What do you think?
Rate this book
The Answer to Everything: A Humorous Women's Fiction Romance About Infidelity and Parenting
A heartbreakingly moving and hilariously funny novel about marriage, parenting, love, desire and betrayal.
‘Captivating’ Ruth Jones, author of Us Three ‘Tremendous’ William Boyd author of Any Human Heart‘Funny, wry, unsettling’ Nathan Filer, author of The Shock of the FallEmily should be happy. She has a nice husband (even if they rarely speak to each other, let alone sleep in the same bed), two little boys she loves (even if a full night’s sleep is a distant memory) – and now, a brand-new house in which they can live out all of the bourgeois fantasies she knows she should be ashamed of. But still she aches for something more. Enter Alathea and Elliott, their new neighbours, and also parents of two young boys. Alathea is intimidatingly confident and beautiful, but also disarmingly open and friendly. And Elliott … Elliott is intriguing. Dishevelled, talented, charming and a little lost, he seems as fascinated by Emily as she is by him, and soon their friendship has reached an intensity neither of them seem able to control. As riotously funny as it is painfully moving, this is a novel about disappointment and yearning; about parenting and growing up; and the search for love, meaning and connection.
‘Captivating’ Ruth Jones, author of Us Three ‘Tremendous’ William Boyd author of Any Human Heart‘Funny, wry, unsettling’ Nathan Filer, author of The Shock of the FallEmily should be happy. She has a nice husband (even if they rarely speak to each other, let alone sleep in the same bed), two little boys she loves (even if a full night’s sleep is a distant memory) – and now, a brand-new house in which they can live out all of the bourgeois fantasies she knows she should be ashamed of. But still she aches for something more. Enter Alathea and Elliott, their new neighbours, and also parents of two young boys. Alathea is intimidatingly confident and beautiful, but also disarmingly open and friendly. And Elliott … Elliott is intriguing. Dishevelled, talented, charming and a little lost, he seems as fascinated by Emily as she is by him, and soon their friendship has reached an intensity neither of them seem able to control. As riotously funny as it is painfully moving, this is a novel about disappointment and yearning; about parenting and growing up; and the search for love, meaning and connection.
411 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2021
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 28, 2023
[deleted my previous review, felt cringey; might re-read it soon, and write a new one.]
And a tiny playlist to end my review; I think it fits the vibe of the novel quite well.
The Less I Know Better – Tame Impala
Under My Skin – Rachael Yamagata
The Answer to Everything – Del Shannon
And a tiny playlist to end my review; I think it fits the vibe of the novel quite well.
The Less I Know Better – Tame Impala
Under My Skin – Rachael Yamagata
The Answer to Everything – Del Shannon
‘How long before you found another Emily?’
May 15, 2021
Is this one of the best books I’ve read this year? Yes, yes it is. Luke Kennard gets right to the heart of what it means to be human and desired – and feared and lonely and loved.
This novel is witty, the dialogue is perfect, the WhatsApp correspondence between two characters that builds up throughout is the most brilliant fictionalisation of an emotional attachment I’ve ever seen. There is no way to passively read this book – you start and you are IN. IT. right away, fully invested, fully involved, a little in love and completely mortified as you feel that same desperate hunger that the characters feel.
At times satirical of the middle-class, selective/exclusive community living and those with so much money they need not act human, The Answer to Everything also deals in the business of important emotional turmoil. Class differences, takes on motherhood, post-partum psychosis, comparison and a shifting sense of self all feature throughout. The characters are self-aware to the extent that it is painful — they judge themselves for their actions until those same actions become a form of self-flagellation.
I cannot fault this novel. Not one sec to on bored me, not one character felt anything other than fully realised. It’s out on 13/05/21, published by @4thestatebooks who sent me this proof copy, and it’s a must-read for me. I’m not surprised that Kennard is a prolific poet – there is a nuance to the way he writes emotions that feels both touching and biting.
This novel is witty, the dialogue is perfect, the WhatsApp correspondence between two characters that builds up throughout is the most brilliant fictionalisation of an emotional attachment I’ve ever seen. There is no way to passively read this book – you start and you are IN. IT. right away, fully invested, fully involved, a little in love and completely mortified as you feel that same desperate hunger that the characters feel.
At times satirical of the middle-class, selective/exclusive community living and those with so much money they need not act human, The Answer to Everything also deals in the business of important emotional turmoil. Class differences, takes on motherhood, post-partum psychosis, comparison and a shifting sense of self all feature throughout. The characters are self-aware to the extent that it is painful — they judge themselves for their actions until those same actions become a form of self-flagellation.
I cannot fault this novel. Not one sec to on bored me, not one character felt anything other than fully realised. It’s out on 13/05/21, published by @4thestatebooks who sent me this proof copy, and it’s a must-read for me. I’m not surprised that Kennard is a prolific poet – there is a nuance to the way he writes emotions that feels both touching and biting.
