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In Judgement of Others
The Midhurst Amateur Dramatic Society are putting on a production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, and Tessa has agreed to play a part. But when she suffers a psychotic episode, Ros, a C-list celebrity and new to the community, takes her place.
In this darkly comic tale of psychosis in the Home Counties, the stage is set for a blistering examination of mental illness, how we treat it and why we don’t. While Tessa is sectioned in a secure psychiatric hospital, the relationships in the community unravel, and by the time she’s released, all that we thought we knew, and all of our judgements, are thrown into question.
Dim the lights, turn off your phones, settle in as the curtain rises...
In this darkly comic tale of psychosis in the Home Counties, the stage is set for a blistering examination of mental illness, how we treat it and why we don’t. While Tessa is sectioned in a secure psychiatric hospital, the relationships in the community unravel, and by the time she’s released, all that we thought we knew, and all of our judgements, are thrown into question.
Dim the lights, turn off your phones, settle in as the curtain rises...
- GenresFiction
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2025
3 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Anstruther
3 books24 followersEleanor Anstruther was born in London, educated at Westminster School and studied History of Art at Manchester University where she was distracted from finishing her degree by a trip to India. She was lost and found for the next twelve years, starting a commune and travelling the world before finally settling down to write her acclaimed debut novel, A Perfect Explanation, (Salt Books) which was long listed for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the 2019 Not The Booker Prize. Her latest novel, In Judgement of Others, (Troubador) is available now. Founder of The Literary Obsessive, she’s grown a significant following on Substack where she champions indie lit fiction, serializes her work before taking it to print, and runs the popular interview series, 8 Questions.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 1, 2024
Having enjoyed this author’s first novel, ‘A Perfect Explanation’, I was delighted to have the chance to read a proof copy of her second ‘In Judgement of Others’.
Against the backdrop of ‘the home counties-based, middle class community that drank too much, bragged about holidays, compared their children and flirted with each other’s husbands,’ Eleanor Anstruther’s starkly honest portrayal of mental illness spotlights society’s prejudices in terms of what is and is not acceptable.
Tessa’s experience has taught her that ‘Tearing up your house was not okay, but a woman dying quietly inside apparently was. Keep your death to yourself, that was the message.’
Whilst the subject matter is serious, the tale is somewhat comic, with the action taking place around the Midhurst Amateur Dramatics Society’s rehearsals and performance of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit (alongside similar rehearsals in a psychiatric ward), where the central theme of conflict between two wives, one living and one a ghost, mirrors what is going in the lives of the cast. The three main characters, Tessa and her friends Clare and Ros, all have painful pasts or truths they can’t admit to. The prose and dialogue sparkle with wit, while there is a depth of understanding about the way we judge what is normal and what is not, which forms of ‘abnormal’ behaviour are acceptable, and which require treatment. Tessa observes, ‘These people who called themselves healthy, who were allowed to walk freely while she was locked in a cage, were they so well? Were they so free of torment? They just hid it better,’ and in the end challenges us with this: ‘We are all responsible for making one thing okay and not another.’
‘In Judgement of Others’ is a sharply observed novel, well-written and thought-provoking. Highly recommended.
Against the backdrop of ‘the home counties-based, middle class community that drank too much, bragged about holidays, compared their children and flirted with each other’s husbands,’ Eleanor Anstruther’s starkly honest portrayal of mental illness spotlights society’s prejudices in terms of what is and is not acceptable.
Tessa’s experience has taught her that ‘Tearing up your house was not okay, but a woman dying quietly inside apparently was. Keep your death to yourself, that was the message.’
Whilst the subject matter is serious, the tale is somewhat comic, with the action taking place around the Midhurst Amateur Dramatics Society’s rehearsals and performance of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit (alongside similar rehearsals in a psychiatric ward), where the central theme of conflict between two wives, one living and one a ghost, mirrors what is going in the lives of the cast. The three main characters, Tessa and her friends Clare and Ros, all have painful pasts or truths they can’t admit to. The prose and dialogue sparkle with wit, while there is a depth of understanding about the way we judge what is normal and what is not, which forms of ‘abnormal’ behaviour are acceptable, and which require treatment. Tessa observes, ‘These people who called themselves healthy, who were allowed to walk freely while she was locked in a cage, were they so well? Were they so free of torment? They just hid it better,’ and in the end challenges us with this: ‘We are all responsible for making one thing okay and not another.’
