
A tale of compassion fatigue — can you care too much?
First things first — the torture therapy takes up a single scene. This is a book about immigration and cultural differences, about when helping others turns into self-sabotage, and about the lies that can hold a marriage together.
Best of all, it balances evocative imagery ('Random garments were hanging over the trees and the bushes … It was as if the bodies inside had vanished unexpectedly, and the outfits had collapsed in despair') with a thrumming sense of tension. I soaked up the atmosphere of the novel so much that I found I was on edge, anxious to get back to reading it, to find out what would happen.
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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Stephen King meets The Office in the best Literary Fiction out now: THE EXPANSION PROJECT by Ben Pester, WATCHING OVER HER by Jean-Baptiste Andrea, BLOODY AWFUL IN DIFFERENT WAYS by Andrev Walden
THE EXPANSION PROJECT by Ben Pester (Granta £16.99, 224pp) Pester's first novel follows his standout 2021 short story collection, Am I In the Right Place?, in which a series of oddball scenarios rendered corporate work life dystopianly strange. He follows suit here with the story of a communications officer who loses his eight-year-old daughter in his office after taking her to a Bring Your Child To Work event. It turns out not to be happening and may never even have been scheduled in the first place. Then colleagues say his daughter was never there . . . but their various testimonies don't fit together either. This funny, inventive and unsettling debut has elements of J.G. Ballard as well as Stephen King, plus cringeworthy workplace comedy made familiar by The Office. WATCHING OVER HER by Jean-Baptiste Andrea (Atlantic £14.99, 544pp) In Frank Wynne's translation from the original French, readers have a chance to enjoy this smash-hit historical epic ahead of the forthcoming film adaptation. Set in Italy, it centres on the undying love between a downtrodden sculptor, Mimo, and a wealthy aristocrat, Viola. We join Mimo on his deathbed at a monastery before winding back to his birth at the turn of the 20th century to see how he and Viola re-encounter one another over the decades after a romance buffeted by two world wars. When, in 2023, the novel was awarded the Prix Goncourt – the equivalent of the Booker – there were grumbles it wasn't literary enough. My guess is the judges were swept along by its timeless narrative gimmicks – who can blame them? BLOODY AWFUL IN DIFFERENT WAYS by Andrev Walden (Fig Tree £14.99, 352pp) Translated by Ian Giles, this coming-of-age debut was a big seller in Sweden, but it's a bit of a mixed bag. Set in the 1980s, it's about a boy whose put-upon mother pairs up with a succession of terrible partners over seven years. Each of the seven men gets their own chapter, each named for the quality that strikes the young narrator most: The Thief, The Artist, and so on. Walden grips your attention with darkly comic verve, and there's a truly ugly undertow to his portrait of toxic masculinity, rendered all the more shocking by the narrator's partial understanding.


Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Metal band announce final album and farewell tour 43 years after forming
A thrash metal band credited with helping to develop and popularise the genre have announced they are retiring. Formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine, Megadeth are known as one of the 'big four' of American thrash metal alongside Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica. Their debut album had moderate success, but it was after signing with Capitol Records that the band took off. Some of their platinum-selling albums included So Far, So Good…So What, Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction. The line-up has changed several times over the years, with Mustaine the sole member of the band to remain throughout. The current members are also, bassist James LoMenzo, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari and drummer Dirk Verbeuren. However, this week Megadeth announced that their upcoming 17th studio album and 2026 tour would be their last. 'There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,' Mustaine, 63, said in a statement revealing the news about the band he began over 40 years ago. 'Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. I have travelled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them. 'We can't wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it's now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it's now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it's our last studio album. We've made a lot of friends over the years, and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour. Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years.' The statement concluded with: 'We have done something together that's truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.' Megadeath was formed after Mustaine was kicked out of Metallica, the band he co-founded. They temporarily disbanded in 2002 but re-established two years later. Their most recent album, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, was released in 2022. As of 2023, the band has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. Their farewell tour dates are yet to be announced. Megadeth was noticeably absent from Black Sabbath's recent Back To The Beginning farewell concert. More Trending In an interview with Burn! magazine, LoMenzo was asked about the band being the only one of the traditional 'Big Four' that did not play. 'I'm going to let the cat out of the bag. The truth of the matter is, I don't believe that anybody asked us, which was fine,' he said. 'Not everybody gets invited to every party. But at the same time, when we were in Europe last week, David said that he was reaching out to everybody and telling them that we were in the neighbourhood and that we were close enough to come. And if they wanted us to, we could stay over for a few days and work it out…if they wanted us to. I don't know what our manager had accomplished with that, but it didn't get accomplished, so we just came home.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: If you don't kiss your partner like Anthony Mackie, you're doing it wrong MORE: Halle Berry expertly claps back after ex-husband reveals 'annoying' reason he left her MORE: Bruce Willis' wife tears up recalling the moment he received dementia diagnosis


Press and Journal
5 hours ago
- Press and Journal
'Fabulous' actor Will Ferrell enjoys tour of Braemar Castle
World famous actor Will Ferrell has been enjoying the sites of Aberdeenshire as he paid a visit to Braemar Castle on Royal Deeside. The American actor, comedian, producer and writer, who has starred in the likes of Anchorman, Barbie and Step Brothers, is currently enjoying a trip to Scotland. He was pictured with staff at the 17th century castle this morning as he visited with family and friends. Braemar Castle is owned by chief of Clan Farquharson, Philip Farquharson. A post on the castle's Facebook page reads: 'Can we just get a little bit excited. 'The fabulous Will Ferrell paid us a visit this morning and we may have got a little bit fan girly around him.' They described him as the 'nicest man'. And the actor and his companions were toured round Braemar Castle by staff member Eve, who had the 'best time'. The post added: 'They say to never meet your idols, but this man was a true gentleman and so interested in our work at Braemar Castle.' Earlier this week, the Hollywood star was spotted in Glasgow. He is believed to be staying at the five-star boutique Fife Arms hotel in the village. It is a popular celebrity haunt. And well-known names – including Dame Judi Dench and Rita Ora – have frequented the hotel in recent years. It is unclear if Mr Ferrell will take in today's Ballater Highland Games, which takes place today.