September 10, 2021
2.5 rounded up
I'm struggling to know where to start when reviewing this book. Is it a contemporary romance? Sort of but also not really in the way you might expect. Despite the chick-lit-esque cover (which is actually part of what attracted me to it and perhaps gave me slightly the wrong expectations) this is an often intelligent examination of contemporary romantic relationships, marriage and infidelity. But there's also a feeling I had as a reader of being constantly discomfited while reading which I suspect was intentional on the part of the author, like there was something more sinister going on behind the scenes of what - at face value - could have been purely the story of the relationship between two couples living on the same estate.
Perhaps I'll focus on the positives first: the writing was good in that unobtrusive way that you don't particularly notice it (I mean this as a compliment!) and that Emily was a very real character to me. Unfortunately Elliott in particular and Alathea to a lesser extent felt less fleshed-out and the novel lost its impetus for this reader in the latter sections, with the plot feeling a bit strung out in parts like there was too much going on.
Unhelpfully I'm not sure who I'd recommend this to as it really does defy categorisation, and I'd suggest reading some more favourable reviews if any of this sounds like your cup of tea.
Thank you Netgalley and 4th Estate for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
I'm struggling to know where to start when reviewing this book. Is it a contemporary romance? Sort of but also not really in the way you might expect. Despite the chick-lit-esque cover (which is actually part of what attracted me to it and perhaps gave me slightly the wrong expectations) this is an often intelligent examination of contemporary romantic relationships, marriage and infidelity. But there's also a feeling I had as a reader of being constantly discomfited while reading which I suspect was intentional on the part of the author, like there was something more sinister going on behind the scenes of what - at face value - could have been purely the story of the relationship between two couples living on the same estate.
Perhaps I'll focus on the positives first: the writing was good in that unobtrusive way that you don't particularly notice it (I mean this as a compliment!) and that Emily was a very real character to me. Unfortunately Elliott in particular and Alathea to a lesser extent felt less fleshed-out and the novel lost its impetus for this reader in the latter sections, with the plot feeling a bit strung out in parts like there was too much going on.
Unhelpfully I'm not sure who I'd recommend this to as it really does defy categorisation, and I'd suggest reading some more favourable reviews if any of this sounds like your cup of tea.
Thank you Netgalley and 4th Estate for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2021
As soon as I saw the line “soon their friendship has reached an intensity neither of them seem able to control” in the blurb, I knew this was for me. Longing intensity is my absolute weakness when it comes to a book and this didn’t let me down at all. While the connection between Emily and Elliott was very much the hook for me, there’s so very much in this book that feels so current and fresh. How easily it is to get lost in the rhythm of parenthood/long-term relationship and the little “outs” that people find to keep themselves feeling alive and an individual, the way that dynamics played out over messages are so temptingly disconnected and deceptive and then how those dynamics - orchestrated from behind a screen - aren’t always the reality you’ve lulled yourself into falling for. Probably a tad on the navel-gazey side for some people, I was, predictably, once again lured into a navel-gazey world where the richness of the dialogue was completely captivating.
May 12, 2021
This was wonderful and right up my street - a big thank you to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for an ARC.
Emily and Steven plus their two young children move to a fancy new build estate - the first home they've owned, achievable through the cheap living costs in an almost forced and artificial community. Emily is cripplingly lonely, her husband Steven is emotionally unavailable and Emily is still coming to terms with living in the aftermath of post-natal psychosis. Their new, attractive and intriguing neighbours Elliott and Alathea offer a welcome distraction to their odd estate, but things soon get out of hand...
The Answer to Everything is a story looking into betrayal, obsession and the human need for love and attention. Each character is so unlikeable in their own way, yet the story is so gripping and tense; I devoured this in a couple of sittings.
Emily and Steven plus their two young children move to a fancy new build estate - the first home they've owned, achievable through the cheap living costs in an almost forced and artificial community. Emily is cripplingly lonely, her husband Steven is emotionally unavailable and Emily is still coming to terms with living in the aftermath of post-natal psychosis. Their new, attractive and intriguing neighbours Elliott and Alathea offer a welcome distraction to their odd estate, but things soon get out of hand...
The Answer to Everything is a story looking into betrayal, obsession and the human need for love and attention. Each character is so unlikeable in their own way, yet the story is so gripping and tense; I devoured this in a couple of sittings.
