The Blind Light

I'm always apprehensive when a novel is tipped for the big prizes prior to release but having read The Blind Light I wouldn't be at all surprised if it happens for this book. This is the long, immaculately woven story of two very different families against the backdrop of decades of social history. Whilst it deserves the superlatives it will undoubtedly attract for its scale and ambition, what really moved and captivated me was the visceral intimacy and humanity with which the author captures the interior lives of his characters. It is profoundly insightful on friendship, desire, family, ageing and class, with many passages of extraordinary eloquence. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys literary fiction that's not too rarified.

In contention for my Book of the Year, and it’s only March! ‘The Blind Light’ by Stuart Evers is a novel that I was sad to finish. The writer presents recent history intelligently yet with a light touch through the eyes of the Moores and the Carters, two very different families drawn together through their fathers’ friendship. Drum and Carter first meet in the 1950s during National Service, the former quietly rescuing the latter from a gambling blunder. After a spell in Doom Town, the army manufactured post-apocalyptic town where the soldiers carry out ‘rescue’ practice, and a place which haunts both men for decades to come, they return to ordinary life. Drum once again is a cog in the wheel of the Ford factory line in Dagenham. Carter drifts into one of the ‘jobs for the boys’, his class and his money making life easy. Drum marries Gwen; Carter marries Daphne; both couples have children; both seem set on different paths.
However, Carter offers Drum an escape from the Dagenham strikes, the pollution and the gathering hopelessness when he offers him the chance to run a dairy farm that adjoins his country estate. When the Moores move North, all seems well for a time. Surprisingly, the wives become friends. Nevertheless, these bonds do not transfer to the younger generation and the fallout after an extraordinary event is both painful and life-changing for the Moores.
‘The Blind Light’ encourages the reader to think about how certain domestic and international episodes can affect individuals in a way that is both personal and universal. Nevertheless, the real strength of this novel is the meticulous way in which Evers explores family relationships and, in particular, parenting. What makes people as they are? What binds them and undoes them? What engenders loyalty and what encourages duplicity? Nothing is simple yet absolutes are recognised.
Nearing the end of her life, Gwen has a moment of clarity: ‘She is looking at her children and she sees them both safe and free.’ She no longer dwells on unjust words, ill-judged actions, or sacrifices made. There is a suggestion that these simple adjectives are to be treasured, never more than in our own unsettled times. Evers constructs a tough world but one that is ultimately full of light.
My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan Picador for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Stuart Evers’ latest book follows the friendship of two men - Drummond and Carter - through several decades, where the backdrop of the Atomic threat is used to frame an powerful and evocative story of love, friendship and betrayal which is never anything less than brilliant. Following Britain through subsequent ages and taking in world events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and 9/11, The Blind Light is superbly crafted, managing to be both epic and intimate in scale. I’m not often so blown away, but this novel deserves to be on all the lists, and win all the prizes.

I described this book as an epic feast of a book on social media. This was when I was only 50 or so pages in. And that description certainly holds true now that I have finished it.
I think we can sometimes get sucked in by “ couldn’t put it down” and “ read in one sitting” as though somehow this is the ultimate compliment you can give. I didn’t read this book quickly, nor wanted to. I wanted to savour the story, the writing, the characters, the plot.... and genuinely never wanted it to end.

From the 1950s through to the present day this tells the story of an unlikely, unbalanced and dysfunctional friendship between Drum and Carter.... and the relationship between Drum and his wife Gwen and the intertwining of their friendship, families and lives, Beginning from the men’s days as National Service conscripts the imbalance of power between the two men has lasting impacts for their families.

Powerful, yet tender. I will miss all of these characters greatly.

Just brilliant. It is hard to see any book surpassing this once awards season comes along. Mr Evers really lets us get under the skin of his characters - and as a simple character driven novel this works very well. But what the author does with such confidence and aplomb is offer us a fascinating social history of two families. The period detail - even down to the dialogue - is perfect. I honestly cannot recommend this book highly enough. It was a real treat. Thankyou