‘In Judgement of Others’ is a sharply observed novel, well-written and thought-provoking. Highly recommended.
October 5, 2024
Eleanor is a master of characterization. And the way she writes about mental health has an empathy and an interiority that few can match.
February 8, 2025
In Eleanor Anstruther’s In Judgement of Others, we meet middle-aged mother-of-one Tessa as she’s having a manic episode. Subsequently sequestered in a psychiatric hospital, she’s no longer available to play the part of Elvira in the Midhurst Amateur Dramatic Society’s upcoming production of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit.
Ros, a glamorous new arrival in the area who’s had a small degree of success on TV and the London stage, replaces her in the role, with Tessa’s husband Scott playing opposite. As the play comes together, though, it becomes increasingly apparent that Ros isn’t as sincere as she seems, and could probably use some psychiatric help herself.
I found In Judgement of Others an enjoyable read with a satisfyingly dark bite to it. Many of the unhospitalised characters are entertainingly unpleasant, due to both individual characteristics and their smug middle class-ness as a whole.
Tessa is the most sympathetic of Midhurst characters, partly because she has really suffered (we get insights into her earlier experiences, as well as what’s going through her head as she has her episode and is sectioned), but also because – being outside of her habitual setting and in a bad state mentally – she is less concerned with how she comes across, and is therefore more honest and genuine than her peers.
As suggested above, Ros, in contrast, particularly embodies the obsession with appearances that haunts Tessa’s social circle. Without giving too much away, she’s highly self-centred, deceives others and deludes herself, and has a mean streak a mile wide. However, because she’s beautiful and charismatic, people are attracted to her, and are oblivious to her manipulation of them.
Ros’ natural privileges, unconditionally supportive family of origin, and the way her issues manifest mean she’s highly unlikely to attract the attention of the mental health service and be bundled away like poor Tessa. This is even though, arguably, Ros’ actions have longer-lasting, even devastating effects on the people around her.
Ros’ sole concession to her mental health is a regular visit to an analyst in London, which seems more like an excuse to talk about herself for an hour than anything else. Then again, the talk therapy Tessa receives on the ward appears quite limited, with the real purpose of her section seeming to be getting her settled on the right drugs in a controlled location, where she won’t inconvenience or perturb the general public.
The author’s use of an amateur dramatic production to pull the story together is very inspired. Even though I was unfamiliar with Blithe Spirit, I found it easy to pick up the basic premise from In Judgement of Others, and felt motivated to read up on it and identify parallels between the play and the story.
It was also interesting to see how the company went about staging the play, with enthusiastic amateur director Brian (whom nobody really likes) at the helm. The rehearsals are a notable source of humour in the story.
Furthermore, when one of Tessa’s fellow inpatients finds a copy of the script in the rubbish, it sparks a bit of chat about what the play’s about and its history, and a pair (who just happen to be called Derek and Clive, and often amusing) entertain themselves for a bit by giving out parts to their wardmates and directing them to act out a couple of the scenes themselves.
This gives us the opportunity to learn about some of the other characters on the ward, and reminds us that their being sectioned is only one part of their lives – they’re capable people with individual strengths and passions, who just happen to be laid low by something beyond their control for a period of time. What’s more, they’re at the mercy of an overstretched system that’s forced by necessity to take a cookie-cutter approach to a range of severe mental health difficulties.
In Judgement of Others is entertaining and thought-provoking.
Ros, a glamorous new arrival in the area who’s had a small degree of success on TV and the London stage, replaces her in the role, with Tessa’s husband Scott playing opposite. As the play comes together, though, it becomes increasingly apparent that Ros isn’t as sincere as she seems, and could probably use some psychiatric help herself.
I found In Judgement of Others an enjoyable read with a satisfyingly dark bite to it. Many of the unhospitalised characters are entertainingly unpleasant, due to both individual characteristics and their smug middle class-ness as a whole.