October 22, 2021
I absolutely loved this book, some of the observations are so razor sharp you wince at their acuteness. Emily and her husband have moved into their new house, in a community that seems perfect from its marketing brochures. Emily's life is perfect on the surface, with 2 children and a nice husband( who doesn't seem to speak to her much, though). Her life seems to get more interesting, and more complicated, when she makes friends with the neighbours, a similarly yuppie couple with 2 children, Elliott and Alathea. Emily seems to have found a soulmate in Elliott- or is that merely the lure and ease of texting, where that semblance of anonymity makes it much easier to be vocal about your thoughts, than you would be in a face to face meeting? Emily's constant exhaustion and her attempts to have a life, and a personality to herself ,apart from that of mother, are captured very well.
The book's an excellently observed skewering of upper middle class life, and modern day parenting, and marriage. What elevates this over a regular midlife crisis dreary cheating exploration, is Kennard's control over his characters. They're all vividly written, and behave in completely relatable ways even when they're being insufferable, and none of them are shallow stereotypes at all, when this so easily could have been. The semblance of emotional closeness that texting offers is explored really well- it's superficial, and so easy, which paradoxically can delude you into thinking you're actually bonding with someone when it's probably no more than a convenient outlet. And most probably, the person at the other end is not irreplaceable. I loved the text messages sections of the book- the interlocutors aren't mentioned but their personalities are so clear you're never in doubt of who's saying what. Much like the way Evelyn Waugh writes his back and forth conversations. Like Waugh, Kennard too uses Emily's faith to explore notions of duty, love and morality, and try to figure out the answer to everything. Faith can't give you easy answers though, and neither does Kennard. The resolutions for all the characters are absolutely excellent and perfectly written. Hugely enjoyed this book
Merged review:
I absolutely loved this book, some of the observations are so razor sharp you wince at their acuteness. Emily and her husband have moved into their new house, in a community that seems perfect from its marketing brochures. Emily's life is perfect on the surface, with 2 children and a nice husband( who doesn't seem to speak to her much, though). Her life seems to get more interesting, and more complicated, when she makes friends with the neighbours, a similarly yuppie couple with 2 children, Elliott and Alathea. Emily seems to have found a soulmate in Elliott- or is that merely the lure and ease of texting, where that semblance of anonymity makes it much easier to be vocal about your thoughts, than you would be in a face to face meeting? Emily's constant exhaustion and her attempts to have a life, and a personality to herself ,apart from that of mother, are captured very well.
The book's an excellently observed skewering of upper middle class life, and modern day parenting, and marriage. What elevates this over a regular midlife crisis dreary cheating exploration, is Kennard's control over his characters. They're all vividly written, and behave in completely relatable ways even when they're being insufferable, and none of them are shallow stereotypes at all, when this so easily could have been. The semblance of emotional closeness that texting offers is explored really well- it's superficial, and so easy, which paradoxically can delude you into thinking you're actually bonding with someone when it's probably no more than a convenient outlet. And most probably, the person at the other end is not irreplaceable. I loved the text messages sections of the book- the interlocutors aren't mentioned but their personalities are so clear you're never in doubt of who's saying what. Much like the way Evelyn Waugh writes his back and forth conversations. Like Waugh, Kennard too uses Emily's faith to explore notions of duty, love and morality, and try to figure out the answer to everything. Faith can't give you easy answers though, and neither does Kennard. The resolutions for all the characters are absolutely excellent and perfectly written. Hugely enjoyed this book
The book's an excellently observed skewering of upper middle class life, and modern day parenting, and marriage. What elevates this over a regular midlife crisis dreary cheating exploration, is Kennard's control over his characters. They're all vividly written, and behave in completely relatable ways even when they're being insufferable, and none of them are shallow stereotypes at all, when this so easily could have been. The semblance of emotional closeness that texting offers is explored really well- it's superficial, and so easy, which paradoxically can delude you into thinking you're actually bonding with someone when it's probably no more than a convenient outlet. And most probably, the person at the other end is not irreplaceable. I loved the text messages sections of the book- the interlocutors aren't mentioned but their personalities are so clear you're never in doubt of who's saying what. Much like the way Evelyn Waugh writes his back and forth conversations. Like Waugh, Kennard too uses Emily's faith to explore notions of duty, love and morality, and try to figure out the answer to everything. Faith can't give you easy answers though, and neither does Kennard. The resolutions for all the characters are absolutely excellent and perfectly written. Hugely enjoyed this book
Merged review:
I absolutely loved this book, some of the observations are so razor sharp you wince at their acuteness. Emily and her husband have moved into their new house, in a community that seems perfect from its marketing brochures. Emily's life is perfect on the surface, with 2 children and a nice husband( who doesn't seem to speak to her much, though). Her life seems to get more interesting, and more complicated, when she makes friends with the neighbours, a similarly yuppie couple with 2 children, Elliott and Alathea. Emily seems to have found a soulmate in Elliott- or is that merely the lure and ease of texting, where that semblance of anonymity makes it much easier to be vocal about your thoughts, than you would be in a face to face meeting? Emily's constant exhaustion and her attempts to have a life, and a personality to herself ,apart from that of mother, are captured very well.
