A sharp satire on current obsessions with physical perfection and the denial of ageing with a pop at political correctness along the way. At times this is absolutely laugh out loud as we see the efforts Remington makes at the age of 64 to achieve a level of fitness necessary to finish the Mettleman, an absurdly demanding triathlon, watched cynically by his wife Serenata, previously extremely fit but now crippled with knee problems.

This is very well written and observed, and the extremes and obsessions shown are right for this level of satire. Beyond the laughter though I found it waspish, and the message to accept ageing gracefully came over more like making the best of defeat and disappointment.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

This was a little unexpected. I've read and found much to like in Shriver's other novels, but this one felt a tiny bit off to me. An older couple who have been toghther for some time find their relationship comes under strain when the husband takes up an interest in excercise and sets himself the goal of running marathon. The overall tone felt different the other works of Shriver's I have read- a comic parody with thge ocasional hint of farce. There were things to like - some of the observations about relationships for instance, but overall it wasn't for me.

As I am sure other readers will note this book is fast paced, witty, sharp dialogue and painful to read, being a person who has been obsessed by endurance sports in the past and the complete oblivion that you inhabit whilst training (always training) it can be hard to realise that you are damaging not only yourself but those you love, I wish thus book had been written 20 years ago

NO SPOILERS
I have read two of Lionel Shriver’s previous books, The Post-Birthday World and We Need to Talk about Kevin. One I loved, one I really, really did not love, though not in that order. So, it being a draw, I was keen to read her latest novel and I can now say LOVE is winning 2-1.

Being the wife of a triathlete, I recognized and empathised with much of this book but also tore my hair out a little at the extremism portrayed, although I realise without it, the book would not work; but I wanted to scrawl in the margins “This is not the norm!” Shriver has taken the worst of a situation the make a point and actually, the point is very valid.

This book is not simply about a man training for a triathlon (all the technical stuff and events themselves are spot on….been there, done that and he has the t-shirts!) and a woman facing a knee replacement; it is a detailed study of the human condition at its best and worst. Shriver writes of blind faith, cults, the fear of being left behind, the need for validation, the pointlessness of validation, racism, privilege, misogyny, pride, vanity, acceptance of change, fighting change…it’s all here! And she does it with wonderful wit.

The style is easy to read but not simple; the dialogue is sharp, paced and utterly brilliant. Whilst I was not racing to the end (see what I did there?) for the conclusion, I enjoyed every page and it is not often I can say that about a book. It is not a wordy masterpiece, but it is a very worthwhile read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the Advanced Reader Copy of the book, which I have voluntarily reviewed.

I didn't want this book to end. The dialogue was so witty and entertaining that the characters really came alive to me and I'd love to see this novel preformed as a stage play.

The story is told in the third person but predominantly from Serenata's viewpoint. It begins when Serenata's 64 year old husband, Remington, announces he is going to run a marathon, just at the point when his hitherto fitness fanatic wife, has knee problems and has therefore had to significantly reduce her excercise regime.

What unfolds is a fly-on-the-wall type experience for the reader, who witnesses first hand the impact and repercussions, of Remington's new path on the couple's relationship. Lionel Shriver has produced an excellent observation of a long-term marriage and illustrates perfectly the petty jealousies, disappointments and dissatisfactionas that all will recognise. She also provides us with some back stories so that we are given an insight - albeit through Serenata's eyes, into the lives of their two children, who make appearances themselves at several points. Again, the reader is able to observe the strained interactions and compromises that exist between family members when there's a history of issues.

The exchanges between Serenata and Remington are electric. For me there were some laugh out loud moments and also scenes such as one in the hospital towards the end as well as the event at Lake Placid, where I could almost feel the discomfort along with the characters. At first I didn't warm to either of the protagonists - although I was enjoying reading about them - but by the end I was won over. I particulatly liked the character of Deacon and would have liked him to feature more heavily. I also thought the antagonism between Serenata and Valeria contrasted well with the Serenata/Tommy connection and was very believable.

Any-one who is, has been, or knows people in a long-term relationship will 'get' this book, as will any-one who has knowledge of extreme fitness or an Ironman style Triathlon or to quote Serenata, a person who 'fetishizes fitness.' The vocabulary used in 'The Motion of the Body Through Space' is extensive and it was a pleaure to read. I highly recommended the book and thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for allowing me to read this advance copy.

