The Sparsholt Affair
SKU: 23515097776

The Sparsholt Affair

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The Sparsholt AffairThe Sparsholt Affair The Sparsholt Affair is the long awaited sixth novel from the supreme stylist of British fiction and previous winner of the Man Booker Prize. From Oxford during the dark days of the Second World War to contemporary London, this is a masterly novel about sexuality, art and family secrets. 'Call Me By Your Name meets Evelyn Waugh in a gorgeous novel about the generations long aftershocks of a youthful tryst' Esquire From the winner

The Sparsholt Affair

The Sparsholt Affair is the long-awaited sixth novel from the supreme stylist of British fiction and previous winner of the Man Booker Prize. From Oxford during the dark days of the Second World War to contemporary London, this is a masterly novel about sexuality, art and family secrets.

'Call Me By Your Name meets Evelyn Waugh in a gorgeous novel about the generations-long aftershocks of a youthful tryst' — Esquire

From the winner of the Man Booker Prize, a masterly novel that spans seven transformative decades as it plumbs the complex relationships of a remarkable family.


In October 1940, the handsome young David Sparsholt arrives in Oxford. A keen athlete and oarsman, he at first seems unaware of the effect he has on others – particularly on the lonely and romantic Evert Dax, son of a celebrated novelist and destined to become a writer himself. While the Blitz rages in London, Oxford exists at a strange remove: an ephemeral, uncertain place, in which nightly blackouts conceal secret liaisons. Over the course of one momentous term, David and Evert forge an unlikely friendship that will colour their lives for decades to come . . .

Alan Hollinghurst’s sweeping novel evokes the intimate relationships of a group of friends bound together by art, literature and love across three generations. It explores the social and sexual revolutions of the most pivotal years of the past century, whose life-changing consequences are still being played out to this day. Richly observed, disarmingly witty and emotionally charged, The Sparsholt Affair is an unmissable achievement from one of our finest writers.

'Startling, radical, embedded in tradition but entirely new' - Guardian

'A master storyteller' - John Banville

'Hollinghurst can make language do what he wants . . . It makes a lot of contemporary fiction seem thin and underachieving.' - Evening Standard

'Dazzlingly good: the best new novel I’ve read this year. Once again, Hollinghurst is both utterly sumptuous and utterly precise' - Spectator

'Mr. Hollinghurst's great gift as a novelist is for social satire as sharp and transparent as glass, catching his quarry from an angle just an inch to the left of the view they themselves would catch in the mantelpiece mirror.' - The New York Observer

'Alan Hollinghurst’s The Sparsholt Affair is startling, radical, embedded in tradition but entirely new in final effect – the novel that other novelists were all talking about this year.' - Guardian

'A sweeping and intimate masterpiece, full of sensual pleasures and observational wisdom' - Guardian

'Thrillingly stylish and gripping' - Guardian

'But for narrative ambition and sheer comic joy, by far the best thing I’ve read this year . . . A novel with brains and heart and balls — the kind you find yourself wanting to read at two speeds at once: very quickly, so that you can get on to the next page, and very slowly, so that you can linger over each beautifully crafted sentence. He’s a writer who makes every word sing' - Spectator

'Audacious, ambitious . . . an absorbingly complex novel reaching across seven decades . . . Hollinghurst's prose delights' - The Times, Saturday Review

'Beautiful; moving . . . he writes with subtlety and sympathy; wisdom and understanding' - New York Times

'A highlight of Hollinghurst’s career, and one of the best books of the year . . . a true master' - Independent

'My favourite living novelist' - Guardian

'Richly textured and alive with ironic wit . . . An ambitious novel of family, sexuality and art' - The Sunday Times

'Captures the changing nature of the homosexual experience as the country moves from shame and criminality to openness [and] dating apps' - The Times

'Alluring, virtuosic, cinematic . . . The traditional novel form seems as pleasurable and humanly true as ever in his hands' - New Yorker

'Deeply pleasurable . . . written with poise, lucidity and pathos' - Harper's

'A wonder, full of wit and tenderness . . . there is no better stylist alive [than] Hollinghurst' - Slate

'Perhaps Hollinghurst’s most beautiful novel yet—a book full of glorious sentences by the greatest prose stylist writing in English today . . . An unashamedly readable novel, undoubtedly the work of a master' - The Observer

'It’s not often that readers see such a fundamental rethinking of what fiction can do, and rarer still that the result is such a joy' - Spectator

'The immense assurance of the writing, the deep knowledge of the settings and periods in which the story unfolds, the mingling of cruel humour and lyrical tenderness, the insatiable interest in human desire from its most refined to its most brutally carnal, grip you as tightly as any thriller' - The Guardian

'A novelist with a particular genius for inhabiting the past [and] an extraordinary gift for the condensing and enriching detail . . . Ravishing' - LRB