Tessa is the most sympathetic of Midhurst characters, partly because she has really suffered (we get insights into her earlier experiences, as well as what’s going through her head as she has her episode and is sectioned), but also because – being outside of her habitual setting and in a bad state mentally – she is less concerned with how she comes across, and is therefore more honest and genuine than her peers.
As suggested above, Ros, in contrast, particularly embodies the obsession with appearances that haunts Tessa’s social circle. Without giving too much away, she’s highly self-centred, deceives others and deludes herself, and has a mean streak a mile wide. However, because she’s beautiful and charismatic, people are attracted to her, and are oblivious to her manipulation of them.
Ros’ natural privileges, unconditionally supportive family of origin, and the way her issues manifest mean she’s highly unlikely to attract the attention of the mental health service and be bundled away like poor Tessa. This is even though, arguably, Ros’ actions have longer-lasting, even devastating effects on the people around her.
Ros’ sole concession to her mental health is a regular visit to an analyst in London, which seems more like an excuse to talk about herself for an hour than anything else. Then again, the talk therapy Tessa receives on the ward appears quite limited, with the real purpose of her section seeming to be getting her settled on the right drugs in a controlled location, where she won’t inconvenience or perturb the general public.
The author’s use of an amateur dramatic production to pull the story together is very inspired. Even though I was unfamiliar with Blithe Spirit, I found it easy to pick up the basic premise from In Judgement of Others, and felt motivated to read up on it and identify parallels between the play and the story.
It was also interesting to see how the company went about staging the play, with enthusiastic amateur director Brian (whom nobody really likes) at the helm. The rehearsals are a notable source of humour in the story.
Furthermore, when one of Tessa’s fellow inpatients finds a copy of the script in the rubbish, it sparks a bit of chat about what the play’s about and its history, and a pair (who just happen to be called Derek and Clive, and often amusing) entertain themselves for a bit by giving out parts to their wardmates and directing them to act out a couple of the scenes themselves.
This gives us the opportunity to learn about some of the other characters on the ward, and reminds us that their being sectioned is only one part of their lives – they’re capable people with individual strengths and passions, who just happen to be laid low by something beyond their control for a period of time. What’s more, they’re at the mercy of an overstretched system that’s forced by necessity to take a cookie-cutter approach to a range of severe mental health difficulties.
In Judgement of Others is entertaining and thought-provoking.
January 15, 2025
‘Down the rabbit hole…’
Eleonor Anstruther is an incredibly talented writer with a beautiful, haunting writing style. When this book was published by Netgalley, it was on my bookshelf within a day – I hadn't even read the synopsis beforehand. I've read her previous novel, A Perfect Explanation, and loved it! She's a fantastic writer and I just knew this book was going to be another winner.
The novel has two 'stories' that intertwine, - and for those not quite used to the theatre world, it's worth taking a moment to look up what Noel Coward's play is about.
In this brilliantly constructed novel, it's the play Blithe Spirit and day-to-day life of the actors and their ‘issues, patterns and behaviours that are intertwined.
Like in the play, the writer is playing mind games with her ‘audience’, leaving the reader in a state of confusion about what is normal and acceptable, and what is not, what is real or what is fake. ‘Fake or real, Tessa couldn't tel.’ [red.], ‘each believing their reality was true…'[red.]
I have laughed and I have cried, especially when Tessa is concerned, her struggle, ‘trying to pick up the pieces after… [..] needing connection, not isolation, during one of her episodes in a psychiatric hospital.
The novel gives a wonderful insight into the posh lives of rugby dads, dinner parties, theatre rehearsals and children at expensive public schools.
When Tessa is sectioned, her friends try to avoid the subject by saying she is 'in Spain' to avoid any awkwardness about the how and the why, but underneath the others' seemingly perfect veneer, it turns out that each of them has their own torments to battle: Scott scarred by a childhood during the Troubles, beautiful, perfect and sexy Ros who wants to have what she cannot have, always looking to fill the void inside her, Carla struggling with her sexuality…
Tessa wonders why 'healthy' people are allowed to move around freely, while she is ‘ locked up in a cage.’ Others have ‘torments’ too, don't they? ‘Why don't they section narcissists and drunk people having a laugh, doing drugs or pot?' Why aren't they sectioned? [red:]’
The novel appears to be a blend of A Beautiful Mind, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (and yes, even nurse Ratched is there) and Blithe Spirit, focusing on a love triangle between a man and two women, with the central themes of sanity, femininity, conformity versus individuality, sexuality and freedom.
