The Trouble With Sunbathers

Sunbathers #1

by Magnus Mills

There's no doubt that the president was a man of extraordinary ability. His decision to purchase the British Isles was widely acclaimed as an act of genius. It solved our financial difficulties at a stroke. Even so, he could never claim to understand the British people. Not properly.

Genres: Fiction

183 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2020

Reviews

[Anni · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review:

All Mills’ usual trademarks are here - the mundane setting in an off-kilter allegorical universe, the anonymous first person narrative written in a sparing prose, with a constant undercurrent of foreboding - and a sly twist at the end. I’m not sure what he is satirising in this one (whacky Covid regulations?) but as always, the tale is compulsively readable.
This is one of two books published by Mills himself. I must admit that I prefer the other one which I have reviewed previously: ‘Tales of Muffled Oars’.

Preview from Bookmunch:
Imagine our surprise when we chanced across the news that Magnus Mills had joined Twitter to also subsequently learn that he’d self-published not one but two books without us even knowing about it! Long-time readers of Bookmunch will know that we have followed Mills since his first Booker-nominated book, The Restraint of Beasts, all the way back in 1998. You only have to take an idle wander through the last decade of Bookmunch to see us frothing over such titles as A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In, The Field of the Cloth of Gold and The Forensic Records Society, amongst others.

[Snakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with other Mills novels. Understated. Borderline fantasy mixed with mundane reality. Sparsely written. Seemingly uneventful but still somehow engaging. Simply plotted but an underlying gravity. Evaluating this one in relation to the rest of his books it comes down somewhere in the middle.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m crazy about Mr Mills and every bit of his work so far. Finishing this one concludes my quest to read all of his novels this year. They all have their unique characteristics but together form such a beautiful tapestry of whimsical mundanity, related to each other as not-so-distant kin that resemble. This one again puts the reader squarely in the slightly confused plight of an unnamed protagonist whose day to day light drama somehow miraculously becomes the stuff of page turning intrigue. I love that Mills hints at conspiracy and mystery in his novels but never gives any sort of big reveal. And dig that his storylines feel like they could be faintly allegorical but only just enough to imbibe them with a sense of familiarity, always evading on the nose satire. Wonderful relatable characters, beautifully concise language, and simply described settings that have such a defined sense of place. Anyway, rumor has it there’s a new novel coming soon. Can’t wait!

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully brutal allegory which destroys the post brexit myth of sunlit uplands. Nobody pinpoints the British quirks quite so knowingly as Mills, and with such nuance. Possibly Mills most vicious novel to date. Glorious.

[Kathrin Passig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hier passiert irgendwas Metaphorisches mit dem Land Großbritannien, und ich habe mich auch nicht gelangweilt, aber es gibt bessere Bücher von Mills. Wer noch gar nichts von ihm gelesen hat, fängt besser woanders an.

[Chris Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read every book by Magnus Mills. I have enjoyed all of them. I was hooked on his odd stories from the first reading of The Restraint Of Beasts. I am always left feeling like there’s a lot more going on that I’ve maybe got from my first read through. The Trouble With Sunbathers hits all the same notes with an unknown narrator working in a relatively mundane job going about their business. Then there’s a collection of supporting characters that seem to have their own agendas. The plot usually carries a strong feeling of foreboding as if there’s to be a catastrophe. This book is a little more obvious in it’s target with Britain having been sold off and seemingly detached from the rest of the world. That’s surely got to be about Britain leaving the European Union, right? The British for their part seem happy to just go sunbathing. This is another example of Magnus Mills doing what he does best and that’s being Magnus Mills and confounding as much as delighting it would seem. I personally love his writing and I loved this book as much as the others. Recommended for those wanting something that is truly different.

[Alan Swift · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well what on earth was this about? I'm a bit stumped! Was it to do with Britain's isolation post Brexit? Or our daft relationship with Trump's USA? Maybe living in a fractured society? The erosion of Britain's infrastructure? On balance I think it might be about the UK public's ability to pretend that nothing bad is happening when society is actually falling apart and is being controlled by a small externally focussed elite? The sunbathers are oblivious to what is happening to their country!! But what is the elephant riding woman about? Is she the power of the socially aware to disrupt??

Anyway I always love the sense of mystery and impending doom about the novels of Mills. I enjoy the anonymous narrators who always seem to be so unquestioning and just get on with their day to day mundane work.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the usual Mills elements: gentle allegory/satire, humour, snacks, incipient sense of creeping unease... but in this, along with the sequel (Sunbathers in a Bottle) Mills strips everything back even further (who'd've thought that possible!) and blends/balances all the elements ("the president", gatekeepers, park authority, girl-on-elephant, independent settlement) masterfully.

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of Magnus Mills dead pan off-beat tales that will have you laughing out loud at the absurdity of it all. A short novel with obsolete broken down cars and shiny black sedans, locked gates that are always open, drivers offering lifts without stopping…oh, and elephants, giraffes, ostriches and sunbathers.
Difficult to get hold of, as, inexplicably Mills has been abandoned by his mainstream publisher, but well worth the effort.

[Rich Coad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird and wonderful as ever

Magnus Mills strikes yet again worth another fantastic, weird and wonderful tale. A nice read that flows perfectly enough to want to just keep reading on. Great characters and mystery to keep you interested throughout.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps not his strongest work, but it’s still great Magnus Mills is writing and publishing again. There’s something so calming about his books, and they can be read through quite quickly so they never outstay their welcome either.

[Vincent Hernot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for Mills, this one does it for me again, even if it might not be the strongest one. It's weird, and yet no really at all, there's no centre to it, really, or end-point, or perhaps point at all - wait: isn't there though? Still love him :)

[Simon Veksner · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Magnus Mills, so it's five stars from me. Interesting that he self-published this. I guess he has a small coterie of longtime fans nowadays who will buy everything he writes, so there's no longer any need for him to give up a portion of the income to a traditional publisher.

[Gublichandji Buginath · Rating 4 out of 5]

the thing i really like about magnus mills novels is that it makes me so interested in the jobs the main characters have. like yeah, being a gatekeeper is a boring job, but the sheer mundanity of it has its own little celebrations. he really makes me wanna be a gatekeeper and i'd have a ball guiding the traffic, like hell yeah, you gotta pass through me to see the crap you came here for, like hell yeah, turn that disco light on and let's wave and nod at the regulars, give them a feeling of familiarity and superiority among others, like hell yeah, be a good person and never lock the doors, it's open for everyday everytime, like hell yeah it's raining and your car's acting up, let's have tea and some toast in the quarters, like hell yeah, occasionally asking questions if they have seen anything unusual lately like hell yeah. keep the talk going, make them feel belonged, good service, be the best gatekeeper. sign me in, i'll be right there.