Hollinghurst’s upcoming release

[SirBillybob]

I think I saved about $10 on the I-books pre-order relative to the formal list price. Can’t wait.

[catamite_drew]

Are you a big Hollinghurst fan? While I enjoyed starting The Swimming Pool Library and found his prose engrossing albeit dense, I just couldn't keep reading it. Not sure why exactly. Might have to give him another shot...

[Rod Hagen]

Loved The Line of Beauty, especially The Swimming Pool Library.  Oddly, I have the Folding Star and have not read it.  I skipped a couple other books too.  Unsure why.  The Swimming Pool Library is excellent.

[AtticusBK]

Also loved The Swimming Pool Library and The Line of Beauty, and am looking forward to his latest. But I’m currently listening to the audiobook of Candy Darling, the bio by Cynthia Carr, which is good so far.

[SirBillybob]

I’ve enjoyed all his works. I recently viewed an interview on BBC. He writes slowly and meticulously with lengthy publish gaps but now thinks at his advancing age that he does have at least one additional novel in him. 

[TonyDown]

I enjoy his writing, all the characters, all the stories.  

 

[Rod Hagen]

Bought the audiobook intending to listen on the drive to and from Mammoth's storms last week, but....Podcasts.

[Fridolf]

Our Evenings is his best book. 

[SirBillybob]

6 hours ago, Fridolf said:

Our Evenings is his best book. 

Didn’t at all see that ending coming because he had mostly along his lengthy writing trajectory steered away from that particular kind of backdrop. 

Edited March 4 by SirBillybob

[Fridolf]

I couldn’t believe it the first time I read it - I had to reread to be sure - but that shocking incident’s unbelievability made it seem so true.
 

And then the remainder of the book—the coda in another voice—brought to life loss with such empathy. 

[Rod Hagen]

On 3/3/2025 at 7:46 PM, Fridolf said:

I couldn’t believe it the first time I read it - I had to reread to be sure - but that shocking incident’s unbelievability made it seem so true.
 

And then the remainder of the book—the coda in another voice—brought to life loss with such empathy. 

You guys have made me so excited to read this.  Thank you.

[+ Lucky]

My library finally made Our Evenings available to me. I got it yesterday and finished it today. I definitely enjoyed it, both the story about the Burmese American lead, Dave Win, and also the background insights, mostly of London.

 

The nytimes.com really liked it:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/08/books/review/our-evenings-alan-hollinghurst.html (Possible paywall)

As did The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/sep/25/our-evenings-by-alan-hollinghurst-review-his-finest-novel-yet  (No paywall)

[+ newatthis]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book -- in fact,  read it straight through in one sitting.  But to my mind, it didn't measure up to The Swimming Pool Library or The Line of Beauty.  In particular, the scenes in which he meets/has sex with his various lovers seem all based on the same template.