An exquisitely written gem of a novel, from one of the UK’s finest.
Novelist Graham Swift is one of the UK’s national literary treasures. He has won both The Hawthornden and Booker Prizes and two of his novels have been made into films: Waterland and Last Orders.
His latest work, Here We Are, displays all of his signature delicacy and beauty, full of characters tinged with sadness and regret. It is Brighton, 1959, in the dying days of the “end of pier” variety show. Three people in their twenties, Ronnie, Evie and Jack, all perform in the show. Jack is the MC and Ronnie and Evie perform magic as Pablo and Eve. The off-stage relationships between the three breed heartache, tragedy and one ultimate act of magic.
Swift is a master at giving the reader just enough to be satisfying yet leave space for wonder. In this work, the theme of illusion interweaves the narrative, bordering on magic realism, but never quite going over the edge. Childhood is also examined, as the narrative looks back on the war-time childhoods of the three protagonists, in particular Ronnie’s time as an evacuee in Oxford.
Here We Are explores concepts of identity, loss, illusion, and attachment, all whilst delivering an engaging and unpredictable narrative. It also paints a loving picture of a lost entertainment form. Like many of Swift’s works, it contains a strong sense of place and time, along with characters who tend to stay around long after the book has been closed.
Once again, Swift shows us how it is done. This quite short novel (almost a novella) contains everything a great story should, with page upon page of engaging and poetic writing. He knows exactly how to get in, tell a story, and get out without unnecessary padding.
A small, quiet, unassuming masterpiece.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
Distributed by: Simon & Schuster
Released: March 2020
RRP: $29.99
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