'Breathtaking . . . the novel chronicles a handful of queer friendships–the way they bent and twisted and sometimes even shattered, the reverberations of each affecting generation after generation of queer people who came after them' - Lit Hub

SPECIFICATIONS:

Author:Alan Hollinghurst - Алан Холлингхерст

Publisher:Pan Macmillan

Language:English

Publication Date:2023

Number of pages:464 pst

Format:Paperback

Width:130 mm / 5,1'

Height:198 mm / 7,8'

Weight:328 g

ISBN:9781035028023

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SKU: 23515097776

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Jessika
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 4
Definitely worth the read!
Format: Kindle
After taking a deep breath and taking in that wicked twist of an ending, I have finally composed myself. My first thought when I started this book was that I love Reyna's character. I was intrigued by her connection with her familiar and the Ruin that is plaguing her land. It came as no surprise that she took her sister's place in an attempt to protect her. When they reach the Air Court everything slows down. This is where it was iffy for me. First of all, I like multiple POV's in books however 7 is a bit much. It starts to interrupt the story line. I felt like I was finally making progress connecting with one character, then it was switched to another person. I felt they all had necessary or pertinent information but not necessarily were they all POV worthy. The only other thing that annoyed me was that Reyna constantly was " trapped." She would rush off without thinking, only to need rescuing. She is brilliant in a fight, but she really doesn't think through anything. Lorcan is amazing. I know he might be on the "bad" list, but his background is so interesting. Eislyn(Reyna's sister) is really so sweet, but calculating. I enjoyed her and Thane's dialogue. The author did an amazing job with the imagery in this book. Everything was so detailed it was easy to fall into the scene. I love unexpected twists and while part of the ending I expected, I wasn't expecting how it took place. All in all, I found it very entertaining and I am very invested in continuing this series. Favorite quotes: "The truth may be twisted but never false." "Who was she if she was not the enemy of the Air Court? What was her purpose of she no longer has that?" "In a war-torn land, love was always a lie."
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2020
K
Verified Purchase
KAB
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Great Read!!! Great story!!!
Format: Kindle
The series is long, but Ms. Wolfhart does a fantastic job of weaving this tale while bringing so much to the characters. Surprises and plot twists along the way to keep you intrigued. There is some graphic sex, but is no way the focal point. Grammar was excellent (a rare find with a lot of self publishers) with only a few noted errors. I rarely give 4 stars, let alone 5.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2021
E
Verified Purchase
Elisa
New York, US
★★★★★ 3
Sadly, DNF
Format: Kindle
I read this thru KU. I LOVED the synopsis. And then I began reading... and it was a DNF at 68% after picking it up and putting it down several times because I really loved the main female character. *****SPOILERS***** Pros: The world is unique, intriguing and fun. The primary female character is bad-a** but not a b*tech or a mary sue. The primary female has depth. I really want to know what happens to her even tho it's been weeks and I don't remember her name. The villains to the point I read are pretty good -- an ever present threat of mysterious and possibly many culprits. Cons: Way, way too many points of view. I stopped counting at 7. It's the prime reason why I don't care about most of the characters or remember their names even when I like them. There's just too many points of view so almost none of the characters have enough book space for the author to properly develop them. This literally killed the book for me. Actually it killed my desire to read. For weeks. The main male is more villain than hero. He agreed to marry the main female then locks her up & eschews her for her sister, all while bad mouthing her as unfit to rule when he never spent any time with her getting to know her. He is actually unfit to rule as he is blind to the woes of his own kingdom and starts off a peace mission to secure a ceasefire through marriage by murdering an inn full of people in her country for no real reason. Plus, he constantly makes promises he does not keep. And it's gross of him to pine for the sister behind the main female's back. ***** As much as I really wanted to see what happened to the main female character, it wasn't enough for me to keep trying to slog thru this book. There was a lot of potential here that just fell short. Hence, 3 stars.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2021
M
Verified Purchase
MaryBeth K
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Fae Courts with High Intrigue
Format: Kindle
This book is one that just builds and builds and then surprises you to no end. You may think you know the villains and then you are jolted in another direction. Princess Reyna is a real gem, strong of character, a fierce fighter, and loyal to her family and kingdom. Just when you think she and Lorcan, well you know, the plot is flipped. Can't wait to see where this goes in book two.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2023
K
Verified Purchase
Kindle Customer Maureen
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 4
Slow, sorry but good
Format: Kindle
This was a slow moving book. Lots of character pov chapters, lots of superfluous descriptions and endless courtly appearances stalled this book to start. Once you get into the heart of the story, it takes off. Before you know it the book is done. My favorite character is Reyna. She is so strong. She is true to herself. She gets into a lot of trouble with her headstrong ways but it's entertaining. I have high hopes for Lorcan. He is honorable to a fault. Thane had turned out to be better than I thought but i still don't like him. Eislin is useless. Great plot twists at the end. I'm looking forward too book 2.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2020

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