Sebastian is a schizophrenic and is in hospital because his mental health has broken down for several reasons, not least because he wants to meet his birth mother. His psychotherapist Dr Martin Carr has serious concerns about this for very good reason reasons of his own. Meanwhile, Martin’s adopted daughter Olivia has concerns of her own. She’s back at work following looking after her young son Noah and is making a series of programmes on natural disasters. This seems to be a parallel line for issues in her personal life connected to her environmentalist husband Francis who is on a mission to re-wild the world and worries about the health of her best friend Lucy. It transpires that Martin is in a very tricky situation and is on a sticky wicket. Will the situation be a train wreck or something else entirely? It seems the fates have things in store for all of them and it might turn out to be beautiful.

This is intense, sensitive, colourful, poignant and quite moving at times. Sebastian‘s fractured mind at the start is wonderfully written with gorgeous prose and as someone who’s partner has mental health issues his furiously running mind makes me feel emotional. As Dr Carr works his magic and Sebastian becomes calmer, my love for him as a character grows and grows. The way his mind works is truly fantastic, it’s an original entity of beauty which is spellbinding and makes me marvel. His imagination has so much power that I can only describe it as glorious. He is brilliantly captured and depicted by the author and he is a character that will endure for me.

Olivia‘s mind is also a fertile, creative and intriguing place. She is also a lovely person, she’s caring, sympathetic and empathetic. Francis grows on me, there are some lovely scenes towards the end where I re-evaluate him and as for Noah, he’s delightful.

Edward St Aubyn is a very erudite writer, he’s clearly extremely clever and I confess that some of the conversations between characters are a bit too intellectual for me! There is humour and plenty of it which is sometimes the sardonic variety which works for me. There are clever plays on words, especially in Sebastian‘s head which I love.

As a potential storms build and it all begins to connect with parallel lines becoming coincidences, it’s as if the universe is coming together and it’s very satisfying. I love the end with gorgeous Noah capturing it into simple sentences.

I haven’t read Double Blind but this is easily read as a standalone.

Four stars overall but five stars for the character of Sebastian.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Vintage for a much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

After his brilliant 2021 novel *Double Blind*, St. Aubyn is back with *Parallel Lines*, bringing his signature sharp wit and hilarious, yet dark, take on the messy human condition.

The story centers around Sebastian (Seb), a fast-talking, quick-thinking guy with schizophrenia, and his twin sister Olivia, who was adopted by Seb’s future therapist. While Olivia grew up in a nurturing environment, Seb had a rougher time. Alongside them, we meet a colorful mix of characters—a TV producer, an artist, a billionaire, a pilot, a cancer survivor—and they all create this dynamic world that feels both wild and limitless. St. Aubyn plays with labels and professions in such a free-spirited way, weaving plotlines that just feel open-ended and unpredictable. The storytelling is smart, and the way he sets scenes makes for a super engaging read.

*Parallel Lines* is clever and erudite, but it never feels too pretentious. While it might not carry the same weight as his Melrose novels, it’s still pure fun, full of energy and beautifully written. It works perfectly as a standalone or as a nice follow-up to *Double Blind*.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!