Deeply moving, and unforgettable. A 10 ⭐ star rating for me.
Eleonor Anstruther is an incredibly talented writer with a beautiful, haunting writing style. When this book was published by Netgalley, it was on my bookshelf within a day – I hadn't even read the synopsis beforehand. I've read her previous novel, A Perfect Explanation, and loved it! She's a fantastic writer and I just knew this book was going to be another winner.
The novel has two 'stories' that intertwine, - and for those not quite used to the theatre world, it's worth taking a moment to look up what Noel Coward's play is about.
In this brilliantly constructed novel, it's the play Blithe Spirit and day-to-day life of the actors and their ‘issues, patterns and behaviours that are intertwined.
Like in the play, the writer is playing mind games with her ‘audience’, leaving the reader in a state of confusion about what is normal and acceptable, and what is not, what is real or what is fake. ‘Fake or real, Tessa couldn't tel.’ [red.], ‘each believing their reality was true…'[red.]
I have laughed and I have cried, especially when Tessa is concerned, her struggle, ‘trying to pick up the pieces after… [..] needing connection, not isolation, during one of her episodes in a psychiatric hospital.
The novel gives a wonderful insight into the posh lives of rugby dads, dinner parties, theatre rehearsals and children at expensive public schools.
When Tessa is sectioned, her friends try to avoid the subject by saying she is 'in Spain' to avoid any awkwardness about the how and the why, but underneath the others' seemingly perfect veneer, it turns out that each of them has their own torments to battle: Scott scarred by a childhood during the Troubles, beautiful, perfect and sexy Ros who wants to have what she cannot have, always looking to fill the void inside her, Carla struggling with her sexuality…
Tessa wonders why 'healthy' people are allowed to move around freely, while she is ‘ locked up in a cage.’ Others have ‘torments’ too, don't they? ‘Why don't they section narcissists and drunk people having a laugh, doing drugs or pot?' Why aren't they sectioned? [red:]’
The novel appears to be a blend of A Beautiful Mind, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (and yes, even nurse Ratched is there) and Blithe Spirit, focusing on a love triangle between a man and two women, with the central themes of sanity, femininity, conformity versus individuality, sexuality and freedom.
Deeply moving, and unforgettable. A 10 ⭐ star rating for me.
October 5, 2024
I read this novel when it was serialised on Substack and loved it.
Eleanor Anstruther is a seriously talented writer, as brilliant an architect of sentences as she is a satirist of life in the English Home Counties. She is able to get inside the heads of different characters with astonishing ease and offers beautifully jarring perspectives on the action.
I won't give away the plot. But a wonderful early passage gives a glimpse of what is to come in the dysfunctional home of the main characters: "Mothers all over West Sussex were making supper. There were glasses of wine being poured, there were pans on the boil and vegetables being chopped, there was last minute homework on kitchen tables and sports kit being hurriedly washed, there was the thought for mothers everywhere that they were sick of cooking. But in Tessa and Scott’s house, no one was cooking anything."
Her prose sparkles: There are so many sentences that gleam like a wet Sussex road in the morning sun. And Anstruther is able to produce wonderful changes of mood, for example, from euphoria to despondency and anger and back.
Anstruther also has a great sense of humour and comes up with great one-liners: "One deleted message was a mistake, two were a story" And "You should have seen his interpretation of Waiting for Godot. Who knew there was a talking bird."
The novel worked so well in serialisation because Anstruther knows how to tell a story, to create fascinating characters, and to build up to climactic scenes in which she blows the reader away with powerfully described action that we somehow imagined might happen, but when it does, the intensity of the writing makes it have the full force of the unexpected. The energy of the writing draws us in and the pathos of it puts us through the emotional wringer. This is writing that you'll feel in the pit of your stomach.
