The Great Night by Chris Adrian

 

Chris Adrian has reworked A Midsummer Night's Dream into a novel that is beautifully written and acutely observed. He says this story, only his third novel, can be summarised into 'what shall we do about love?'. He answers that with a telling that blends the humour of the original with energy, imagination and a strong emphasis on illusion. Adrian weaves characters' memories and magical events skillfully, to blur the division and make sure the pace doesn't slip, and he manages to retain the feel of the play though the book is close to 300 pages. He does speech well and the action within the park feels both stage-managed and balanced between light and meaningful. In parts it has aspects of Ian McEwan's Enduring Love for its sharp snapshot descriptions. This hypnotic style is shown well in his short stories – The New Yorker had Adrian as one of its '20 under 40' fiction writers in 2010. The parts which stand out are where the novel talks about medicine and not wanting to admit a relationship is over, both of which turn out to be the autobiographical elements. A darkly comedic take on the original that's a joy to wander through. [Sue Lawrenson]