The book's an excellently observed skewering of upper middle class life, and modern day parenting, and marriage. What elevates this over a regular midlife crisis dreary cheating exploration, is Kennard's control over his characters. They're all vividly written, and behave in completely relatable ways even when they're being insufferable, and none of them are shallow stereotypes at all, when this so easily could have been. The semblance of emotional closeness that texting offers is explored really well- it's superficial, and so easy, which paradoxically can delude you into thinking you're actually bonding with someone when it's probably no more than a convenient outlet. And most probably, the person at the other end is not irreplaceable. I loved the text messages sections of the book- the interlocutors aren't mentioned but their personalities are so clear you're never in doubt of who's saying what. Much like the way Evelyn Waugh writes his back and forth conversations. Like Waugh, Kennard too uses Emily's faith to explore notions of duty, love and morality, and try to figure out the answer to everything. Faith can't give you easy answers though, and neither does Kennard. The resolutions for all the characters are absolutely excellent and perfectly written. Hugely enjoyed this book
April 22, 2022
i didn’t except to love this book as much as i did.
it’s not a usual type of book it’d read, but it’s writing felt really real. i felt that emily was complaining a lot and elliott was just comforting her a lot of the time. and that i don’t know exactly who to believe either althea or elliott of who was messaging emily and the mention of elliott’s previous love affairs which was a bit misleading. as he said to her he has never loved anymore more than her but never thought to divorce althea…
but i know you’re meant to feel these things after reading his book, so i appreciated it’s weird but witty conversations between emily and elliott ( or althea lol ) and it will be treasured in my mind.
it’s not a usual type of book it’d read, but it’s writing felt really real. i felt that emily was complaining a lot and elliott was just comforting her a lot of the time. and that i don’t know exactly who to believe either althea or elliott of who was messaging emily and the mention of elliott’s previous love affairs which was a bit misleading. as he said to her he has never loved anymore more than her but never thought to divorce althea…
but i know you’re meant to feel these things after reading his book, so i appreciated it’s weird but witty conversations between emily and elliott ( or althea lol ) and it will be treasured in my mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2022
Dull, dull, and dull again. I'm a romance lover and usually a forgiving one at that; this book, however, just shouldn't have made publication. Kennard is an excellent poet and this translates in probably the worst way possible. This piece felt long winded, the descriptions were too much, and I actually had to put it down after the first 20 pages. I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn't find it enjoyable as it felt like Kennard was just creating long, complex, and polysemic sentences that just weren't what I was looking for. Definitely look into this more if you're going to be looking for a romance - I wanted to feel in love, and instead, just felt extremely disappointed.
August 15, 2023
I’m not sure how I feel about this book really. On the one hand I felt like it was packed with very relatable observations of everyday life and people’s mannerisms and made many aspects seem relatable. On the other it was difficult to get into any sort of flow of reading because of the cumbersome writing style.
May 13, 2021
Where to start with this one..... let's tackle the elephant in the room that is part of the book description
"As riotously funny as it is painfully moving"
It is absolutely not riotously funny. I have no idea who read this book and made that statement but it is not funny. It is indeed a moving read, a bit like watching a very slow train crash where you know everything is slowing going very wrong.
The book deals with themes of love but also cheating, monogamy, kink and emotionally abusive behaviour and does so in a fairly brutal way and some of it in a really poor way. For example the kink is about how Elliot and Alathea get off on fighting and breaking each others stuff until they are so wound up they f&ck. There is no nuance to it though and for intelligent people they seem to have done no research or reading into kinks and how to enjoy them in a safe but sexy way. Considering Alathea is some sort of therapist it just feels off.
There is nothing particularly likable about 3 of the 4 main characters: Elliot is a complete and utter narcissist, Alathea seems to enjoying being his accomplice in many ways and the character of Steve doesn't really feature apart from the fact that Emily needed a husband to make the plot work, but he is a non figure or is completely passive in the the story. Emily is the only one with some slight redeeming features but at times even she was frustrating in her ineptitude and lack of fire.
The other thing I found frustrating is the how it deals with monogamy and cheating. Clearly it raises questions about what is cheating. The answer is whatever you and partner decide it is but the conversation around monogamy and and non-monogamy is cloudy here because what Elliot is doing to the other women is not OK regardless of his arrangement with his wife. The key to non-monogamy is open honesty for all. Everyone needs to know what the deal is and what they are getting involved with. Otherwise, in this case, it is just abusive. As someone who is non-monogamous this book was quite frustrating from that point of view because it is confusing non-monogamy with an abusive narcissist. Non-monogamy can be wonderful and beautiful and a healthy option for many people. Elliot is mostly utterly incapable of any type of healthy relationship regardless of it's status and needs some fairly intense therapy to help him stop the cycle of abusive
The one other thing about this book that I hated was the ending. It is one of those books that kind of stops and we are meant to believe that Emily, a character with a track record of fragile mental healthy, appears to me mostly OK at the end of it having turned back to her religion for solace. It just left me going wait, what?
