I received a proof of *Caledonian Road* from the lovely team at @faberbooks last year. I gasped at the size (650 pages) and promptly decided to wait for a buddy read to tackle it,

The book spans a year in the lives of people living around this thoroughfare in London, criss-crossing various socioeconomic areas. Dickensian in its approach, it covers all strands of British society—from Tory peers and people smugglers to middle-class liberals, drill rappers, and Russian oligarchs.

Our main protagonist, Campbell Flynn, is an art historian and celebrated academic who navigates the highs and lows of London life. O'Hagan takes us on a journey with Campbell, showing how lives intertwine while addressing topical issues across the UK such as money laundering, people trafficking, gang attacks, knife crime, fraud, and mental health issues.

The book is divided into four sections, arranged by season, we witness Flynn's life unravel over the course of a year. Despite his flaws, I found myself feeling for Campbell Flynn.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. O'Hagan's writing is engaging, and I loved his caustic view of the class system in London. The book has it all—a great story, compelling characters, and a fantastic plot. It's a perfect read if you're looking for a chunky book to sink your teeth into.

4.5 ⭐️

At over 600 pages long and with a cast of 60-odd players, this book intimidated the pants off me. So much so, I let it languish on my shelf for almost a year. As it turns out, it was indeed as challenging as I expected, but I found the effort of reading it hugely gratifying.

In a nutshell, Caledonian Road is an astutely observed, bitingly satirical, state-of-the-nation novel that paints a damning picture of broken Britain. It’s an ambitious work, both in scope and depth, but O’Hagan masters his subject with aplomb, excoriating the layers of British society to expose the hypocrisy of the privileged, the corruption at the heart of government, and the endemic social injustice and inequity.

O’Hagan entertains with boldly drawn characters from a panoply of social groups: from Westminster, the aristocracy and Russian oligarchy to activists, street gangs, drug cartels and people smugglers. It’s a lot to take in, especially for a reader who would feel alien in any of these settings. I found it eye opening in the extreme and could only applaud O’Hagan’s skill in bringing all these disparate groups together through his storytelling.

Chief protagonist, Campbell Flynn, is a modern-day, Shakespearean tragic hero; a man at the height of his success, fêted the world over for his charm and intellect, and moving in elevated, influential circles. Convinced of his superiority, he looks upon the disgracing of his friends with scorn, a hubris that ultimately proves to be his own downfall.

O’Hagan cleverly tethers his narrative to highly publicized real-life events, lending it a gravitas that cuts to the quick. The irony of dozens of Vietnamese migrants perishing in an overfilled truck, having paid thousands of pounds to be smuggled into broken Britain, hits like a punch to the gut.

I paired the Kindle version of this with the audiobook, which is magnificently narrated by Michael Abubakar, whose facility with dialects from upper crust to London street slang vividly brought to life the many characters and added affecting layers of emotion to the storytelling.

A brilliant, witty novel about coming undone in later life. I loved Campbell's narrative arc and his growing vulnerability and self-awareness throughout the novel. I'm a huge fan of big' society' novels and Caledonian Road with its huge cast of characters and Dickensian weaving of numerous plot lines did not disappoint. Highly recommended.

I loved Mayflies, so I was really looking forward to Caledonian Road - and I wasn’t disappointed. There are a variety of characters, from the extremely well-off to those living in council flats and struggling to get by. This is a “State of the Nation” story, and it lays out just what that state is. From the Russian oligarchs and landed gentry, to slavery, inequality and crime. People have far too many secrets, until, that is, the media get hold of them.

Caledonian Road shows the repercussions of Covid and Brexit (none of it positive), and how those with money think they can get away with whatever they want to.

There are characters that you can really get your teeth in to, many of them rather unpleasant. The main character, a university academic called Campbell Flynn, is struggling with his life. He grew up working class in Glasgow, and has married in to minor aristocracy. He likes to think that he hasn’t lost touch with his origins - but has he?

There’s a lot going on in this novel - too much to write here - and you’re really better off reading it for yourself! It’s a chunk of a book, but it sped by. I loved it.

https://www.threads.net/@clares_little_book_obsession/post/C_-b1wMgtI9/?xmt=AQGz0uneyAkWcUVQN6KvSrvC0YZ4hi08x7hsCjL9BmCpwA

This book takes as its central themes political corruption and unease, and unfurls into a romp of a narrative that feels part political thriller and a deeply felt novel about class, humanity and a sense of justice. Although I occasionally felt it was too nakedly showing its colours, I also think it is a clever and enjoyable novel that has important things to discuss.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I've previously enjoyed several Andrew O'Hagan titles but really struggled to get into this one. I picked it up again several times, due to the many favourable reviews, but it just didn't grab me.

Stunning ensemble piece about ego and fear of failure. Possibly too long and with one or two many plot lines but thats a minor observation.

