up against the wall
Once in a while I read a book which has a big impact on me. It might be the storyline hits home, it may be that a specific character appeals hugely, or it could be all about the timing - it chimes with my current mood. I've just found such a book in The Wall by John Lanchester, (currently long listed for the Booker prize 2019). In this case, I really liked spending time with the characters, and I really enjoyed the tension and the humour in story; it was a gripping read that I kept returning to, to the exclusion of all else. But what I really admired was the craft of the novel, the writing itself. It is a slim book (274 pages), so a concise story. The writing is direct, sparse, no flowery description, and the narrative voice, of Kavanagh the main character, is clear and compulsive. It drives the plot forward relentlessly, as he slowly reveals the story to us. We only ever know what he tells us, and we root for him, and fear for him and those he cares for. Hats off to John Lanches...