ARTS & CULTURE
BY LUCY MANGAN AreWe Having Fun Yet?
It feels lazy to describe this novel as Bridget Jones meets Motherland , but the narrator Liz bears so much resemblance to both iconic representations of contemporary womanhood that it’s hard not to mention. And it’s no bad thing! This is a superb book, tracking a year from January to January in the life of London-based Liz, and her attempts to navigate modern existence peacefully. But this aim is constantly thwarted by the demands of her husband and two children, and of course her relationships with other parents, which Liz describes as ‘ Game of Thrones without the bloodshed. ’ “You think you’re in a gang,” she states, bleakly: “You think that the experience of creating and successfully expelling via whatever means possible an actual new human life from within would form some kind of universal unbreakable bond between you – and then, too late, you realise you’re not.” Her friends, however, provide support, who then get it back in spades when facing their own crises – including errant husbands, heartbroken babysitters and the annual challenge of World Book Day. It’s a fantastic read, wickedly sharp and gloriously funny. RAVE REVIEWS Lucy Mangan, noted for her Guardian column, has received acclaim for her first adult novel – with its comedy of manners, style and wry observations on motherhood
OurWives Under The Sea BY JULIA ARMFIELD
Captivating from the very first lines, this genre-defying novel tells the story of Miri and Leah – a married couple living in London, as they try to re-enter normal life after oceanographer Leah’s recent expedition beneath the waves. The ambiguously named Centre, which ran the mission, is proving less than forthcoming with follow-up support, leaving Miri adrift as she tries to cope with her wife’s strange and unsettling needs, which have been fundamentally altered by her underwater experiences. The slow drip of information as the book descends to the depths leaves much for the reader to piece together, adding to the growing sense of unease and, in parts, hand-to- mouth horror. The almost Gothic nature of Leah’s worsening, mysterious condition is perfectly set against everyday domestic matters, such as the neighbour’s loud television, amusing articles in the newspaper, or memories of the couple’s easy-going happinesses in the past. Staggeringly beautifully written, Armfield’s prose – like the deepest, most unexplored parts of the ocean – looks sparse at first, but is teeming with life when you let it wash over you. This poetic musing on love, loss and grief is mesmerisingly romantic, in the oldest, truest sense of the word. By the time the book resurfaces, you’re left bereft, both heartbroken for the lovers and simultaneously awestruck at nature’s unknowable vastness, depicted so magnificently in this tiny, intimate tale of two women and their unbounded love for each other.
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK JANUARY 2022 23
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