23 Apr / Here We Are by Graham Swift [in Booklist]
British actor Phil Davis makes his solo narrating debut, his voice controlled and resonant, softened just slightly for the single female among Swift’s elusive trio. Here We Are, the title proclaims, and yet – well, the threesome is more fleeting illusion than solid presence.
In 1959 Brighton, England, three performers give their final performance: Ronnie makes magic with his partner, Evie, while Ronnie’s army buddy Jack acts as the variety show’s enabling compère. Ronnie disappears, Jack dies, and Evie is ultimately left behind, more specter than substantial.
Their stories – sometimes individual, sometimes overlapping – often repeat, with each iteration revealing additional details, as if reshaping the narrative with each point-of-view shift. Identities, too, seem a mutable affectation to try on and discard, from simply changing names to assuming new personalities to inventing fresh personas. Despite the novel’s elliptical sparseness, sharp focus is required to fully appreciate the intricate acts and their intriguing structure.
Despite occasionally noticeable breaths and dry-mouth sounds (he’s new!), Davis’s lulling, understated narration complements Graham Swift’s literary sleight of hand.
Review: “Media,” Booklist Online, March 26, 2021
Readers: Adult
Published: 2020