In October 1940 the handsome young David Sparsholt arrives in Oxford A keen athlete & oarsman he at first seems unaware of the effect he has on others
- particularly on the lonely & romantic Evert Dax son of a celebrated novelist & destined to become a writer himself While the Blitz rages in London Oxford exists at a strange remove an ephemeral uncertain place in which nightly blackouts conceal secret liaisons Over the course of one momentous term David & Evert forge an unlikely friendship that will colour their lives for decades to come Alan Hollinghurst's masterly new novel evokes the intimate relationships of a group of friends bound together by art literature & love across three generations It explores the social & sexual revolutions of the most pivotal years of the past century whose life-changing consequences are still being played out to this day Richly observed disarmingly witty & emotionally charged The Sparsholt Affair is an unmissable achievement from one of our finest writers