I'm hovering between 3 and 4 stars for this pleased with itself state of the nation novel. The characters in Caledonian Road are almost all flawed (even Jakub is needlessly criminal), implausible and hard to like. Such a contrast to The Bee Sting which is Caledonian Road's Irish cousin. But while Paul Murray shows deep affection and empathy for his creations, Andrew O'Hagan displays only disdain. Nevertheless, I have rounded my rating up to 4 stars because Caledonian Road is such a great read. Bitchy and snobbish, certainly. But you never stop wanting to find out what is going to happen - mainly to see a variety of nasty sorts get their comeuppance! Also a master class in keeping the reader's attention despite the use of multiple narrators. A must-read of the year.

Spent the last two weeks embroiled in Caledonian Road and hats off to Andrew O Hagan he’s done it again. A totally different environment and character dynamic to the soft and melancholic men of Mayflies, Caledonian Road gets to the root of organized crime, toxic politics and middle-class men who think more of themselves than anyone else.

This was chock full of characters connected by invisible threads and convoluted paths but it came full circle in a nothing less than staggering finish. for 650 pages O’Hagan manages to sustain a depth of emotional connection rivaled only by Franzen’s family sagas.

At first, I found our protagonist Professor Flynn far too much of a guardian liberal caricature but the further we went the less like a puppet he felt and more so a fallible person we are watching fall.

O’Hagan has seamlessly blended historic headlines of the past five years, I was gut-punched each time I was reminded of recent tragedy, even more so than watching them on the news the first time around because I came to love or at least care about these characters before they became a viral clip.

A troubling and uncomfortable read I can recommend, although not a book that’ll fit easily in any handbag of mine.

I loved previous Andrew O' Hagan novels and had high hopes for this. The London setting is excellently drawn and the characters vibrant, however unfortunately the story failed to hold my interest. Beautifully written but essentially a little cold

A new Andrew O'Hagan? Yes please. 'Mayflies' was one of the best books that I have read for a long time, leaving me an emotional wreck for days after, so I came to this with high expectations. But.... a 600 page so-called 'state of the nation' novel in fact turned into a slog. I'm afraid that I just didn't connect with it at all.

The central character, art historian Campbell Flynn, is a thoroughly unlikeable chap. Now, that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the book. There are plenty of novels with characters whom we are meant to dislike, but so much of this was carried by the character and whether we believed in him that it just didn't hold up for me. There were jarring forms of speaking, his actions were often grotesque caricatures of a 'man of a certain age'. The plot develops into the dark underbelly of London, but didn't get any more realistic. And then I lost interest.

Just not for me, I'm sorry to say. 2.5 stars which I will round up because when he writes well, he writes wonderfully.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

This is a book which justifies all the superlatives - epic, state of the nation, Dickensian. Also a cracking read! Somewhat complicated but absolutely worth the effort.

Caledonian Road is a sprawling novel that tries to include a vast amount of social commentary via the vast array of characters. O'Hagan touches on elitism, knife crime, people smuggling, social media and much more. At times, the narrative is a little too 'tight' trying to manipulate events to hit all contemporary ills. The central character of Campbell and his demise is the central thread that pulls the disparate characters together and he is at once a sympathetic and a pathetic figure. Elevated to a place of privilege, Campbell's unravelling into wokeness and self-awareness is interesting but unsatisfactory.

You need to invest time into delving into this book and if you can forgive the blatant pastiches of discredited businessmen, Russian oligarchs and self righteous academics then you will certainly get caught up in this narrative.

What an epic read! Initially the size of the book had left me feeling apprehensive about whether it keep my interest piqued but I had nothing to worry about - even the many characters that were involved in the story were entertaining and enjoyable. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Caledonian Road is a witty, analytical exploration of numerous things at play in contemporary England: masculinity, politics, family and and identity, to name just some of them. As someone that loved 'Mayflies', I knew Andrew O'Hagen was gifted in his characterisation but I still found myself taken aback but how much I enjoyed this one. I found Campbell Flynn to be both unlikeable in quite an obvious, superficial way, but simultaneously endearing. I particularly savoured the moments that depict him interacting with his children and his friends. At its best, there is an almost Dickensian exploration of life in the city - full character assassinations (for there are plenty of odious members of this cast) and reflections on the world. There is plenty of humour and excellent wit amongst the portrait of corruption and class inequality; there is fine art and upper class socialites and drama, but there are also softer more poignant moments.

I didn't want my reading of this novel to end - I found myself sneaking a few pages in between the more mundane aspects of my life and had numerous close calls where I almost dropped my kindle (in bath, in train tracks, on to the hob, etc.) because I was so engrossed.

Loved it - will be buying my own physical copy to thrust into the hands of my unassuming friends, and wow what a treat they're in for.

London is changing, the old guard of family wealth is being usurped by new foreign wealth. Traditional roles are being sidelined and art, fashion and crime is becoming the role of youth. Meanwhile exploitation is still happening and no-one is safe. Following a group of people centred around academic and art critic Campbell Flynn, Caledonian Road explores how London has changed.
I really like O'Hagan's writing and this book is superb. The length may seem daunting but the prose skips along and it doesn't feel excessive. It may be high praise but I feel this book is like and update to the classic 19th century novels of life by Thackeray. The details are fantastic and nuanced, there's a gentle push at the woke generation and a stronger push at corrupt businessmen, the downstairs tenant is a real Dickensian character and the whole is so enjoyable that, for me, it sits at the top of the books I've read this year!

