The New Life

The perfect book doesn't exist, and yet here it is. I can't recall the last time I felt so entirely overwhelmed by the sheer quality of writing. I absolutely devoured this one. Crewe's eye for historical detail is extraordinary, and his flair for creating flawed, authentic characters is enviable. Every single sentence of this 400 page is beautiful, and vital, and exquisite.

I adored the ways in which the novel explored the identities of its protagonists, and let their stories unfurl so slowly and with such meticulous detail. I felt John's frustration at Henry's unwillingness to commit to the inevitable, awful end of their work, and I felt Henry's terror that prevented him from doing so. I'm trying to think of something that I didn't like in this book. The fact that it ended? That's about it.

Just a complete triumph of historical fiction, and a real testament to the power of the archive to tell the stories of the unheard.

The blurb for this one draws comparisons with Alan Hollinghurst and Colm Toibin. Those are big shoes to tread in the shadow of, and I was afraid that Tom Crewe's publisher would be doing a misservice to him, that his novel would be weakened by the flattery. I should not have worried. The comparison is justified.

The setting is late 19th century London and two men are drawn together, despite their separation and their wives, through the writing of a book into homosexuality at the time that the trial of Oscar Wilde is beginning.

Sometimes it felt that Tom Crewe was fighting for the title of 'Important Novel' but by grounding his novel with John and Henry and their domestic lives, he manages to keep his novel relevant, alive and full of power.

There is exquisite writing here and it certainly marks Tom Crewe out as a significant name to watch.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.