I am giving this book 3 stars but I will say, it did get me thinking and I did feel quite passionate about some of it and the themes it explores. It is a good read if an unsatisfying one
"As riotously funny as it is painfully moving"
It is absolutely not riotously funny. I have no idea who read this book and made that statement but it is not funny. It is indeed a moving read, a bit like watching a very slow train crash where you know everything is slowing going very wrong.
The book deals with themes of love but also cheating, monogamy, kink and emotionally abusive behaviour and does so in a fairly brutal way and some of it in a really poor way. For example the kink is about how Elliot and Alathea get off on fighting and breaking each others stuff until they are so wound up they f&ck. There is no nuance to it though and for intelligent people they seem to have done no research or reading into kinks and how to enjoy them in a safe but sexy way. Considering Alathea is some sort of therapist it just feels off.
There is nothing particularly likable about 3 of the 4 main characters: Elliot is a complete and utter narcissist, Alathea seems to enjoying being his accomplice in many ways and the character of Steve doesn't really feature apart from the fact that Emily needed a husband to make the plot work, but he is a non figure or is completely passive in the the story. Emily is the only one with some slight redeeming features but at times even she was frustrating in her ineptitude and lack of fire.
The other thing I found frustrating is the how it deals with monogamy and cheating. Clearly it raises questions about what is cheating. The answer is whatever you and partner decide it is but the conversation around monogamy and and non-monogamy is cloudy here because what Elliot is doing to the other women is not OK regardless of his arrangement with his wife. The key to non-monogamy is open honesty for all. Everyone needs to know what the deal is and what they are getting involved with. Otherwise, in this case, it is just abusive. As someone who is non-monogamous this book was quite frustrating from that point of view because it is confusing non-monogamy with an abusive narcissist. Non-monogamy can be wonderful and beautiful and a healthy option for many people. Elliot is mostly utterly incapable of any type of healthy relationship regardless of it's status and needs some fairly intense therapy to help him stop the cycle of abusive
The one other thing about this book that I hated was the ending. It is one of those books that kind of stops and we are meant to believe that Emily, a character with a track record of fragile mental healthy, appears to me mostly OK at the end of it having turned back to her religion for solace. It just left me going wait, what?
I am giving this book 3 stars but I will say, it did get me thinking and I did feel quite passionate about some of it and the themes it explores. It is a good read if an unsatisfying one
July 14, 2026
***2.75***
Easy holiday read, I found the writing sometimes stilted- middle of the road overall.
Easy holiday read, I found the writing sometimes stilted- middle of the road overall.
February 2, 2025
I found certain descriptions of the book very realistic (e.g. interacting with other people, strained relationships, putting on a face etc). The blurb was also quite intriguing and drew me to picking up this book.
However, I found the writing style very difficult to connect with. The phrasing of sentences were quite confusing to me and I had to keep on re-reading sentences to make sense of it. The inclusions of first person narrative within the majority third person narrative of the novel felt very unexpected to me and definitely broke the flow of writing and ultimately the connection I was trying to build with the novel.
The first glimpses of the dialogue between Elliot and Emily was also hard to wrap my head around- it came across like we were outsiders peaking into their conversation, listening to pieces of sentences that didn't appear to mesh together.
Unfortunately for these reasons above, I did not continue with this novel and only read roughly 60 pages.
However, I found the writing style very difficult to connect with. The phrasing of sentences were quite confusing to me and I had to keep on re-reading sentences to make sense of it. The inclusions of first person narrative within the majority third person narrative of the novel felt very unexpected to me and definitely broke the flow of writing and ultimately the connection I was trying to build with the novel.
The first glimpses of the dialogue between Elliot and Emily was also hard to wrap my head around- it came across like we were outsiders peaking into their conversation, listening to pieces of sentences that didn't appear to mesh together.
Unfortunately for these reasons above, I did not continue with this novel and only read roughly 60 pages.
