Ambientato a cavallo del 2000, durante le vicende dell'Inghilterra di quegli anni e la loro influenza a livello sociale. Tony Blair, la guerra in Iraq e l'avvento dei movimenti di estrema destra. In parallelo, riprende i nostri protagonisti più maturi, alle prese con la vita adulta, donne e uomini sulla quarantina. Oltre a Benjamin Trotter, hanno maggiormente spazio il fratello Paul, politico inizialmente conservatore poi impegnato nel partito laburista, cinico ed egocentrico, e Claire, amica di scuola del gruppo, tornata a Birmingham per riprendere in mano la sua vita.
Un romanzo da cui non sono riuscita a staccarmi perchè dovevo sapere cosa sarebbe successo poi, non tanto per i colpi di scena ma proprio per l'affetto verso i protagonisti, come se fossero degli amici. E così ti preoccupi per Benjamin, che sembra sempre così con la testa per aria, vorresti dirne quattro a Paul, vorresti prendere a schiaffi Malvina, perché l'hai capito dal primo istante chi è.
Coe ti racconta le loro storie senza lirismi, senza complicanze o excursus filosofici. La storia di un gruppo di amici raccontata a un gruppo di lettori amici.
E adesso devo ammettere che mi sento davvero come avessi detto addio a degli amici, come li stessi tradendo passando ad altri personaggi.
Jonathan Coe
Circolo Chiuso
Feltrinelli
Euro 16
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The circle of Coe's novels about the Trotter family closed for me with this book. I did a non-linear path, starting with the last one, Middle England, and then starting from the beginning with the first one and now I end up with what is actually the second. I then returned briefly to the last, as if to finally explain to me certain passages that previously were obscure to me.
Set at the turn of 2000, during the events of England in those years and their social influence. Tony Blair, the war in Iraq and the advent of far-right movements. In parallel, it takes up our most mature protagonists, struggling with adult life, women and men in their forties. In addition to Benjamin Trotter, his brother Paul, the initially conservative politician then involved in the Labor, cynical and self-centered, and Claire, a friend from the group's school, returned to Birmingham to take up her life again.
A novel from which I couldn't break away because I had to know what would happen then, not so much for the twists but for the affection for the protagonists, as if they were friends. And so you worry about Benjamin, who always seems so with his head in the clouds, you would like to give Paul a telling off, you would like to slap Malvina, because you have understood from the first moment who she is.
Coe tells you their stories without lyricism, without complications or philosophical excursus. The story of a group of friends told to a group of friendly readers.
And now I have to admit that I really feel like I said goodbye to friends, like I was betraying them by switching to other characters.
Jonathan Coe
The Closed Circle
