SKU: 23515097776

The Sparsholt Affair

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The Sparsholt AffairThe Sparsholt Affair The Sparsholt Affair is the long awaited sixth novel from the supreme stylist of British fiction and previous winner of the Man Booker Prize. From Oxford during the dark days of the Second World War to contemporary London, this is a masterly novel about sexuality, art and family secrets. 'Call Me By Your Name meets Evelyn Waugh in a gorgeous novel about the generations long aftershocks of a youthful tryst' Esquire From the winner

The Sparsholt Affair

The Sparsholt Affair is the long-awaited sixth novel from the supreme stylist of British fiction and previous winner of the Man Booker Prize. From Oxford during the dark days of the Second World War to contemporary London, this is a masterly novel about sexuality, art and family secrets.

'Call Me By Your Name meets Evelyn Waugh in a gorgeous novel about the generations-long aftershocks of a youthful tryst' — Esquire

From the winner of the Man Booker Prize, a masterly novel that spans seven transformative decades as it plumbs the complex relationships of a remarkable family.


In October 1940, the handsome young David Sparsholt arrives in Oxford. A keen athlete and oarsman, he at first seems unaware of the effect he has on others – particularly on the lonely and romantic Evert Dax, son of a celebrated novelist and 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 and Evert forge an unlikely friendship that will colour their lives for decades to come . . .

Alan Hollinghurst’s sweeping novel evokes the intimate relationships of a group of friends bound together by art, literature and love across three generations. It explores the social and 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 and emotionally charged, The Sparsholt Affair is an unmissable achievement from one of our finest writers.

'Startling, radical, embedded in tradition but entirely new' - Guardian

'A master storyteller' - John Banville

'Hollinghurst can make language do what he wants . . . It makes a lot of contemporary fiction seem thin and underachieving.' - Evening Standard

'Dazzlingly good: the best new novel I’ve read this year. Once again, Hollinghurst is both utterly sumptuous and utterly precise' - Spectator

'Mr. Hollinghurst's great gift as a novelist is for social satire as sharp and transparent as glass, catching his quarry from an angle just an inch to the left of the view they themselves would catch in the mantelpiece mirror.' - The New York Observer

'Alan Hollinghurst’s The Sparsholt Affair is startling, radical, embedded in tradition but entirely new in final effect – the novel that other novelists were all talking about this year.' - Guardian

'A sweeping and intimate masterpiece, full of sensual pleasures and observational wisdom' - Guardian

'Thrillingly stylish and gripping' - Guardian

'But for narrative ambition and sheer comic joy, by far the best thing I’ve read this year . . . A novel with brains and heart and balls — the kind you find yourself wanting to read at two speeds at once: very quickly, so that you can get on to the next page, and very slowly, so that you can linger over each beautifully crafted sentence. He’s a writer who makes every word sing' - Spectator

'Audacious, ambitious . . . an absorbingly complex novel reaching across seven decades . . . Hollinghurst's prose delights' - The Times, Saturday Review

'Beautiful; moving . . . he writes with subtlety and sympathy; wisdom and understanding' - New York Times

'A highlight of Hollinghurst’s career, and one of the best books of the year . . . a true master' - Independent

'My favourite living novelist' - Guardian

'Richly textured and alive with ironic wit . . . An ambitious novel of family, sexuality and art' - The Sunday Times

'Captures the changing nature of the homosexual experience as the country moves from shame and criminality to openness [and] dating apps' - The Times

'Alluring, virtuosic, cinematic . . . The traditional novel form seems as pleasurable and humanly true as ever in his hands' - New Yorker

'Deeply pleasurable . . . written with poise, lucidity and pathos' - Harper's

'A wonder, full of wit and tenderness . . . there is no better stylist alive [than] Hollinghurst' - Slate

'Perhaps Hollinghurst’s most beautiful novel yet—a book full of glorious sentences by the greatest prose stylist writing in English today . . . An unashamedly readable novel, undoubtedly the work of a master' - The Observer

'It’s not often that readers see such a fundamental rethinking of what fiction can do, and rarer still that the result is such a joy' - Spectator

'The immense assurance of the writing, the deep knowledge of the settings and periods in which the story unfolds, the mingling of cruel humour and lyrical tenderness, the insatiable interest in human desire from its most refined to its most brutally carnal, grip you as tightly as any thriller' - The Guardian

'A novelist with a particular genius for inhabiting the past [and] an extraordinary gift for the condensing and enriching detail . . . Ravishing' - LRB

'Breathtaking . . . the novel chronicles a handful of queer friendships–the way they bent and twisted and sometimes even shattered, the reverberations of each affecting generation after generation of queer people who came after them' - Lit Hub

SPECIFICATIONS:

Author:Alan Hollinghurst - Алан Холлингхерст

Publisher:Pan Macmillan

Language:English

Publication Date:2023

Number of pages:464 pst

Format:Paperback

Width:130 mm / 5,1'

Height:198 mm / 7,8'

