I was intrigued by the fact that the start of this book said "Read Slowly". Me being me, I took that literally and wondered aloud about it to my housemate - as it turns out, "Read Slowly" might actually mean "take a pause every now and then throughout this book to reflect upon the sentiments of what the characters are saying." To enjoy this novel, I think that this is crucial - it's not a novel you can zip through and take at face value, unless you happen to be a philiosophy student of some kind who engages in conversations like this on the regular.

I would like to say that I *got* this novel, and I think to an extent I do. I can appreciate what it is, and what the book is supposed to be, in that it is an introspective look at truth, humanity, identity and, of course, having a broken heart. There is a lot of witty dialogue (a lot of dialogue, full stop) that broaches all of these topics between our four main characters, two couples who are, at heart, deeply unhappy in their relationships. Due to the brevity of the book, and the reliance upon dialogue, however, these four characters remain underdeveloped. They might be speaking about deep facets of themselves, and about their relative truths, but in comparison to other books of this length - Of Mice and Men springs to mind - there is little about them that is memorable.

People have compared this to a Midsummer Night's Dream, a favourite Shakespeare play of mine, and whilst I see the comparison, these are not at all the same vibe. Two couples wandering around in a woodland and having realisations about themselves, whilst some vague mysticism plays out in the background, does not in any way compare to the chaos of the original play. If anything, it reminds me more of the poem The Listeners by Walter de la Mare - a space that is haunted by people unable to move on from their broken love.

Of the entire book, only one scene really stands out to me, and that is when 'Madame Sosostris' talks to the first three festival-goers. Those conversations are some damn good writing, and I feel like most people would resonate with at least one of them. I enjoy reading tarot cards, and it was fascinating to see which ones the author pulled upon (and invented, at times) to weave into the pasts and futures of the characters.

Perhaps I'm a cynic, but this feels like one of those books that was written with the purpose of being studied. Perhaps I shall change my mind in a decade or so and come back to this book with a newer, more profound understanding. Perhaps I'm still in the process of becoming someone who would rate this book five stars. Who knows.

Tl;dr: Witty, philosophical book closer to The Listeners than Midsummer Night's Dream - not my personal cup of tea, but others will enjoy it. 3 stars.

Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Broken-Hearted is a captivating modern fable filled with wit and wonder reminiscent of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The Booker Prize-winning author crafts a delightful yet insightful tale about love, identity, and the secret selves we hide, set against the backdrop of a masquerade that promises magic but delivers something far more revealing.

The story follows Viv, who, on the 20th anniversary of her first husband’s departure, decides to throw an unusual party for those scorched by love. Joined by her hesitant second husband, Alan, and their friends Beatrice and Stephen, Viv invites Madame Sosostris, a famed clairvoyant and rumoured confidante to five prime ministers, to add a mystical twist to the night.

The masquerade unfolds in a sacred wood in the south of France, where hidden faces give way to hidden truths as the couples hope for guidance from the mysterious fortune-teller.

However, as the night progresses, events spiral in unexpected, humorous directions, forcing each character to confront the state of their relationships and aspirations. Madame Sosostris’s presence adds a layer of enchantment and unease, making the evening both an escape and a reckoning for the guests.

This enchanting book blends comedy and depth, exploring how our past loves shape us and how easily we hide from ourselves. Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Broken-Hearted is a wise and magical reflection on love, heartbreak, and the many masks we wear. It’s a thoroughly engaging read for anyone who enjoys tales where romance, introspection, and the supernatural intertwine.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This is a masterful book beautifully written. An allegory exploring many aspects of life: connection, love, fear of letting go and of being authentic, time, immanence and presence. At it's heart, Madame Sosostris, who exists in more ways than one, and who, it appears, speaks through reviewers as well as the characters in the book. We are best revealed by our reactions and responses. I loved it. It is exactly as long as it needs to be.

The quote at the beginning prepares the reader for what is to come:

Whoever cannot seek the unseen sees
Nothing, for the known way is an impasse

Heraclitus

We are also advised to read slowly, but I didn't. I offer no apology for that.

Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken-Hearted is a short novel about a dreamlike festival held in the South of France. Viv orchestrates a festival for the broken-hearted, roping in her friend Beatrice and their respective husbands to take part in the fancy dress, hidden identity festival with a renowned fortune teller as the star attraction, but they might be faced with realities beyond the hazy magic of the night.

