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John of John
by Douglas Stuart · 2026
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John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was a British philosopher-economist, the son of James Mill, who had a great impact in 19th-century British thought, not only in philosophy and economics but also in the areas of political science, logic, and ethics. Mill was early introduced to the Benthamites, who actively pursued various social and political reforms along the utilitarian lines laid down by Jeremy Bentham. James Mill personally undertook the education of his precocious son, beginning with Greek at age three, with the aim of preparing him intellectually for eventual leadership of the group. At the age of 17 he had completed advanced and thorough courses of study in Greek literature and philosophy, chemistry, botany, psychology, and law.…
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"That’s right. This is Douglas Stuart’s third novel. It follows a young, gay artist as he returns to the Scottish Outer Hebrides, where he grew up as the closeted son of a dour Presbyterian crofter and lay preacher. There, he encounters many people from his past, many of whom are hiding secrets of their own. Kirkus have already given it a starred review, noting: The central question of the book, which is facing all the main characters, is whether it’s possible to inhabit the place one calls home as one’s genuine self. Stay or go? Life or death? By the end, this issue is resolved in a variety of tragic and hopeful ways. Though the novel is highly specific to time (the 1990s) and place (the Isle of Harris), I suspect this is a question that haunts a great many people who have grown up in rural communities or conservative cultures. And, if John of John is anything like Stuart’s previous novels ( Shuggie Bain , Young Mungo ), this one will be a heart-breaker."