Glover’s Mistake
From a rising young novelist comes an artful meditation on love and life in contemporary London.
When David Pinner introduces his former teacher, the American artist Ruth Marks, to his friend and flatmate James Glover, he unwittingly sets in place a love triangle loaded with tension, guilt and heartbreak. As David plays reluctant witness (and more) to James and Ruth’s escalating love affair, he must come to terms with his own blighted emotional life.
Set in the London art scene awash with new money and intellectual pretension, in the sleek galleries and posh restaurants of a Britannia resurgent with cultural and economic power, Nick Laird’s insightful and drolly satirical novel vividly portrays three people whose world gradually fractures along the fault lines of desire, truth and jealousy. With wit and compassion, Laird explores the very nature of contemporary romance, among damaged souls whose hearts and heads never quite line up long enough for them to achieve true happiness.
”'Glover’s Mistake is a fine, thoughtful piece of work that combines a compelling plot and pithy insights into the relationship between creativity and criticism; between art and those who make their livings skulking in its shadow.” - John O’Connell, The Times
”'It is a book that takes its characters pretty seriously, feeling their pain and acknowledging the complexity and muddle of their lives…the strength of this book comes from the sheer quality of the writing.” - Guardian
”'Glover’s Mistake is a curiously old fashioned book, although not in a bad way. It’s an entertaining comedy of manners reminiscent of everyone from David Lodge to Kingsley Amis.” - The Gloss magazine
”'Laird’s insightful observations on modern romance and the London art scene make this novel an entertaining read.” - Hot Press
‘Glover’s Mistake is well set up for an Andrew Davies’ ‘Line of Beauty’ style BBC adaptation… A triumph from the Tyrone born poet and novelist.’ RTE Guide -
4thestatebooks