Weight:328 g

ISBN:9781035028023

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SKU: 23515097776

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4.9 ★★★★★
Based on 13 reviews
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Erika
Draper, US
★★★★★ 4
🖤🖤4 Stars🖤🖤
Format: Kindle
“There are darknesses in life and there are lights. You are one of the lights...The light of all lights.” - Master of Salt & Bones. REVIEW: This book follows Isa who lives with her aunt on an island. Isa begins a new job as a caretaker for the dark, and mysterious Blackthorne family. A family who is disliked and even feared by the rest of the inhabitants of the island. However, as she grows closer to the man who they call the devil, Lucian Blackthorne, Isa sees for herself what the truth of Blackthorne manor really is. This book is a dark romance! Originally I was told it was fantasy, which I don’t agree with at all. It is more of an erotic, gothic feel with some mystery sprinkled in. The plot was very interesting and kept me intrigued. This book was also quite steamy, however, I felt those scenes were well done and didn’t take away from the rest of the book. Overall, the content in this book is quite dark and the backstories of the characters involve potentially triggering matters. Be aware to look these up if you feel like you need to. Overall, this is the first book I have read by Keri Lake, and I am excited to read more. SYNOPSIS: When I was a little girl, I dreamed a handsome knight would come and rescue me from my wretched mother. He'd ride up on his white steed and break the curse I've been fated to carry since the day I was born. Funny how things changed over time. How the fairy tale twisted into something far more crooked, darker than I ever imagined. In reality, my knight is scarred and broken, living alone in a castle of bones that overlooks the sea. He isn’t searching for me. He never was. Lucian Blackthorne is as cursed as I am, and equally shunned by the locals, the fishers of men, who believe him to be the devil in the flesh. Perhaps he is, with the way his amber eyes draw me in, ignite me like an infernal blaze. And the sins he whispers in my ear are as wickedly intoxicating as the man himself. Yet, his touch is heaven and his will is my weakness. He calls us forbidden, an unsalvageable tragedy, with no happy end. Maybe we are. But in this story, he’s the one who needs saving.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2020
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Paige Tocci
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
one of my top reads of 2023 🖤
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
Master of Salt & Bones by Keri Lake review (no spoilers) ♾️/5 ⭐️ 4/5🌶️ 🏰gothic dark romance 🎹murder/mysteries 🏰age gap 🎹spicy 🏰touch her & d!e 🎹secret society 🏰dual POV & a past timeline for Lucian “we’re the composers, the conductor’s of our own fate, and we write the notes to a beautiful, dark melody that no one else can hear.” this book was AMAZING ❤️‍🔥 i couldn’t put this book down for anything . this book gives beauty & the beast / phantom of the opera vibes with a lot more going on . Lucian hires Isadora to help take care of his mom, not his nurse but a companion for her . Isadora has a painful past & she’s willing to do anything to get out of town to make some money , even if that means working for a guy with a thousand bad rumors about him . the way Lucian talks to Isadora is like he’s speaking poetry without even trying . the wording & quotes in this book were chiefs kiss . the spice in this book was gold 🔥 the plot of this book is super original & sooooo twisty . i think there were 5 different twists at the end & i had my jaw on the floor at all of them . literally obsessed with this book . the writing was beautifully done 🫶🏼 this is my first book by Keri & i will now be ordering more from her immediately🖤 this book is definitely in my top reads of the year! as always check your TW 🤍
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Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2023
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Verified Purchase
Kindle Customer
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
So Worth the Read
Format: Audiobook
I absolutely loved this book. The pacing was great, the characters felt real, and the story kept me hooked the entire time. There were a few moments that genuinely surprised me, and I appreciated how everything came together at the end. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys Dark Romance/ Gothic Fiction
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Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2026
R
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readbykaycee
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 4
4 star read - dark gothic romance
Format: Kindle
Master of Salt and Bones by Keri Lake 4 STAR READ “You’re my curse. Staying away from you, is like trying to hold my breath when the tide is rising.” This book reminds me a lot of Nightshade, also by Keri Lake, but without the fantasy element. It gives off the same gothic vibes, including flash backs, history of abuse, and sexual deviances. It also has some overlap with the older male character obsession that is seen in Nocticadia - though Lucien doesn’t hold a candle to Professor Bramwell. SUMMARY Lucien was abused, lied to, and manipulated his whole life, by everyone who should have protected and cared for him. A wealthy heir to a massive fortune, he is hard, dark, and delicious. The story unfolds across two timelines, jumping between Lucien’s past and present, and Isa’s POV. Lucien is viewed as the devil of Tempest Cove, covered in scars and rumors abound involving the death of his wife and son. Isa is the daughter of the town whore, who has struggle to fit in and cope with the tribulations of her life. Lucien hires Isa to be his mother’s companion, to keep her company and encourage her to get out of bed each day. As they continue to bump into each other and interact, their relationship develops beyond his dark obsession. Lucien is wary to get attached as his connection to a dangerous secret society puts everyone he cares about at risk, however there may be no way around Isa’s involvement. WHAT I LIKED and DISLIKED It was a great story full of tragedy and resilience. Both characters have deep back stories that unfold throughout the book, we get information at just the right time to make things make sense. It is really well told. It does feel a bit slow in the middle, I took a mid book break to read something else but came back to it and wondered why I stopped - the reason I gave 4 stars was because I had the need to take the break. Which tells me I lost interest during part of it. Lucien has so many layers and each one is full of sadness and devastation. Isa’s story is tragic in its own way, however her youth has her dealing with them in a difference way - she is definitely more detached in her own way. There is an age gap - Lucien is 33, Isa is 19 — I’m not usually a fan of this kind of age gap, but Isa isn’t childish or immature so it works. The book definitely gives Grumpy x sunshine vibes. The spice is well done and paced well throughout the book. If you like spicy, gothic, dark romance and have enjoyed other books by Keri Lake this book will not disappoint. There are references to rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and mental illness — I would check any triggers before reading
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Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2025
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Verified Purchase
Ashley Morgan
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
ABSOLUTELY A MUST for Omegaverse Girls!!!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Jillian West and her books!!! I’m so happy I already bought book two and now I have to buy the others for the Assurance Security series!! Not gonna lie Val kind of annoyed me at the beginning but she grew on me!! Her men are chef’s kisses!!! Holt annoys me some but I can let it slide. I already bought part two so I’m going to be reading that in between work phone calls!!!! DON’T TELL MY BOSS 😂😂😂😂
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2025

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