If you like tightly plotted novels based on superb dramatic scenes, sprinkled with telling social satire and constructed out of winning sentences, then this is the book for you.
Eleanor Anstruther is a seriously talented writer, as brilliant an architect of sentences as she is a satirist of life in the English Home Counties. She is able to get inside the heads of different characters with astonishing ease and offers beautifully jarring perspectives on the action.
I won't give away the plot. But a wonderful early passage gives a glimpse of what is to come in the dysfunctional home of the main characters: "Mothers all over West Sussex were making supper. There were glasses of wine being poured, there were pans on the boil and vegetables being chopped, there was last minute homework on kitchen tables and sports kit being hurriedly washed, there was the thought for mothers everywhere that they were sick of cooking. But in Tessa and Scott’s house, no one was cooking anything."
Her prose sparkles: There are so many sentences that gleam like a wet Sussex road in the morning sun. And Anstruther is able to produce wonderful changes of mood, for example, from euphoria to despondency and anger and back.
Anstruther also has a great sense of humour and comes up with great one-liners: "One deleted message was a mistake, two were a story" And "You should have seen his interpretation of Waiting for Godot. Who knew there was a talking bird."
The novel worked so well in serialisation because Anstruther knows how to tell a story, to create fascinating characters, and to build up to climactic scenes in which she blows the reader away with powerfully described action that we somehow imagined might happen, but when it does, the intensity of the writing makes it have the full force of the unexpected. The energy of the writing draws us in and the pathos of it puts us through the emotional wringer. This is writing that you'll feel in the pit of your stomach.
If you like tightly plotted novels based on superb dramatic scenes, sprinkled with telling social satire and constructed out of winning sentences, then this is the book for you.
February 5, 2025
Honest to God I hope I never have to socialise with these people in real life, or be in a play with them. It’s not even the swearing, the smoking or the drinking – it’s the drunk-driving and the attitude. I used to work with people like this many years ago – entitled, rich, selfish, smoking dope, using cocaine, and wondering why their kids disrespect them.
Like quite a few readers, I struggled to see the darkly comic humour, other than Derek and Clive and Ethel in Mercury Ward. Maybe because my childhood was lived in the shadow of my mother’s mental illness, it was all a bit too upsetting and personal for me. Not that my mother was bi-polar or psychotic (I won’t go into details about her condition, her post-war PTSD or her eventual lobotomy), but rather that no-one understood – it was as if she had chosen to live like that. No-one would choose to be mentally ill.
But don’t let me put you off. It’s wonderfully written and the characters’ lack of understanding of mental illness is intentional. The use of language is sublime, the story will tug at the heart strings, but also make you cross. The scene where Ros finds out about Poppy, but seems more concerned that her ex is seeing her daughters behind her back says it all. Clare also warns Ros off about spending time with Scott while Tessa is sectioned following her psychotic episode, but to Ros, Scott is fair game.
The psychotic episode written from Tessa’s point of view is a hard read. Like Scott and Tessa’s friends, I just wanted her to take her meds. But it is not for me to sit in judgement, and I am not going to. My review is about the book and the fantastic writing, not the treatment of mental illness.
But if I could just say one thing (from my own personal experience), where was the help and support for Freddy, Molly and Issy? Haven’t things moved on at all since I was a child?
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
Like quite a few readers, I struggled to see the darkly comic humour, other than Derek and Clive and Ethel in Mercury Ward. Maybe because my childhood was lived in the shadow of my mother’s mental illness, it was all a bit too upsetting and personal for me. Not that my mother was bi-polar or psychotic (I won’t go into details about her condition, her post-war PTSD or her eventual lobotomy), but rather that no-one understood – it was as if she had chosen to live like that. No-one would choose to be mentally ill.
But don’t let me put you off. It’s wonderfully written and the characters’ lack of understanding of mental illness is intentional. The use of language is sublime, the story will tug at the heart strings, but also make you cross. The scene where Ros finds out about Poppy, but seems more concerned that her ex is seeing her daughters behind her back says it all. Clare also warns Ros off about spending time with Scott while Tessa is sectioned following her psychotic episode, but to Ros, Scott is fair game.
