anti-Asian violence that emerged during the pandemic, tying David’s experiences to a broader cultural context.
Hollinghurst’s writing is exquisite - elegant, immersive, and intimate. The story moves seamlessly between past and present, often leaving the reader to put together the timeline. The structure might mirror Dave’s way of remembering things, putting them together, and creating a reflective reading experience. The character building is masterful - David’s life is shaped by an ensemble of people - his family, the Hadlows, his lovers and friends - each contributing to his story. Hollinghurst builds David’s character through their eyes as much as through David’s perspective, creating a layered portrayal. What stands out the most, though, is the excellent storytelling. You’re gripped from the first pages and you are only released - in tears - when the last page is complete. This is not a sad book, but it is melancholic. Despite its nearly 500 pages, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in just two days. Hollinghurst captures a person’s life, but also a cultural and historical landscape, making Davind feel as real as someone you might meet. This was my first book of his, and I love his prose and storytelling. If you enjoy character-driven stories with themes of identity and queerness, all wrapped in beautiful writing, Our Evenings is a must-read.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