I approached this book with some trepidation. It has already won so many plaudits that is seemed impossible that it would live up to them; it does.
This is an intricately woven story of two men – and their families. It explores friendships that endure, marital love that can endure and familial ties which often don’t. Hanging over all of this is the constant threat of the annihilation of society as we know it and this, in particular, affects one of the main protagonists, Drum. In fact, I would go so far as to say that his parenting style is a direct result of his wish to keep his family safe – which of course sends them far away from him.
I found the structure of the book compelling too although I must admit that I was most engaged with the later parts where Drum and Gwen were old and coming to the end of their lives. And I am still not sure whether Anneka was actually there for Drum or just in his imagination.
A book that will stay with me for a long time.
My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillian Picador for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Spanning six decades, Stuart Evers’ The Blind Light tells the story of post-war Britain through two families, both from opposite ends of the social spectrum, beginning with the friendship between Drummond and Carter formed during their National Service training in 1959. When Drum tips Carter the wink at a card school where he’s spied a cheat, he saves Carter’s bacon and makes a friend for life. They’re stationed in Cumbria, the site of a ‘doom town’ set up to simulate the aftermath of a nuclear strike. By the time their National Service is over Drum is engaged to Gwen and Carter to Daphne, despite his constant philandering.
Each returns to their very different lives but their friendship continues. Children are born, crises are weathered. Drum becomes a member of the Civil Defence, his life led on constant alert for the catastrophe he’s sure will happen. The events of one dramatic night in 1980 stretch the bonds between the families to breaking point, the repercussions of which will come home to roost when the novel ends in 2019.
This is a richly textured, immersive novel, full of convincing characters whose stories echo that of their changing country, and it has an immensely satisfying ending. I’m not a fan of doorstop novels but Evers 540+ page chunkster is the exception that breaks that rule.

Stuart Evers epic and ambitious novel follows the lives, friendship, and families of two men, Drummond 'Drum' Moore and Carter from post-war 1950s Britain through the decades, amidst the background of British and global history, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War, Dagenham Strikes. the IRA bombing campaigns, the War on Terror and culture. Drum ignites his friendship with Carter in 1959 when they meet during National Service after saving him from a card scam. The two men are very different, Drum is the quiet, background type whilst Carter has a confidence, social adeptness, and certainty that befits a privileged man from an influential social strata, sent down from Oxford, a slippery man. From the start, the relationship is overtly unequal, with Carter having no qualms about gaslighting Drum and letting him down. Drum changes so much that he becomes a double act with Carter in the regaling of their fictitious war stories at the base, finding a respect and deference that had never been accorded to him previously.

Drum begins to read after nudging from Carter, beginning with Charles Dicken's Great Expectations, perhaps an allusion to Drum's expectations of his friendship with Carter, moving on to other books, where he sees the ghost of Carter in all of them. Their time at Doom Town, the military post-apocalyptic training exercises are to haunt and have long lasting consequences. Drum is to marry Gwen, a barmaid, whilst Carter weds Daphne, and have children. When the men return to ordinary life, Carter falling back into his life of social and economic privilege with an effortless ease whilst Drum becomes a Ford worker at Dagenham. The lives of the two men appear to be on completely different trajectories until Carter offers Drum the opportunity to become a farmer by moving North, the two families next to each other. The narrative follows their lives, the ins and outs of their relationships, their children, the conflicts, betrayals, deceptions, and the specific fallout of what happens in the 1980s through the decades as the past continues to haunt the present.

The details and rich descriptions in the novel make the time periods feel authentic and come alive, particularly the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Evers real talent is in the creation of his complicated characters, and developing them, the exploration of their complex relationships with each other as they come together and disintegrate through the years, lives and patterns that resonate with local, national and global history and events. This is brilliantly structured storytelling, about all that it is to be human and flawed, class, friendship, marriage, family, being a parent, family dynamics, behaviour and decisions made when a person has little idea as to their consequences in the future. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.

The Blind Light is a quite exceptional novel by Stuart Evers.. Drum and Carter are 2 young men from opposite ends of the social scale doing their National Service in the 1950's. The Cold War is in full flow and most of their service is passed at a facility used to train troops for the aftermath of a nuclear war. To facilitate this a replica of a post-nuclear strike town, nicknamed "Doom Town" has been built, a place that has a massive effect on Drum as it imprints the reality of a nuclear conflagration on him.
The book is basically the story of Drum and Carter's unlikely friendship over the years, with the shadow of the nuclear threat looming in the background., from the 1950's to the current decade. They both marry and have families and the intertwining relationships between the Moores and the Carters are also a very big part of the saga. As well as the family stories the book is a social history with changing times, attitudes and social mores over the decades and the clashes over them between the generations being deftly portrayed .
This is the first book I've read by Stuart Evers but it won't be the last. He's a truly excellent writer and his characters come to life ,their flaws,strengths, desires and weaknesses painting a picture of the whole person leaving the reader feeling as if these are people they really know, Quite amazing is how Mr Evers convincingly gets into the head of his characters be they adolescent girls, angry young men,confused elderly women,good people,bad people and those who are a bit of both.
There are ambiguities ,as in real life,is there an act of reconciliation, or did a dying person imagine it? Was a life-changing incident real or a manifestation of mental illness?
This is a book to savour, take your time over and enjoy the work of a master wordsmith.
There are a lot of good books around,this is an exceptional one.