I didn't realise how much this book was going to feel like a poem, with Okri bringing together a highly literary-feeling concept and well-off characters in a way that feels like it comes from decades, if not centuries ago. This is an impressive achievement, but it didn't always make for a novel I enjoyed reading, with boring posh person banter taking up a lot of the book that isn't surreal sequences of characters interacting in costume. I think some people will love this book and its artistic textures, and others will find it falling back on clichés like the stereotypical fortune teller and not really doing anything by the end. Unfortunately, I'm more towards the latter, though it is fun to read and feels carefully crafted rather than bloated with references.

Booker Prize winning author Ben Okri returns with a trifle of a novel. It's about Viv who wants to create a festival for people who have had their hearts broken. She teams up with her friend Beatrice to create this magical event with Madame Sosostris as the centre of attention. When things go awry, the women must take the reins and help people find their true purposes in life.

Okri has a light touch with this novel, and the party is the highlight of the book as it feels like a combination of Oscar Wilde, "Enchanted April" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Okri creates a magical spell over his characters and his readers for a time. Okri made me wish the party scenes had been much longer, as they have a nice energy.

However, there are drawbacks to the novel. It's much too short as I would have liked more character development from Viv and Beatrice as well as their husbands Alan and Stephen. The first part of the book is a bit too focused on witty remarks/banter that it feels too much at time. I wanted less of the banter, and more insight into the characters. Since the focus is on the witty lines, the four main characters feel underdeveloped. With that said, the book has charm and a nice vibe so it would make for a pleasant winter read.

A fable drenched in the absurd, the spiritual and pure magic. This seemed like it was really fun to write. It was lots of fun to read. A Shakespearean, Midsummer Night's Dream plot is woven into T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland as Madame Sosostris, the wisest woman in Europe, promises to attend a festival for the broken hearted in a magical wood in rural France. Masks and disguises, spells and songs, the dead and the living all mingle in this riot of a tale. Absolutely glorious mythmaking.

This is a quick and dialogue-intense read about two privileged couples and Madame Sosostris acts as a plot element in their ruminations about life.
The blurb interested me, I love magical realism and the characters sounded interesting, but unfortunately, this was not my cup of tea. I was not interested in the characters; did not find them likeable or curious. I went back to read some of the dialogue and parts again before reflecting on the book in full. My thoughts have not changed.
I hope other readers find more value in this.
The writing style was not my cup of tea as well.

It had some good imagery and some nice and poetic turns-of-phrase, but overall this was really not my cup of tea.

It feels like someone trying really really hard to write Shakespeare mixed with Oscar Wilde, the characters all sound more or less the same and their issues, conflicts and catharsis felt very flat and underwhelming. It reads very much as "emotional literacy 101".
It's halfway to a play and it might have just gone all the way and be better off for it.
Also, the whole "creating a g**** vibe" was really unnecessary and felt a bit cheap; with all the magical realism and mysticism it had, it could have chosen a less Victorian and more respectful way to showcase a fortune teller.

I liked the voice of the chorus.

‘In our world, we treat the personality as the person. We don’t distinguish the person from the personality they project. Public life is founded on this.’

"‘If there’s anything people like more than having their fortunes read, it’s having their pasts abolished.’

. From the Famished Road trilogy to more recently The Last Gift of the Master Artists, Ben Okri has written some incredible novels-searching, profound and full of reflection.

Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken-Hearted is a curiosity of a book- two couples with fractured marriages; Viv and Alan; Beatrice and Stephen- living comfortable and privileged lives- but not happy. Following an encounter with the mysterious Madame Sosostris , Viv sets out to create a festival for those spurned in love in a mysterious forest in the south of France - it is to feature a masked ball.

Much of the novel focuses on the conversations between the couples as they reflect of successes, failures, personal desires and frustrations and eaves drops into dialogues and thoughts of those attending the festival and their reasons to meet the elusive fortuneteller.

This is a modern adult fairytale- full of mysticism, metaphors and magic. It is an exploration of identity and personality - private and public ; societal expectations of the wealthy and privileged and how this is often a mirage ;shielding true authenticity

It is hard to classify this short novel but Mr Okri certainly knows how to make the reader ponder what constitutes reality, the true face of individuals and especially what does it mean to love and truly be loved - can we ever know?

Hard to categorise and how readers might respond