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PSA: I bloody LOVE Scarlett Thomas. She has a way of writing dialogue that’s so believable without being dull, even when the conversations go nowhere and barely anything happens. It was the same with her novel Bright Young Things - a group of friends chilling, chatting shit, and that’s basically it.
Going Out follows Luke, a 25 year old who is allergic to the sun and has thus been stuck in his room for years. His best friend is Julie, who is afraid of pretty much everything. They and some more young friends decide to go on a road trip when they come into contact with someone who believes he can cure Luke.
Spoiler but not really a spoiler: the journey doesn’t get going until about two thirds in. For me, this was not a problem. I could read the conversations and the daily lives of Luke, Julie and co until the cows come home. That’s pretty amazing, since they don’t go anywhere or do anything for such a long time.
However, just as in BYT, your mileage may vary. If you’re from the UK and are anywhere between 20-35 I’d say you’d enjoy this a lot more, due to all the cultural references, and the familiar chats about being a young person in England.
Overall, this made me smile a lot, it was a very quick read, and as with Thomas’ other works, gave me some food for thought. Now I just need to get my hands on another of her books...
Going Out follows Luke, a 25 year old who is allergic to the sun and has thus been stuck in his room for years. His best friend is Julie, who is afraid of pretty much everything. They and some more young friends decide to go on a road trip when they come into contact with someone who believes he can cure Luke.
Spoiler but not really a spoiler: the journey doesn’t get going until about two thirds in. For me, this was not a problem. I could read the conversations and the daily lives of Luke, Julie and co until the cows come home. That’s pretty amazing, since they don’t go anywhere or do anything for such a long time.
However, just as in BYT, your mileage may vary. If you’re from the UK and are anywhere between 20-35 I’d say you’d enjoy this a lot more, due to all the cultural references, and the familiar chats about being a young person in England.
Overall, this made me smile a lot, it was a very quick read, and as with Thomas’ other works, gave me some food for thought. Now I just need to get my hands on another of her books...