This short book packs a lot in. It took a while to get used to the short chapters and work out what was going on. I enjoyed the chapters with Simon, Ryan and Alex, but skimmed the flashbacks and the meetings. The writing is really lovely, and I particularly liked Simon.

Told in short snippets or vignettes depending on how fancy you want to be - this short 100 page novel is about a drag queen who dresses up as Thatcher and is from Barnsley.

Barnsley and Yorkshire really do come through in this novel, the use of setting is the strongest part of this novel; it wouldn't have worked in London or New York. It is so uniquely northern and queer. The history of the location is so important. The history the mining communities have with Thatcher, the history the gay community have with Thatcher, section 28, all give this book a historic feel that is contradicted by things like Simon's use of Only Fans. This is a book full of hook ups in public toilets and text messaging.

Queer guilt, identity, mining disasters, drag as an art form, but also drag as a form of protest or commentary, all sort of mesh together in the themes of this novel. This is a society that burnt effigies of Thatcher when she died, the novel poses you the question, how does dressing up as her respect the people who suffered because of her actions? Is she being glamourised? Or is this trivialising her impact? Is it okay because Simon or Putanna as she is known in drag, is both gay and from a mining family?

This is wrapped up in this story of queer shame, a love story, and a story of family, who are still suffering from a mining accident that killed Brian.

This is an ambitious novel, and it is a good one - but 100 pages was just a little too brief for the impressive themes to all receive the amount of discussion that would have elevated to this book. This is a book where the setting (Both Barnsley and the Queer community) is king, but where characters and themes are super strong too, however the plot could have used a bit more time and work and I think this probably suffered because the book was so short. The sections were also just a bit too short for me, leading to the book being slightly too jumpy. Please don't be put off by the criticism I have for this book, it is a novella that while imperfect, has a lot of quality, is well worth reading, and is a super encouraging debut. I can't wait to read what McMillan does next.

Would love to read this as an audiobook with a good strong Yorkshire accent in my ears to help transport me to God's Own Country.

Took a while to figure out the style at play here but this was a special short novel. It delves into mining families and the nuanced lives lived in these areas, alongside gay relationships in small towns. This story draws you in and keeps you invested in these people. It's difficult to describe but incredibly compelling. I expect it to do very well.

Pity by Andrew McMillan is a novel set in the Yorkshire mining area of Barnsley. I grew up in the west of Scotland and was a teenager during the miners’ strike. A lot of the content resonated with me and my memories.

The book is a collection of different narratives written by different viewpoint characters. It gives each voice room to speak and works very well. The "field notes" parts where academics are studying the town and the changes when the mines closed are particularly moving. They have an objective view whereas the local participants remember the pits and the shops that have now closed.

Simon is the twenty something child who has no real memory of the mines and makes his money with drag shows and only fans. He is funny and loveable and has some great ideas for drag names. Alex is a complex man struggling with the loss of his totems and working out his masculinity in a changed world.

This is a short novel written by a poet and it shows in the language and in the rhythm of the words. It is a beautiful look at a world that has grown to fill the gaps but where community remains.

"…as he removed the covering from the sandwiches like someone removing their cap for a passing hearse."

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

A brilliant debut. Short yet packs a punch. Emotional and moving.

I could not put this book down and was gripped but he interwoven stories.

Fantastically written
Love it when someone writes about the 70's and 80's - makes me feel nostalgic
This is about 3 generations living and working in a mining community
Even though it was short, it really packed a punch

Thank you netgalley, Andrew Mcmillian and Canongate

4.5 stars rounded up

This is a quiet, subtle examination of post-industrial cultural identity and northern working class queerness and masculinity, told through a variety of mediums including CCTV recordings and academic reports. I devoured it in a single day. A lot of this novella's impact is buried is between the gaps, in the things left unsaid or left with bare details, and much of the time we’re left to draw out own conclusions. This is particularly powerful in the narrative threads of a character whose queerness is unspoken and acknowledged as much to himself as to other people.

It’s a novella that has improved in my memory as I’ve let the experience settle. Fro example, the snippets set in the past, as the miners rise, collect, troop off to the mine and back again, were quite repetitive while I was reading, but in retrospect I think it’s an effective portrayal of the relentlessness and monotony of life down the mines. I will definitely return to this book again in the future, to see what else emerges from between the gaps.

