The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley

Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026--San Antonio

The Palm House by Gwendoline is a short novel that is constructed much like the old Seinfeld TV Show.  There's not a lot of story here.  It concentrates on two long-time friends, the people they know in common, and the conversations among them.  It has been longlisted for the Booker Prize.  The people are interesting, and at times I found myself laughing.  Set in London, Edmund is a single man who has worked for 25 years for a prestigious magazine.  There are hints that he may be gay, but he never seems to date anyone.  When a new publisher is named who wants to change the magazine in ways he feels will lower its quality, he becomes depressed and, thanks to a recent inheritance, resigns.  But he doesn't know what to do with himself.  Laura is struggling with life herself.  She has a difficult mother, and is tired of the lack of success in her life.  She has never had her own place; instead she has lived in shared, rather dilapidated apartments with roommates.  She can't quit work, but toward the end of the story she is able to buy a studio apartment which will be all her own after a small inheritance after her father's death.  The book consists of interactions between Edmund and Laura when they are together, and interactions of them with larger groups--the former co-employees of Edmund's at the magazine or parties or casual gatherings with friends they have in common.  I liked the fact that the author trusted me as a reader to make connections at times to information I already had on previous pages rather than dwelling on repeating information.  I gave the book 4 stars out of 5.