Oh, William!

"Shortlist"

"The first reason was, simply, the way that it’s written. Within a page or two, has this author taken you into their world? Elizabeth Strout ’s prose is so calmly, naively beguiling. The apparently simplicity of her language, the informality of the address to the reader takes you immediately into a dialogue with a character. What we admired enormously was the complexity with which the reader comes to see how little Lucy understands herself. The process of watching somebody in late middle age, rethinking their understanding of who they have been, who they are, and what they might be. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount . To an extent, it seems quite close to Treacle Walker , that is, it is about an individual alone, sorting out who they are, and learning to see the world and themselves. The disjunction between Lucy’s assumption that she sees what’s going on, and the reader’s growing awareness that she doesn’t know either herself or the rest of the world. That is a very powerful mix. One thing we were looking for was that the author had accomplished their purpose within the terms they had set themselves. We felt that with these six books, that was resoundingly true in every case; it was magnificently fulfilled. Part of our best books of 2022 series."

"I loved My Name Is Lucy Barton and Anything Is Possible — not just because I adore Lucy as a character, but because of the brilliant ways Strout reflects and refracts impressions of Lucy."