Mr. Loverman

There was something wonderfully joyous and uplifting about this novel. At the same time it was subtly subversive throughout. Evaristo is a major talent, my favorite of her work since first reading Girl, Woman, Other. In terms of joyful subversion Angela Carter springs to mind, while the literary risk-taking Evaristo deploys shows some parallels with Maggie Gee (who reviewed this work for The Guardian). Mr. Loverman, as in other novels by Evaristo, traverses geography, history and culture. Both Shakespeare and Shabba Ranks are referenced. The novel concerns itself with an older gay Caribbean gentleman and his deliberations on whether or not to come out — he does. In this sense debates about homophobia come to the fore, a particular issue in Caribbean communities, even those living in London (in some island nations homosexuality was outlawed until very recently). More broadly, Evaristo's novel is about the secrets we all keep from others close to us and how relationships (romantic, familial) evolve over time. This is a deeply insightful novel, which is only elevated by the lyricism of Evaristo's prose and her conscious decision to allow voices to both her chief protagonist and his wife. 10/10.

By Bernardine Evaristo