Reviews - Universality | The StoryGraph

746 reviews for:

Universality

Natasha Brown

3.47 AVERAGE

ishiness's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Easily read in one day. Brown elegantly structures the novel as a nesting doll of narratives. With the first part of the novel - an article written by one of the characters we meet later - we think we have the story. But in the subsequent chapters we get the perspectives of everyone involved with the article, and certain things we thought we knew are called into question - such as the gold bar figured so prominently on the cover of the book. Reminiscent of Trust by Hernan Diaz for this constant revealing of misinformation with each new section. I will be recommending this to everyone.

benchurchus's review against another edition

3.5

funny mysterious 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

Universality by Natasha Brown is an interesting read. The first section is a long-form magazine piece, not just written in that style, but presented as one. It’s a bold choice that sets the tone before the story begins to peel back and reveal more about the characters.

Lenny and Pegasus stand out the most. They start off as slightly clichéd figures, which feels deliberate, given how the media often flattens people into types. As the narrative shifts, they become more layered and compelling.

The book explores themes of wokeness, capitalism, and the performative nature of both in modern discourse. These are timely ideas, but for such a short novel it only manages to land a few of the punches it throws. I finished it feeling that, yes, these issues are complex and the media often fails to deal with them well.

Perhaps that is part of the point. But my response was more of a quiet “yep, I get it” than any real shift in thinking. It reflects the current cultural landscape effectively, but doesn’t offer much that feels new. The final section, featuring Lenny’s interview, is probably the strongest. It’s tense, awkward in the right ways, and a good example of Brown’s sharp writing.

The mix of forms and tones is one of the book’s biggest strengths. But it didn’t quite land with the weight I was hoping for. If the subject matter interests you, it’s worth picking up. Otherwise, it might leave you a bit cold.

kathrynwardle's review against another edition

2.75

challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

sophiebillekens's review against another edition

3.5

informative reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

louise_cve's review against another edition

3.25

reflective slow-paced

doreeny's review against another edition

2.0

The book jacket describes the book as a “thrilling novel” which focuses on words: “what we say, how we say it, and what we really mean.” I found the book anything but thrilling and found that it lacked focus.

Hannah, a struggling freelance journalist, writes an article on a violent attack at a rave on a Yorkshire farm owned by Richard Spencer, a wealthy banker. The victim is Pegasus who tried to start a self-sustaining community on the farm. The attacker is Jake, the son of Lenny, a provocative conservative columnist who had a sexual liaison with Richard. The first third of the book is Hannah’s article; the rest of the novel explores the consequences of the article for various people involved like Hannah, Richard, and Lenny.

I’ve described the entire plot. Not much else happens. And that’s the problem because the book feels less like a novel and more like an essay. All that’s missing is a clear thesis statement, though my guess is that the author believes media cannot be trusted because everyone has his/her own agenda and will manipulate the truth to fit his/her purposes.

Characters are unlikeable and are developed primarily to serve as mouthpieces for a particular viewpoint. Lenny is a perfect example. She manipulates Hannah to write the story which brings attention to Lenny. Her treatment of her son is despicable though she uses him as an example to support her opinions about government policies. She believes she thinks most clearly when she’s had a couple of drinks. Her attack on an interviewer is downright vicious.

The book can be viewed as an analysis of modern-day British politics, but I found many parallels between Lenny’s opinions and those of the current Trump administration: “’The fastest-growing sectors of our economy are disproportionately hiring and promoting minority workers’” and “’We didn’t notice that the “myth” of meritocracy was turning into a curse’” and “’Look, we’ve got to stop with the self-policing. We’re so busy apologizing for ancient history and imagined offenses that we’re losing our economic edge.’” Lenny criticizes diversity, equity and inclusion programs which are one of Trump’s targets.

I guess my point is that there’s nothing new here. The comments about classism and the economy and the media have been expressed by many others so I don’t understand the effusive praising of the author’s intelligence. Maybe I’m not intelligent enough to understand the book?

The book jacket states that the book “dares you to look away,” but I had no difficulty looking away. I was bored much of the time and found it a plodding read. What saved it is the book’s brevity (152 pages). Obviously I was not the intended audience. Reviewers on the jacket use adjectives like “unputdownable” and “thrilling” and “tons of fun” but none of these describe my reaction.