A review by claretevans
Middle England by Jonathan Coe

4.0

It seems an appropriate time to read this, which, I seem to remember, was tagged as the first 'Brexit' novel when it appeared. I found it engaging, beautifully written and a joy to read. What it didn't do, of course, was provide any answers for the mess we are now in, flapping around in a stagnant pond of polarisation, dispute and hatred. I would have liked to see characters on both sides of the debate fleshed out as rounded characters. Sadly, the remainer characters are well developed, and all seem to be well-educated, thoughtful and broad in their view of the world, whereas the Brexiteers are cliched cardboard cutouts, bigoted, narrow-minded and living in the past. What a missed opportunity. Since we are in two camps, we all need to understand and empathise with the feelings of those who feel differently. Without this, there is no way forward. There is no right view or wrong view. Groups of intelligent people, when presented with the same situation, can come to different conclusions.

I'm sure Jonathan Coe didn't consider, while writing the novel, that we would still be stuck in a bog as we near the end of 2019.

(Speaking as an embarrassed remainer)