In Judgement of Others
by Eleanor Anstruther
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Pub Date 28 Jan 2025 | Archive Date 15 Mar 2025
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Description
The Midhurst Amateur Dramatic Society are putting on a production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, and Tessa has agreed to play a part. But when she suffers a psychotic episode, Ros, a C-list celebrity and new to the community, takes her place.
In this darkly comic tale of psychosis in the Home Counties, the stage is set for a blistering examination of mental illness, how we treat it and why we don’t. While Tessa is sectioned in a secure psychiatric hospital, the relationships in the community unravel, and by the time she’s released, all that we thought we knew, and all of our judgements, are thrown into question.
Dim the lights, turn off your phones, settle in as the curtain rises...
Advance Praise
“Jagged, glittering, searing- “In Judgement of Others” brilliantly exposes the brutal undercurrents of complacent middle-class life. “ L.S. HILTON
“Eleanor Anstruther writes with the barely suppressed anger and particular concision of Elizabeth Taylor.” DAMIAN BARR
“Anstruther is a fantastic storyteller. In this clever, bubbling novel she exposes the dark heart of the Home Counties. Her writing on difficult subjects is perfectly pitched: a light and tender touch but not without real substance.” FIONA MELROSE
“An Evelyn Waugh of our times, with a detour by way of Jilly Cooper, Eleanor Anstruther is biting in her wit and unflinching in her observations of both the darkness and joys of small-town life in England.” SUSANNAH CONSTANTINE
“Brilliant. Beautiful writing with deftly drawn characters, In Judgement of Others offers us a glimpse into all our own hypocrisies.” CARIAD LLOYD
“What are the truths we hide... or hide from? This satirical, dark novel is the perfect fireside read for the coming winter nights.” ESSIE FOX
“Smart, funny, brittle and full of empathy all at the same time, In Judgement of Others is a tightly-wound novel that asks all the right questions. What is the appropriately sane response to modern life? How do you survive living with other people? And are any of us really remotely equipped to deal with all this? A brilliant examination of how we handle mental illness, family and the trials of everyday life.” VIV GROSKOP
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781836280002 |
| PRICE | £9.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 264 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Igor D, Reviewer
Well, this book was definitely way more different from what I expected. lol
But in a good way!!!
The art cover is stunning, but the content is heavy and full of pertinent discussions on mental illnesses.
It's quite a short book, but it has a lot to say and to make us, the readers, thinking about and digesting it.
Certainly a very pleasant surprise.
Bitsy M, Librarian
This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I was not disappointed. It was a really good book. I did have moments where it seem slow, but overall it was written well. It was written about mental illness, and the way that it is treated. The way the author chose to write about such a hard topic was well done. I enjoyed this book immensely. I look forward to more books by this author. Thank you Net Galley ARC!
Reviewer 1540961
This is such a good book! It is about mental illness and we have our main character in a mental institution. We can't tell as readers if we have a reliable narrator or not. It is so intriguing and keeps you wondering throughout the book. It is a bit eye opening learning about the treatment of people, how so many people scam others, etc. I think there a couple slow parts and confusing parts, but other than that it was great!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and especially the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review of the book!!
Reviewer 1349299
This was an interesting read! I liked the focus and insight into mental illness, and I think it was done very well making us not know who is a reliable and who is an unreliable narrator.
I do think there were a few slow parts, but overall it was a good read!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!
Hannelore C, Reviewer
Thank you NetGalley and Troubadour for the eARC.
This is such a good book, it's painful, harrowing and so sad, but beautiful at the same time.
The description of Tessa's breakdown is very real. I was blown away with the way it was handled. The other characters had problems too, but didn't end up in a psych ward. It was a portrait of lives that clung on to sanity by a hair and how some of us can teeter on the cliff of life without being put away.
Kate V, Reviewer
Three women in an affluent West Sussex community are each experiencing a crisis while they prepare to put on an am-dram production of Blithe Spirit. (I've never managed to get through Coward's play so it's not essential to be familiar with it, but a quick Google allowed me to see the resonances.)
A great page-turner which is entertaining and engaging while also tackling some serious themes around relationships and mental health.
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