September 25, 2022
Cheating is bad, I thought we all knew it; these folks certainly didn't. A great book in that it dissuades you from doing anything similar, trying to comprehend how they're getting away with it will have you on the edge of your seat far more than the plot itself. Also weirdly makes you second-guess having kids as it doesn't sound like the most enjoyable journey, more of a drain than anything else. Moral of the story, keep your urges in check or you'll no longer be able to pick your kids up at the school gates without getting para that everyone knows you're a husband-stealing goodfornothing (even though in this instance they emerge largely unscathed, miraculously)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
Emily, Stephen & their two boys move across the street to Aletha, Elliot & their two boys. Emily and Elliot get talking until continuous conversations through text messages become more. I struggled a little with this book as the characters weren’t particularly likeable yet I still had to keep on reading to find out what happens, I was glad I did as there are a few good twists. The book really makes you think about at what point those harmless messages become harmful or were they never harmless in the first place?
Emily, Stephen & their two boys move across the street to Aletha, Elliot & their two boys. Emily and Elliot get talking until continuous conversations through text messages become more. I struggled a little with this book as the characters weren’t particularly likeable yet I still had to keep on reading to find out what happens, I was glad I did as there are a few good twists. The book really makes you think about at what point those harmless messages become harmful or were they never harmless in the first place?
March 21, 2022
I didn't enjoy this at all, the characters were unlikable, without depth, the stupid Magda/Oracle type neighbor was a silly add in. It felt like a horrible place to live and people to live near. Yes there is a twist or two at the end, which helped to slightly make a story of it but otherwise not one I would recommend to anyone.
March 30, 2022
the art of being desired is insatiable for some, but this book made me view marriage/love and friendship in a different way, so I’m thankful I read it. it took me a while to get into it and finish it but I’m glad I did.
March 14, 2024
I found this book to be so boring if it wasn't for the audiobook IT would've been a DNF.Also I did not like any of the characters they were all in my opinion boring.
September 26, 2023
I was surprised by how much this story has stayed with me. An interesting and absorbing tale of the relationship between two neighbours...
November 26, 2024
This was a bit painful…not a lot going on and the ending was a bit rough! Finally finished it
December 7, 2024
About as good as a £2 blind date with a book could be
November 13, 2021
'The Answer to Everything' presents the relationships between two families with young children who live opposite each other on an eco-housing development, in particular teacher Emily's growing entanglement with art historian Elliott, and also with Elliott's wife Alathea, a psychotherapist. Much of Emily and Elliott's communication is via WhatsApp, and the novel explores the intensity of digital communication, how a friendship can spill over into an affair as Emily reflects that she has exchanged more words with Elliott than anyone else in her life.
At times I found this a frustrating book - the main characters like to talk, and they talk a lot. The dialogue and messages felt very believable, and are often very clever and witty (a hilarious - and erotically charged - conversation about pen-chewing which really initiates Emily and Elliott's liaison is a particular highlight) but for most of the novel I found it difficult to really care about any of the main characters. as they all seem to fall back into an archness and irony as their default mode, making it hard to get beneath the surface. It's a fairly long novel and there are some strands which feel less necessary than others (including the whole setting of the eco-commune), while the pages and pages of WhatsApp messages begin to feel rather self-indulgent and tedious - perhaps this was intentional?
That said, I finished the novel quite quickly as it was never less than readable and often very entertaining, and I did find the ending both clever and moving. I also liked Luke Kennard's unusually sensitive and sympathetic presentation of religious faith and the challenges of adhering to it, including a brilliant scene where Emily goes for confession with her Orthodox priest. So I felt more kindly disposed towards the novel by the end, and I'm glad I read it overall. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy to review.
At times I found this a frustrating book - the main characters like to talk, and they talk a lot. The dialogue and messages felt very believable, and are often very clever and witty (a hilarious - and erotically charged - conversation about pen-chewing which really initiates Emily and Elliott's liaison is a particular highlight) but for most of the novel I found it difficult to really care about any of the main characters. as they all seem to fall back into an archness and irony as their default mode, making it hard to get beneath the surface. It's a fairly long novel and there are some strands which feel less necessary than others (including the whole setting of the eco-commune), while the pages and pages of WhatsApp messages begin to feel rather self-indulgent and tedious - perhaps this was intentional?
That said, I finished the novel quite quickly as it was never less than readable and often very entertaining, and I did find the ending both clever and moving. I also liked Luke Kennard's unusually sensitive and sympathetic presentation of religious faith and the challenges of adhering to it, including a brilliant scene where Emily goes for confession with her Orthodox priest. So I felt more kindly disposed towards the novel by the end, and I'm glad I read it overall. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy to review.
June 23, 2021
I loved this book! It's funny, really well-written and paints a painfully realistic picture of relationships and marriages. We follow two couples, both appear happy(ish) on the outside but their relationships have their challenges. As the couples are neighbours and have children the same ages they become good friends. However Emily (from couple 1) and Eliott (from couple 2) become a bit too close and we see their relationship develop through their secret Whatsapp chats.
None of the characters are particularly likeable but they're all interesting and funny in their own ways. Some of the Whatsapp chats between Emily and Eliott were stupid and mundane... and that's what made it so good! The chats were hilariously realistic and reminded me of the early stages of my relationships where you just talk crap for the sake of being able to speak to each other.
