Weird.
A bit creepy.
Not quite sure what’s going on.
…but enough about me.
Let’s talk about What Happens at Night by Peter Cameron, which is weird, a bit creepy and, though it’s a fascinating and enjoyable read, you’re never quite sure what’s going on.
Thankfully, we have a fine guide to hold our hand through the twists and turns in the narrative as I’m joined by the brilliant—and Booker-nominated no less!—Sophie Mackintosh.
The blurbists say this book is Wes Anderson meets David Lynch.
But is it?
Listen in and you’ll find out.
Indeed, welcome to The Library of Lazy Thinking Podcast, with me, your host, Glenn Fisher.
As you may well know by now, in each episode, I'm joined by a guest from the world of books and culture to talk about a specific book they'd like to put in the library.
There's no plan and no agenda, just two people lazily thinking about literature.
If you enjoy the show and would like to help us (and get your hands on a coveted Library of Lazy Thinking bookmark, sticker, and pin badge), you can become a supporter of the library by upgrading your subscription.
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In this episode, as I say, my very special guest is the author of The Water Cure, Blue Ticket, and Cursed Bread, Sophie Mackintosh. We discuss her pick for the library, the 2020 novel What Happens at Night by Peter Cameron.
About Sophie
Sophie Mackintosh is the author of three novels: The Water Cure, Blue Ticket, and Cursed Bread. Her debut novel was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018 and won a Betty Trask Award 2019. Cursed Bread was longlisted for the Women's Prize 2023. She has been published in Granta, The White Review, and TANK magazine among others.
About Peter
Peter Cameron is the author of several novels, including Andorra, The Weekend, and Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You. His short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Rolling Stone, and many other literary journals, and his work has been adapted for screen. Cameron divides his time between New York City and Sandgate, Vermont.
Links to obscure (and not so obscure) things mentioned in this episode
Order What Happens at Night by Peter Cameron and Sophie’s most recent novel, Cursed Bread from my local independent bookshop in Sheffield here.
Find Sophie on Instagram here.
Find Glenn on Instagram here.
Find The Library of Lazy Thinking on Instagram here.
About the Library
The Library of Lazy Thinking is a place to hang out and learn more about books. The library is free—like all libraries should be. But if you’d like to support the library, you can make a small monthly donation by becoming a paid member (and get an exclusive The Library of Lazy Thinking bookmark, sticker, and pin badge). All donations go back into the library, helping to organize live events, exclusive merchandise, and more podcasts.
About Glenn
Glenn Fisher is a writer—wait, Glenn Fisher is me. I’m the one writing this. Let’s drop the third-person act. My writing has been published in online literary journals Lunate, The Paris Bitter Hearts Pit, 3am Magazine, Dogmatika, and Litro Magazine. I write about books and interview other writers and artists here in The Library of Lazy Thinking. I live in Sheffield and work as a freelance copywriter. I have had a best-selling non-fiction book published on the subject called The Art of the Click. It was published by Harriman House and shortlisted for Business Book of the Year. It has been translated into Simplified Chinese and Korean. I also have a dog called Pablo. He is harder to translate. Indeed, most of my life revolves around trying to understand his often unreasonable demands. Meanwhile, I am currently working on my first novel.
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