Aptly described by the publishers as " a state of the nation " novel , one of the most hotly anticipated releases of 2024 and already a bestseller, Caledonian Road is quite the epic. At over 650 pages this book covers a lot of ground from politics, class, luck, cryptocurrency, drugs, art, influence, migrants, fashion,corruption , the dark web, academia among other things, this is quite the tome.

The book opens in 2021 in post brexit London as pandemic measures begin to be wound down. There is a huge cast of characters ( a full list of characters is provided in the beginning of the book) within but our protagonist is Campbell Flynn, art historian, lecturer and writer. Over the next year his life will implode.

I am really conflicted on this one. I came close to giving up over the first 150 pages and then could not put this down for the last 200. For lovers of this author's last novel, Mayflies, this book could not be more different. Everything is exaggerated to the point of cliche. The characters felt like caricatures of certain types of people which while I am sure this was the author's intention for me as a reader it made me disinterested in pretty much every character yet I was invested, in time, in the overall concept of this book. It captures a point in time with harrowing clarity, I imagine this book will be useful to scholars of the future.

This book primarily focuses on men- their delusions, decisions, desires and deceit. The female characters are quite one dimensional which frustrated me, I think I would have enjoyed this more had several of them been more developed and played a more central role in the plot.

Saying that, the book really began to flow for me in the second half when I got used to the characters and cliches. There is some wonderful writing within and O'Hagan pulls off what I think he was trying to achieve with this novel. He shines a light on British Society and it is a dark, uncomfortable and rotten view.

I am unsure how to rate this one. Overall it was probably a 4 star read for me but I can't fully commit to that based on the first half of the book. 3.5 - 4 stars. So glad I didn't give up at the 150 page mark.

This is certainly an ambitious book with an epic cast, spanning all levels of society within London .

It begins with the Campbell Flynn a privileged well known art critic who needs to make a fast buck due to dwindling finances and a reluctance to let "standards" slip. He is intrigued by a combative student called Milo, who exists on a totally different plane of society, but still within the geographical confines of the Caledonian Road area.

Like Dicken's "Our Mutual Friend", the shiny veneer, the muck and dirt of the underbelly London are all metaphorically exposed. Modern societal change due to Russian oligarchs and alternative lifestyles are also documented through the various characters.

I found the character of Campbell Flynn unsympathetic to begin with and couldn't invest enough in him as a character. Like Dickens , the novel became too picaresque despite its observant satire and I struggled to finish this ambitious book. I persevered and did enjoy it , but it wasn't a page turner for me. However I think it will take its place as an important novel of our times.

I previously enjoyed reading Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan,and was very pleased to get the chance to see an early edition of his latest work ‘Caledonian Road’.
It might be described on first impressions as a rather daunting novel to get into ,due in part to its sheer volume.A list of the characters at the start might appear rather epic and off putting to some.However the book rewards the reader for carrying on,regardless of any initial reservations.
The central figure of art historian Campbell Flynn interacts with Milo,a student, as an attempt almost of self validation through allowing the young man to challenge his preconceptions of the world and those around him.
Topics woven into the narrative include class structure,toxic family relationships,lifelong friendships ,racism,elitism,activism,gang culture,exploitation, celebrity,hedonism and art criticism.
A rich and sometimes complex panoply of characters flit in and out sporadically at times,providing a colorful and chaotic sense of momentum through often messed up interconnected lives.
This complex yet ultimately involving storytelling is by turns, sharp, humorous,sad,witty,heartbreaking, and hopeful.
So, don’t start this if you’re looking for an easygoing light fast paced read.
Immersion in the intersecting storylines makes for a compelling portrait of recent Britain.Well worth making the journey in my opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I can't quite describe how much I utterly adored this book and all of its quirky and vibrant characters.

This book is very character driven. When I saw the extensive list of characters at the beginning of the book, I had to admit I was a little apprehensive I might not be able to keep up. However, I did. The characters are all so intrinsically linked and so well developed that I very quickly felt like I knew them and their stories.

This book follows Campbell Flynn, an art historian, writer, and university lecturer who, I'd say, lives a very well off life style. He has a circle of friends and family who are all equally well off, money wise, but their life styles all differ quite a lot.

There was a lot to uncover with the plot of the story. I was originally a little daunted by the size of the book, but it covered so much that I got why the large page count was needed. I found myself deeply immersed in this story from the beginning and didn't want it to end. I became invested in so many of the characters, disgusted by many others, and overall blown away by how well all of their stories were pieced together.

It covered so many issues, such as gang crime, the pandemic, slavery, mental health issues, and so many more.

I am so glad I got to read this early, I have not been able to put this down for the last few days, and it is definitely my most anticipated release of the year! I suggest everyone picks this up!