On a more serious note, there's a lot more to this than text chats (it's mostly NOT text chats!) and the intensity of this burgeoning, illicit relationship jumped off the page. And although it's of course wrong, you can almost understand why and how it's happening. It feels like a guide on what NOT to do and how to not accidentally (but also on purpose) fall in love with your neighbour and end up having an emotional affair.
Highly recommend! This was so good and juicy. I need more!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
None of the characters are particularly likeable but they're all interesting and funny in their own ways. Some of the Whatsapp chats between Emily and Eliott were stupid and mundane... and that's what made it so good! The chats were hilariously realistic and reminded me of the early stages of my relationships where you just talk crap for the sake of being able to speak to each other.
On a more serious note, there's a lot more to this than text chats (it's mostly NOT text chats!) and the intensity of this burgeoning, illicit relationship jumped off the page. And although it's of course wrong, you can almost understand why and how it's happening. It feels like a guide on what NOT to do and how to not accidentally (but also on purpose) fall in love with your neighbour and end up having an emotional affair.
Highly recommend! This was so good and juicy. I need more!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2021
I think this novel successfully captured the intensity of certain relationships, especially when they exist in text form, the way sometimes you can be much more intimate with a person via text on a screen than you can be in real life. In The Answer to Everything I thought Emily and Elliot were well realised as characters and my reading experience left me feeling very close to both of them too (more to Emily though that seems to be intentional), though their partners were more hazy, which again feels more of a deliberate choice. This was a very involving story of an emotional affair and friendship which I haven't really seen done before. Some of the dialogue was grating, affected rather than natural, but I was so drawn into the heady relationship and the potential of its fall out that I found this a surprisingly engrossing read.
January 17, 2025
A compulsively readable, dark inversion of the rom-com. This book tackles a lot of different topics -- loss of personhood after having kids, social media/communication platforms, religion, codependency, marriage after kids, mental illness, AI. But really it's about the fact that there are some really messed up people out there who will take a sledgehammer to your life if they see the chance to, and you don't get to understand why.
Reading through some of the reviews made me a bit sad. I don't think this book ever found its readership. Anyone who goes in to it expecting a romance novel (which is fair, given the ridiculous cover) will be sorely disappointed and probably a little ticked off. Do not expect a happy ending. Do not even expect closure. Do not expect to feel better about humanity. Do not expect an answer to everything.
Reading through some of the reviews made me a bit sad. I don't think this book ever found its readership. Anyone who goes in to it expecting a romance novel (which is fair, given the ridiculous cover) will be sorely disappointed and probably a little ticked off. Do not expect a happy ending. Do not even expect closure. Do not expect to feel better about humanity. Do not expect an answer to everything.
September 15, 2021
Emily and Stephen move to a new house in a strangely exclusive development. A sort of Stepford place where you have to be a certain kind of family to fit in. Emily struggles to manage her two small boys and Stephen seems a bit distant, so meeting Alathea and Elliott seems like a godsend. Emily starts to spend a lot of time with the couple, especially Elliott. He seems to offer something new, and they get drawn into the collective mania that happens during a mad affair. The book takes a creepy turn, and led me to count my own blessings and not to look for happiness elsewhere.
April 25, 2021
I’m dead.
Dead on the floor.
This book killed me.
Dead.
I’m giving it five stars.
Amazing but brutal.
June 27, 2021
The most obnoxious, stupid and self centered characters I have ever encountered in a book. Methinks this was not aimed at boomers!
August 19, 2021
If you’re lonely, you have longer showers to make up for the lack of warmth in your life outside of the shower.
You can only be as happy as your unhappiest child.
You can only be as happy as your unhappiest child.
September 6, 2021
I have mixed feelings indeed about The Answer to Everything. There’s a lot that’s very good about this book, but oh so much to dislike in the characters, that it taints the reading of the book. Overall though, it’s a fine novel and a good read.
The story revolves around two couples living in a tarted-up 1990s housing estate. First thing I liked was the vividness of the setting. I did not know that it’s a thing now for developers to revisit the cheap, poorly constructed housing estates built 30-some years ago and try to salvage them with a modern makeover. I don’t even know if it actually happens, but it rings very true.
It’s a totally apt setting for the story, which is all about subterfuge: putting on a good façade while underneath there’s crap going on. Really, 5 stars for how well this setting works in the story.
The Answer to Everything is extremely well written. The author is also a poet, and it shows. No, not because it is ‘poetic’ in the sense that that term is often used, meaning elaborate or ‘flowery’ but rather because the language is sparse and beautifully controlled. It is actually quite prosaic, mostly, which adds to the sense of ordinary domesticity.
