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stewardii 's review for:
Middle England
by Jonathan Coe
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A lovely conclusion to Coe’s roman-fleuve, which I remember reading at the time and thinking was the first good Brexit novel. Still feels so. It’s actually more enjoyable now than it was then, when it was all a bit fresh. Now it reads as a whistlestop tour of a monstrous five years in British politics, and is out for David Cameron’s blood.
I have a particular soft spot for Benjamin Trotter, Coe’s avatar. I’ve always identified with his sensibilities, foolishness, introspection, and Romanticism, and I do feel that he gets progressively side-lined as these novels go on. I suppose characters like Doug Anderton become a more convenient vehicle to talk about the political landscape. But one of the most strangely moving things I’ve ever read in a novel by Coe, actually, is the Coe’s decision to allow Benjamin the small victory that has alluded the author for his 30-odd year career.
I have a particular soft spot for Benjamin Trotter, Coe’s avatar. I’ve always identified with his sensibilities, foolishness, introspection, and Romanticism, and I do feel that he gets progressively side-lined as these novels go on. I suppose characters like Doug Anderton become a more convenient vehicle to talk about the political landscape. But one of the most strangely moving things I’ve ever read in a novel by Coe, actually, is the Coe’s decision to allow Benjamin the small victory that has alluded the author for his 30-odd year career.