The psychotic episode written from Tessa’s point of view is a hard read. Like Scott and Tessa’s friends, I just wanted her to take her meds. But it is not for me to sit in judgement, and I am not going to. My review is about the book and the fantastic writing, not the treatment of mental illness.
But if I could just say one thing (from my own personal experience), where was the help and support for Freddy, Molly and Issy? Haven’t things moved on at all since I was a child?
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
February 12, 2025
Should you be watching the stage, or watching your back? That’s the question Tessa confronts in IN JUDGEMENT OF OTHERS by Eleanor Anstruther’s latest darkly comedic novel.
When Tessa decides that she wants to play Elvira in the local drama club’s production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirits, she isn’t prepared for the spirits she harbours within herself. When she suffers a psychotic break and is hospitalised, her best friend, Ros, a C-list celebrity steps in to take her place in more ways than one. As Tessa is locked away dealing with issues from her past, her husband Scott is caring for their 11 year-old son Freddy and milking it for all it is worth. Oh, the poor man, etc. Tessa’s other best friend, Clare is also on hand to lend a helping hand where needed. But Clare has a secret crush of her own. As rehearsals for the play turn into a practice of another manner, Ros and Scott become closer. When Tessa is released from the hospital, she begins to question some of the motives of those closest to her and wonders what everyone is hiding. Is the acting being saved for the stage or is it happening right in her own living room and life?
This one was full of characters I wish I could have met. Claire is not the only one in this group who should be seeing a psychiatrist. While mental health is a major part of the story, it was dealt with in a compassionate and loving manner, The patients on Mercury Ward made me chuckle at times and I was rooting for Tessa to be released to see what was going on. While each of the characters struggled with their own issues, at times Tessa seemed to be the most enlightened of the bunch. I enjoyed this one. The writing was clear and concise which led to an enjoyable read. The drama wasn’t confined to the stage.
Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador Books for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.
When Tessa decides that she wants to play Elvira in the local drama club’s production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirits, she isn’t prepared for the spirits she harbours within herself. When she suffers a psychotic break and is hospitalised, her best friend, Ros, a C-list celebrity steps in to take her place in more ways than one. As Tessa is locked away dealing with issues from her past, her husband Scott is caring for their 11 year-old son Freddy and milking it for all it is worth. Oh, the poor man, etc. Tessa’s other best friend, Clare is also on hand to lend a helping hand where needed. But Clare has a secret crush of her own. As rehearsals for the play turn into a practice of another manner, Ros and Scott become closer. When Tessa is released from the hospital, she begins to question some of the motives of those closest to her and wonders what everyone is hiding. Is the acting being saved for the stage or is it happening right in her own living room and life?
This one was full of characters I wish I could have met. Claire is not the only one in this group who should be seeing a psychiatrist. While mental health is a major part of the story, it was dealt with in a compassionate and loving manner, The patients on Mercury Ward made me chuckle at times and I was rooting for Tessa to be released to see what was going on. While each of the characters struggled with their own issues, at times Tessa seemed to be the most enlightened of the bunch. I enjoyed this one. The writing was clear and concise which led to an enjoyable read. The drama wasn’t confined to the stage.
Thank you to NetGalley and Troubador Books for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.
January 24, 2025
In Judgement of Others opens with Tess in the height of a psychotic episode; her carefully arranged plans for a quiet family day shopping quickly escalates into hours of manic shopping and consuming, her family far from her mind. When she arrives home, she realises that she can't stand her kitchen layout and knows exactly what needs to change. She starts knocking down walls, ripping off cupboards, with a clear vision in mind. When her husband Scott comes home, he can't help but realise what's happening with her mental health, and GPs arrange for her to be sectioned while she is treated. The story follows Tess in the in-patient unit and through the days where everything feels like groundhog day, one day the same as the next.
Alongside this story, there's another storyline where the local am dram group are putting on a performance of 'Blithe Spirit'. There are lots of big personalities in the group including ex-professional actor Ros, who is the most glamorous woman seen in Mid-Sussex. Tess had begged to be part of the group but is obviously no longer able to take part so various excuses are made about where she is.