This is the first of Lionel Shriver’s books I have read, though I have been aware of her and her writing for some time. I have been missing out!
Let me say right away that the quality, clarity and exquisite use of language I discovered when I began reading “The Motion of the Body Through Space” made me gasp with admiration; the vocabulary, the flow, the alliteration and other figures of speech, the brilliant descriptions and succinct expression are all genuine ‘wow’ factors of relish for me.
The cleverly counterbalanced stories tell of long-married Serenata and Remington, a self-sufficient, perhaps even insular, couple with their jealousies and obsessions. We learn of the loss of fitness and movement due to overuse and ageing knees in the case of Serenata, juxtaposed with recently redundant Remington’s newfound passions for endurance sports, mingled with family history and more, which all create an engrossing novel (mostly) moving fast enough to keep the pages turning.
The political and social commentary which is also nicely interwoven, related to careers, relationships, religion and ‘correctness’ – that term ‘cultural misappropriation’ rearing its head – adds a note of the challenges of age, of having lived a long life in changing circumstances, and it is well documented here, as it has been in Shriver’s own life.
Highly recommended, superb writing and full of feisty flair.

Another bracing read from Lionel Shriver. Covering a few similar themes to one of her earlier novels, Double Fault, about the havoc sport and passion can wreak on a marriage, this is the story of Serenata and her husband - not having ever identified as a runner or swimmer, she still loved exercise but she is no longer able to run, swim and cycle owing to knee injuries. Her husband Remington takes up long-distance running, and, later, triathlons, with a rag-tag group of other wannabe champions including an addict, a young bro, the town Lothario and the voracious trainer Bambi, who would inspire anyone to lock up their partners until she'd cycled past.

Shriver is on blistering form about the new cults of exercise, typically scathing about all things PC or, in the words of Serenata's millennial cleaner 'problematic,' and unromantic about the challenges of having a family (Serenata's daughter is a born-again Christian and her son Deacon resembles a more charismatic, less violent'Kevin who has spent his childhood stealing people's treasured possessions and now presumably deals in pharmaceuticals).

In the end, though, this is a rather sweet story about a relationship, conjuring up the two (or three) loving marriages in The Post-Birthday World and Big Brother. Is Shriver mellowing? Probably not. But she can still write.

Shriver has written a thoughtful and introspective novel centred around a couple in their sixties.
Serenata has always been a disciplined athlete and runner. But her knees have given up and she faces having them replaced.
Her husband Remington - never a sportsman - suddenly decides to take up running and to do a marathon.
The novel charts the effect on their relationship as Remington becomes increasingly obsessed by running and then triathlon, and develops a close relationship with his evangelical coach and mentor Bambi Buffer.
The characters are well-developed but some will find the novel too insular, meandering and intellectually analytical in its handling of the relationship.
Others will enjoy its cultural relevance and rigour as it takes on themes of body obsession and how we measure the value of our physical selves, as well as a dry look at how we handle what some would term political correctness.
I really liked this portrait of a long marriage being tested and found the novel - a little slow at first - built to a real page-turner.
So I’d say it’s quite different from Shriver’s other novels but compelling, and recommended.

For me, this is the best thing Shriver has written since Big Brother. It may not have the urgency of Kevin, say, but it's a scathing indictment of our cultural obsession with, even fetishisation of, diet, health and extreme fitness ('fitness fundamentalism' - haha!) - epitomised here by 65 year old Remington deciding to do first a marathon and then a triathlon. At the same time, it's also a portrait of a strong marriage in crisis, and Shriver weaves the two strands together with seamless mastery.

Serenata is one of Shriver's complex women who is wonderfully sharp and individual but also increasingly vulnerable both physically and emotionally. What Shriver manages so well is to keep this engaging as a novel, and avoid the trap of simply writing polemic or diatribe.

Alight with a dark humour, dropping in social commentary on everything from PC-ness to aging to religion (and sport becomes a religion in the book), this is hugely enjoyable: sly, intelligent, belligerent in places and bold.