Thanks to Stuart Evers, Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Terrific novel. Spans the lives of the polar opposite privileged Carter and working class Moore families. The men meet during National Service in 1959 when they train in ‘Doom Town’ to deal with a post-nuclear attack. The experience bonds them for life and they become neighbours when Drum Moore, now married to Gwen with their baby daughter Anneka dash from London to The Lakes to escape possible fall out from The Cuban Missile Crisis. The Moores run the dairy farm attached to Carter’s palatial family home.
Some huge national and international themes provide a wide-ranging context. Class, The Cold War, Dagenham Ford strikes, the Rave culture are presented through the intimate perspective of family life which brings its own dramas as children grow up, have children of their own and ultimately, by 2019, become the central characters.
Evers is an engaging and accomplished writer, whose insights into human nature and behaviour make even the minor characters entirely convincing as they are developed through a huge range of life experiences. And we are made to recognise the importance and significance of friendship and family ties no matter what is threatening in the wider world. Not much divides us, really.
Very grateful to #NetGalley and #Picador for my pre-release digital download. And for introducing me to a new ‘must read more’ writer

I really enjoyed this character driven, slow moving story. The writing style was unique and impressive. I rooted for the characters, and absorbed by the story.

I understand some people may find it too slow, but I just liked it that way.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

What a novel! Even before it was out, the reviews were already unanimous, and for good reason: The Blind Light is one of those fictions that manage to convey the passage of time with awe-inspiring acuteness. It's a novel about Britain, a novel about class, a novel about family, a novel about friendship. It's about simple dreams and complicated betrayals, shattered hopes and undying love, truths left unsaid and lies too easily believed. It's about the power of money and the cynicism of it all. Above all, it's about all the things we keep inside, all the feelings we find ourselves unable to express. The Blind Light is a deeply moving exploration of what is underneath, the beauty, the ugliness, the humanity of it all.

I just loved this story of friends through generations - even at over 500 pages, I didn't want to put it down, it didn't feel long at all. Drum and Carter meet during National Service, and we follow their friendship as their lives progress - marriages, children - and as they live through landmarks in modern history. The 2 main events which affect the men are the strikes at the Ford plant at Dagenham where Drum worked for a while, and the threat and fear of a nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis - the latter being the focal turning point for the story.

It was fascinating finding out more about the events surrounding these periods of history - I wasn't born when either of these parts of history played out. I loved all the characters, especially Gwen, Drum's wife, who always appears the stronger of the couple. Drum and Carter's friendship doesn't always run smoothly - they are from different social backgrounds, with Carter often looking down his nose at Drum and playing the upper hand, but their friendship remains strong through their whole lives.

An enjoyable read.

I had read two of Stuart Evers' short story collections, and was interested to read his first novel. It is absolutely sublime, I can't recommend it highly enough.

The Blind Light is a beautifully written story of the lives, friendship, family, love and class differences of Drum and Carter from their meeting at conscription training to the present day. The relationship between these two men is a strange one, at times it feels like they are "friends" out of habit or convenience rather than want but at the end you feel their true friendship. The story is emotional and brought me to tears.
Stuart Evers writing style is interesting, the short chapters make this pretty long book easy to read and it is a worthwhile read.

I was given a copy of The Blind Light by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

This is easily one of my top reads of 2020. I loved the luminous, unique, poetic prose and narrative voice. The characters were fantastic - authentic, compelling and refreshingly human. Plus, as a lover of modern history, it was so wonderful to follow these two families through the mire and occasional majesty of recent social history - from the 1950s until the modern day. It certainly seems that Stuart Evers' novel deserves all the hype!

A whopping book on every front. Long, detailed and following a sweep of history from the Cold War to the present day through friendship and two families, both from opposite ends of the society. Drummond and Carter meet doing their National Service in 1959 in Cumbria when a tip off cements their friendship. It follows their peripatetic lives through six decade. This is a bold, complicated, detailed book of great ambition which is realised.

This is my first Stuart Evers book and I hope it won't be the last! He takes us on a powerful journey of friendship between 2 men, from the 1950's onwards including some of the worlds most awful events including 9/11. A wonderful story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Stuart Ivers and Pan Macmillan for this e-copy in return for my honest review. Seldom does a novel live up to its hype, but wow, what a story. Filled with feeling, emotional and friendship. This author deserves all the praise possible for this simply stunning book.

There is so much to praise in this epic novel that sweeps through decades of national and global history. Through troubled times we follow the lives of fascinating, if flawed, characters. Although a long novel, it keeps the reader's interest throughout.