The story unfolds slowly, step by step, largely told through WhatsApp text messages between Emily and Elliott. The increasingly intense messages (which are extremely convincing and believable) are offset against the daily domesticity and ordinariness of their ‘real’ life. On the surface, it’s quite a simple story of two people unexpectedly falling deeply in love with each other. But again, there are layers: what they are expressing in their text messages, and what they are actually doing. For some time, they don’t even talk about their text exchanges when they are together, as though not talking about it will keep it all in the realm of fantasy.
Such layers are a theme throughout the book: too many spoilers involved to go into them all!
In this respect, The Answer to Everything is extremely clever and skillful. Definitely we’re in 5-star territory.
Where it loses a star or two is in some of the things various characters do, that stretch credibility. In particular the odd relationship between Elliott and his wife doesn’t ring true (for me anyway). It works as a plot device as the that it is, but is not totally successful in other ways. It’s not about whether I think ‘someone like that would do something like that’ and more that, in several instances, with several of the characters, the author didn’t manage to convince me, to suspend my disbelief. The character didn’t come to life in a believable way.
I did feel very judgmental about the main characters, not just Emily and Elliott but their respective spouses Steven and Alathea too. And — to the author’s credit or not — I’m not really sure if the author deliberately manipulated that reaction from me or if that was just me. Certainly, Emily expresses doubts and guilt, acknowledging that what she is doing is wrong and that she is bringing unhappiness down on herself through her own sinful actions, but I think that’s more because she’s religious, and I don’t think this harsh judgment is necessarily supposed to apply to the other characters. Should I instead have felt some empathy for them in their ‘predicament’? Hmmm, interesting; I’m scratching my head on that one.
And that makes me think that this would be a terrific book for a book club. Could lead to some very interesting discussions about fidelity, monogamy and middle class values. About eco-friendly housing estates. And about what is, really, the answer to everything?
My thanks to Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
Like this review? Why not check out my book review site: BelEdit Book Reviews?
The story revolves around two couples living in a tarted-up 1990s housing estate. First thing I liked was the vividness of the setting. I did not know that it’s a thing now for developers to revisit the cheap, poorly constructed housing estates built 30-some years ago and try to salvage them with a modern makeover. I don’t even know if it actually happens, but it rings very true.
It’s a totally apt setting for the story, which is all about subterfuge: putting on a good façade while underneath there’s crap going on. Really, 5 stars for how well this setting works in the story.
The Answer to Everything is extremely well written. The author is also a poet, and it shows. No, not because it is ‘poetic’ in the sense that that term is often used, meaning elaborate or ‘flowery’ but rather because the language is sparse and beautifully controlled. It is actually quite prosaic, mostly, which adds to the sense of ordinary domesticity.
The story unfolds slowly, step by step, largely told through WhatsApp text messages between Emily and Elliott. The increasingly intense messages (which are extremely convincing and believable) are offset against the daily domesticity and ordinariness of their ‘real’ life. On the surface, it’s quite a simple story of two people unexpectedly falling deeply in love with each other. But again, there are layers: what they are expressing in their text messages, and what they are actually doing. For some time, they don’t even talk about their text exchanges when they are together, as though not talking about it will keep it all in the realm of fantasy.
Such layers are a theme throughout the book: too many spoilers involved to go into them all!
In this respect, The Answer to Everything is extremely clever and skillful. Definitely we’re in 5-star territory.
Where it loses a star or two is in some of the things various characters do, that stretch credibility. In particular the odd relationship between Elliott and his wife doesn’t ring true (for me anyway). It works as a plot device as the that it is, but is not totally successful in other ways. It’s not about whether I think ‘someone like that would do something like that’ and more that, in several instances, with several of the characters, the author didn’t manage to convince me, to suspend my disbelief. The character didn’t come to life in a believable way.
I did feel very judgmental about the main characters, not just Emily and Elliott but their respective spouses Steven and Alathea too. And — to the author’s credit or not — I’m not really sure if the author deliberately manipulated that reaction from me or if that was just me. Certainly, Emily expresses doubts and guilt, acknowledging that what she is doing is wrong and that she is bringing unhappiness down on herself through her own sinful actions, but I think that’s more because she’s religious, and I don’t think this harsh judgment is necessarily supposed to apply to the other characters. Should I instead have felt some empathy for them in their ‘predicament’? Hmmm, interesting; I’m scratching my head on that one.
And that makes me think that this would be a terrific book for a book club. Could lead to some very interesting discussions about fidelity, monogamy and middle class values. About eco-friendly housing estates. And about what is, really, the answer to everything?
My thanks to Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
Like this review? Why not check out my book review site: BelEdit Book Reviews?
August 8, 2026
somewhere between a 3.5 and 4!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews