I just loved this one.

Artie Dam is a much-loved teacher who engrosses his students in history. The time is 2024 and Artie feels alone despite his wife and son and the many friends they have. He’s just an ordinary man yet the world around him is falling apart while the politics of his country drag him into despair. His thoughts drift to suicide until he has an accident and rekindles his will to live again.  Then comes a bombshell from his son and he questions everything he thought he’d known in his life.

This book is a deep dive into the life of one character and how he is affected by his relationships and his environment. There is political commentary throughout the book and you feel as if you are eavesdropping on the characters discussions, analysis and despair about what is going on. The title is of course completely apt as he finds that there is so much left unsaid. There is a scene where he has befriended a man whose company he enjoys immensely until he finds out he is a republican supporter and is then faced with a dilemma.

This is such a well crafted and beautifully written novel. It’s short-listed for The Booker prize and deservedly so.

It’s quite a short read packing a punch. Check this one out.