just read The Essence of the Thing

My friend Hannah has yet to recommend a bad read. This is no different. After the assault of the Chinese Dictionary, I tumbled into this book and swam around for two delicious nights. Published in 1997, on the cusp of technology taking over our lives, this book focuses on the complex nuances between people, and the absence of iPhones and the internet is palpable, in a good way. The book is refreshingly modern, heartbreaking and uplifting, everything a good read should be. This was shortlisted for the Booker in 1997 and deservedly so.