When Ros visits Tess and brings her a copy of the script, the other inpatients are thrilled to have something to take their attention and form their own am dram group, often with greater insight than the 'real' actors.
This is a hard hitting book about society's treatment of mental illness, the impact on the person, their families and wider circles and how we all shy away from the truth. It isn't always an easy read and challenges the reader to face some preconceptions but it is well worth the journey.
Alongside this story, there's another storyline where the local am dram group are putting on a performance of 'Blithe Spirit'. There are lots of big personalities in the group including ex-professional actor Ros, who is the most glamorous woman seen in Mid-Sussex. Tess had begged to be part of the group but is obviously no longer able to take part so various excuses are made about where she is.
When Ros visits Tess and brings her a copy of the script, the other inpatients are thrilled to have something to take their attention and form their own am dram group, often with greater insight than the 'real' actors.
This is a hard hitting book about society's treatment of mental illness, the impact on the person, their families and wider circles and how we all shy away from the truth. It isn't always an easy read and challenges the reader to face some preconceptions but it is well worth the journey.
April 8, 2025
This was an interesting read, but one that took me a bit to get into. I'm not really sure how I feel about this book.
I'm glad we're shown Tessa at her lowest point but then also after she gets better. It's interesting to see Ros portrayed as completely sane, but I did wonder why her brother was helping her out with a place to live. I think Ros needs just as much help as Tessa, but since she wasn't diagnosed properly, she can skate through life, believing whatever she wants to.
I did particularly enjoy the amateur drama aspect of the story, how everyone is playing parts both in real life and in the play. I guess it's a reminder that there is drama of some sort in everybody's lives, something that we may not know about. Also, we may never know the truth about others if they choose to hide that truth, either on purpose or because their mind tells them differently.
I'll check out this author's future books, as it was a fast read that I liked.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
I'm glad we're shown Tessa at her lowest point but then also after she gets better. It's interesting to see Ros portrayed as completely sane, but I did wonder why her brother was helping her out with a place to live. I think Ros needs just as much help as Tessa, but since she wasn't diagnosed properly, she can skate through life, believing whatever she wants to.
I did particularly enjoy the amateur drama aspect of the story, how everyone is playing parts both in real life and in the play. I guess it's a reminder that there is drama of some sort in everybody's lives, something that we may not know about. Also, we may never know the truth about others if they choose to hide that truth, either on purpose or because their mind tells them differently.
I'll check out this author's future books, as it was a fast read that I liked.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
January 6, 2025
My thoughts on this book are conflicted. The writing is absolutely breathtaking and the subject of mental illness is approached sensitively yet with a gut wrenching rawness that pulls hard. Conversely, this book is far different from my expectations. That is not necessarily a bad thing but I found no dark comic elements at all. It is disturbing and troubling which is the reality many do live with. Spouses and others also go through associated nightmarish situations which is portrayed here as well.
The writing kept me engaged but I did not love the story itself. Some bits are a bit crass which doesn't appeal to me. But I did learn more about the inner workings of the mind in episodes. So terribly sad and crushing.
My sincere thank you to Troubador and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this poignant book.
The writing kept me engaged but I did not love the story itself. Some bits are a bit crass which doesn't appeal to me. But I did learn more about the inner workings of the mind in episodes. So terribly sad and crushing.
My sincere thank you to Troubador and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this poignant book.
December 13, 2024
"In Judgement of Others" has been described as "darkly comic" and "social satire," but I didn't find in the way of humor or wit in it. You wouldn't want to be stuck in a waiting room with most of the characters, let alone have to spend time with them over the period of weeks during which this book takes place, so at times reading this was a bit of a chore. Eleanor Anstruther depicts the mental states of the protagonists with precision, however, which makes up for the predictability of certain plot twists and an overall sense of distance, as if the characters were floating above their middle-class town rather than truly living in it.
Thank you, NetGalley and Troubador, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley and Troubador, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 22, 2024
In Judgement of Others is a thought-provoking and intense look at relationships, mental health, and the fallout from one woman's mental health crisis. I don't know that I've read a book that so firmly places me in the point of view of someone going through a mental health crisis, and this book does just that. I felt exhausted and anxious with the main character, as if I'd been given a peek in a window to witness something I'd only heard described.