A short novel but one of the most thought provoking and moving I've ever read.
Middle aged brothers Alex and Brian live in a northern town decimated by the mine closures in the 1980s.. The loss of a key industry, and what has replaced it, is one of the key themes. Alex's son Simon works three jobs, one in a call centre, plus sex work and drag queen in local clubs.
Another key theme is an exploration of how much social disaster and poverty affects future perceptions of a town. Does the past live in the present? Does a sense of community still exist? This is probed by a team of academics who pompously interview locals including Brian in return for sandwiches.
Where the story excels is in its portrayal of the work carried out by miners, a mile beneath our feet. Several times McMillan, also a poet, uses repetition to show the utter grind of the miners' daily routine. The dust, the dust, and the dark, figure large in the visceral descriptions of back breaking, filthy work in extreme heat. There is a very evocative description, used several tines, of doors opening and men emerging to walk to the mine, before light. Some of them stop to pause, needing to catch their breath. No-one waits.
While Brian is processing his thoughts around his home town, Alex is finding the courage to move on after the collapse of his marriage.
Extraordinary writing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This is quite an unusual book, highly structured and very matter-of-fact but moving and thought provoking at the same time. It is cleverly written, short and powerful, using a language that is precise and poetic.

Set in the Yorkshire town of Barnsley, it is a homage to the people living there and ever so subtly it identifies the stigma that comes with living in such a deprived area, where tragedy and violence make headlines and good news never seems to. – This story can be read as an attempt to reconcile this imbalance.

The themes of sense of place, class, sexuality and masculinity are explored through the individual stories of Alex and -lesser so- Brian, two brothers coming from a long line of miners and also through Alex’ son Simon, who is more than ready to break with tradition and convention whilst at the same time appreciating the comfort they bring.

The second angle of exploration comes from a team of researchers who look into the history and social trauma related to place – in this case Barnsley. Alex is one of their interviewees and working with the research team turns out to be as beneficial for him as it is to them.

Mining history and what it meant for those men to go and work under ground is woven into the narrative and so is the devastating effect of the mining disasters of the past that still shape the collective memory of the town and its people. Alex’ son who works as a performing drag queen is a refreshing contrast to all this and also provides a glimmer of hope and encouragement in living a life that is true to himself.

This book has much to offer. At its end I had the feeling that it is a great deal more that the sum of its short chapters – and this is due to the narration that creates meaning and atmosphere in between words and lines. It is really difficult to describe – I encourage you to experience it yourself.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Canongate for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

It's a small book which makes a big impression on most people who read it.
As I used to live in Barnsley for few months I was amazed how well the author captured the atmosphere of  old mining town.  Its not a light read. Its definitely better being savoured rather than devoured.

adored this novel, which was a Poetic ode to Barnsley and British gay life. I have not previously read any of this previous works. He is known as a poet, and this comes across strongly in this novel, which is written with such beautiful poetic language that it was a pure joy to consume. I had to stop on multiple occasions to relish sentences, which were so perfect in context and language.
Looks at the effects of the pleasure of the coal mines in the 1980s of Fizz Britain and its long-term legacy on the minus themselves and their children
One of the sections of the novel looks at a visiting group of academics who are arranging to capture the experiences or the population, and I wondered whether the author themselves had a background in this area as these scenes seemed almost documentary in their nature
The novel itself is not long, but it is a thing of perfect proportion, and a beautifully crafted novel. I really loved it.
I particularly liked the repetitive scene of the miners, going down the road to work first thing in the morning its poetry and rhythm were fabulous. Reading, it felt like experiencing a real time, Lowry painting.
The book is full of cast of entirely real, particularly British, people with the male characters, making the biggest impression me.
I would strongly recommend this novel for those who like literary novels, in particular those of a poetic nature, if you like Cuddy, by Benjamin Myers or Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, the winner of the 2023 Booker prize then you would enjoy this novel
I originally copy of the novel on NetGalley UK, the book is published on the 8th of February 2024 by Cannongate
This review will appear on NetGalley, UK, Goodreads, and my book blog bionicsarahsbooks.wordpress.com

The experiences of three generations living and working in a small northern town. The writing it precise and evocative. The scenes are very easy to imagine, they are well described and the speech feels realistic. Plenty to think about. Definitely a good read.

