Our Evenings A Novel
Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst, published by Random House on August 19, 2025, is a novel that explores the life of Dave Win, a boy of mixed heritage navigating the complexities of elite English society. At thirteen, Dave receives a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school, opening doors to new experiences while exposing him to the challenges posed by his background and the dynamics of his wealthy peers. The narrative spans several decades, detailing his journey from adolescence to adulthood, as he grapples with identity, love, and the intricacies of queer culture.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of experiences as Dave evolves from a working-class child into a young man discovering his place in the world. The novel delves into themes of privilege, prejudice, and personal growth, capturing moments of joy and pain throughout his life. With a focus on the intersections of class and sexuality, Hollinghurst presents a nuanced portrayal of a life shaped by both opportunity and adversity. This edition comprises 512 pages and is written in English, inviting readers to engage with a deeply observed narrative that reflects on the beauty and complexity of human experience.
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From the internationally acclaimed winner of the Booker Prize, “an engrossing tale of one man’s personal odyssey as he grows up, framed in exquisite language” (The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice)
“The finest novel yet from one of the great writers of our time.”—The Guardian
SHORTLISTED FOR A LAMMY AWARD • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, Town & Country, Slate, Good Housekeeping, Financial Times, The Economist, Chicago Public Library, Parade, Publishers Weekly, BookPage, Kirkus Reviews
Did I have a grievance? Most of us, without looking far, could find something that had harmed us, and oppressed us, and unfairly held us back. I tried not to dwell on it, thought it healthier not to, though I’d lived my short life so far in a chaos of privilege and prejudice.
Dave Win, the son of a Burmese man he’s never met and a British dressmaker, is thirteen years old when he gets a scholarship to a top boarding school. With the doors of elite English society cracked open for him, heady new possibilities emerge, even as Dave is exposed to the envy and viciousness of his wealthy classmates.
Alan Hollinghurst’s new novel follows Dave from the 1960s on—through the possibilities that remained open for him, and others that proved to be illusory: as a working-class brown child in a decidedly white institution; a young man discovering queer culture and experiencing his first, formative love affairs; a talented but often overlooked actor, on the road with an experimental theater company; and an older Londoner whose late-in-life marriage fills his days with an unexpected sense of happiness and security.
From “one of our most gifted writers” (The Boston Globe), Our Evenings sweeps readers from our past to our present through the beauty, pain, and joy of one deeply observed life.
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