I appreciated the lyrical style and the beauty of Anstruther's writing. The pace begins slowly but picks up speed as the characters barrel towards an unexpected conclusion. Great read!
I appreciated the lyrical style and the beauty of Anstruther's writing. The pace begins slowly but picks up speed as the characters barrel towards an unexpected conclusion. Great read!
January 31, 2025
Set in the sleepy Home Counties this book tackles mental health for the individual, Tessa, but also the impact on her family and friends. Tessa’s story is paralleled with the local amateur dramatic society putting on a production of Blithe Spirit. The writing is raw and real, particularly Tessa’s time when she is sectioned. Issues of trust, friendship and honesty are explored in a sensitive way. I enjoyed the book and it made me reflect on the difficulties day to day that people experiencing poor mental health and their wider support network cope with - medication management, expectations, relationships and recovery. This is a great read.
October 7, 2024
"In Judgement of Others" is heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time - it captures the anxiety and disorder of main character Tessa's mental illness, which at times looks completely reasonable in the face of the machinations and dishonesty of her husband and friends. I read this when it was serialized on the author's Substack, and every chapter has some perfect detail that captures the moment beautifully, in addition to the wide-angle view of modern life and relationships, and how they can get away from us.
October 5, 2024
This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I was not disappointed. It was a really good book. I did have moments where it seem slow, but overall it was written well. It was written about mental illness, and the way that it is treated. The way the author chose to write about such a hard topic was well done. I enjoyed this book immensely. I look forward to more books by this author. Thank you Net Galley ARC!
October 10, 2024
Three women in an affluent West Sussex community are each experiencing a crisis while they prepare to put on an am-dram production of Blithe Spirit. (I've never managed to get through Coward's play so it's not essential to be familiar with it, but a quick Google allowed me to see the resonances.)
A great page-turner which is entertaining and engaging while also tackling some serious themes around relationships and mental health.
*
Copy from NetGalley
A great page-turner which is entertaining and engaging while also tackling some serious themes around relationships and mental health.
*
Copy from NetGalley
October 19, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Troubadour for the eARC.
This is a good book: painful, harrowing and so sad, but beautiful at the same time.
The description of Tessas's mental break is very real, I was blown away with the way it was handled. The other characters had problems too, but didn't end up in a psych ward. It was a portrait of lives that clung on to sanity by a hair and how some of us can teeter on the cliff without being put away.
This is a good book: painful, harrowing and so sad, but beautiful at the same time.
The description of Tessas's mental break is very real, I was blown away with the way it was handled. The other characters had problems too, but didn't end up in a psych ward. It was a portrait of lives that clung on to sanity by a hair and how some of us can teeter on the cliff without being put away.
March 9, 2025
Beautifully drawn characters, a real slice of life. Gorgeous writing. I came to Eleanor via Substack. A reader of my Substack recommended her beautiful writing. She serialises her novels, but I prefer to listen on Audible when I can so I ordered the book. The author reads her novel wonderfully and I highly recommend it. I look forward to listening to Fallout as that has been highly praised and recommended, too. Look forward to more from this author.
March 20, 2025
Bloody brilliant!
February 12, 2025
This was a tough read. The sheer honesty of a psychotic episode which we start with as the story opens, was really heartbreaking. Her fear is palpable and what she experiences must be terrifying for those who suffer.
The book shows how much people like to hide and pretend that this doesn’t happen. Or it doesn’t happen to nice people who live in nice places etc.
It highlights the snobbery around mental illness and although in parts it’s got a very dark comedy, the messages are serious. The things it says are still honest and I think it will stay with me for a long time. If it doesn’t make you think through any prejudices you may have then I don’t know what will.
With thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
The book shows how much people like to hide and pretend that this doesn’t happen. Or it doesn’t happen to nice people who live in nice places etc.
It highlights the snobbery around mental illness and although in parts it’s got a very dark comedy, the messages are serious. The things it says are still honest and I think it will stay with me for a long time. If it doesn’t make you think through any prejudices you may have then I don’t know what will.
With thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
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