An interesting and eye opening book. The late 70’s into 80’s must have been a really hard time to grow up in and be gay and work in the filth and heat of the mines. This book shows us the difficulties of this, the troubles going on in Ireland and the coal miners fight to stay open. The government of the day in opposition.
It’s actually quite a complex book in places as it goes between one subject and another, so requires a little concentration.
It has a particularly sad scenario towards the end but this really puts the feeling into why life was so hard at that time.
Very well worth reading.

Interesting novel from a poet that has used fragmented prose, narrative and non-fiction blended together which mirrors the three generations evolving throughout the novel. Themes of manhood, change and acceptance mixed with how society views a man or person over time. I would have liked to see a bit more narrative and characterisation but think this is a great debut novel and wonder what will come next.

Pity is marketed as a novel about The Miner’s Strike and when it’s published the media will be analysing its fortieth anniversary. There’s more too to it than that, it’s more of a post-industrial novel. See also its references to being a gay teenager in the 1980’s, then Clause 28, being a closeted gay man in 21st century England, amongst the ruins of Thatcherism/neo-liberalism.

It’s definitely a Yorkshire novel too, with ginnels and snap. However, I would draw attention to its tone and style with multiple POV’s, plus the overriding concept of fantasy versus reality. It’s also an incredibly short book. On reflection though, there is enough here to both intrigue and inspire the left-leaning reader; with a small act of defiance magnified and giving a greater resolution. And as we slide in into election year, that’s important.

It’s published by Canongate on February 8th and my thanks go to them for a preview copy.

Much as I wanted to love this debut novel by the poet, Andrew McMillan, of whom I have long been a fan, I'm afraid I could not. It's definitely not a book for the fainthearted, being a rather disjointed ranging from one character or setting to another in short, episodic bursts, which I found quite alienating to read and difficult to engage with or be interested in. The poetry of the writing, which I hoped might be an uplifting feature of the book, felt a little self conscious or forced at times. However, there were some lovely atmospheric sections around the mining community which really worked for me. I'm sure this book will appeal to many readers but it was not for me at this time, I'm sad to say.

I'm always drawn to a novel by a poet, expecting precise and atmospheric writing, and this did not disappoint. Although the layering of different narrative voices takes a moment to become familiar, this is exactly why I loved Pity: that interweaving of distinct voices at different historical moments, each given weight, respect, attention and care, to create an overall impression of both change and a kind of resilient endurance. My favourite sections were the historical ones, capturing the miner's daily life. These felt most poetic in style. But I also loved the detail and honesty of the contemporary voices. Brian's deep knowledge of the town and how it has changed really spoke to me, as someone who has lived for decades in the town I grew up in: the way the past haunts the present and the ghosts of buildings or people long gone constantly seeps into present awareness. There's real tenderness too, in the different connections between the men. For me the detail and physicality of the sexual scenes felt part of that thread of precision and frankness and attention and care which runs through the whole. Comic relief comes in the clunky academic tone of the researchers who want to capture and pin down a lived experience they will never fully understand. The conclusion points to hope, connection and possibility, even after all that has been lost. Wonderful!

I was drawn to this book for three reasons; the stellar cover, the fact it’s set in a mining village (I grew up in South Wales), and that it deals with homosexuality in such a community.

The structure scared me a bit, the grandfather’s story italicised, the fieldwork notes of the academics studying the town, the surveillance cameras, all had the potential to make the book feel disjointed. It didn’t because the characters were real, relatable and there was a fascinating story going on across their lives.

Brian attends the workshops run by the academics with a brilliant mix of the scepticism and helpfulness of his generation. His brother Alex stays in the shadows for much of the book, yet his journey is pivotal. Alex’s son Simon takes centre stage – metaphorically and physically. The memory of Simon’s grandfather, the daily tramp and grind of life in the mines, brought out through beautiful prose.

A short book. A different book. It will probably win awards and I hope it does.

A beautifully written, evocative novel, but I found it took a while to work out who was who and how they were connected. Once I'd done that, I did enjoy it, especially the way it all came together at the end.

I loved the descriptions of the miners and coal mines - so poetic and atmospheric. Truly beautifully written and very impactful. As.a debut novel from a very well regarded poet these were the stand out sections of this book for me. The prose sections were adequately written but not as inspiring. You do need to concentrate very hard, especially in the first few sections to work out the relationship between the main characters, I feel this could have been made a little clearer for the benefit of the reader..
Overall this was an excellent depiction of life at the height of the mines and Thatcherism, and changing lifestyles and attitudes in that part of the country over the years. I did feel that the description of oral sex was not really necessary to the story