Super Host: the charming, compulsively readable novel of life, love and loneliness

A wry, warm, and insightful novel of life, love, and loneliness, Super Host by Lily King explores the life of Bennett Driscoll, a Turner Prize-nominated artist who was once a Bright Young Thing but is now aged 55 and struggling. His wife has left him, his reviews have dried up, and his gallery wants to stop selling his paintings. He moves into his painting studio in the back garden and rents out the house, becoming a Super Host on AirBed. His house guests are as quirky, lost, and entertaining as Bennett himself, unlocking the parts of Bennett's life that have been forgotten. Super Host is a delicious portrait of middle age, marriage, and the underlying fears and loneliness that color so many lives.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 368 pages
\n Publication date: 09 February 2021
\n Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
\n

One of life's most unsettling experiences is getting lost in a place you know intimately. A wry, warm, and perceptive novel of life, love, and loneliness, Jess Walter's book explores these themes with a generous eye. Bennett Driscoll, a Turner Prize-nominated artist who was once a Bright Young Thing, finds himself at a crossroads in his life. At the age of 55, his wife has left him, his reviews have dried up, and his gallery wants to stop selling his paintings, claiming they will have more value retrospectively. With a large West London home and no income, Bennett moves into his painting studio in the back garden and rents out the house, becoming a Super Host on AirBed. At first, the money is coming in, but he is still loveless and lonely.

However, his house guests turn out to be as quirky, lost, and entertaining as Bennett himself, unwittingly unlocking the parts of Bennett's life that have been forgotten to him for too long. As they spend time together, Bennett begins to see the world in a new light and realizes that he may not be as lost in the place he knows best as he thought.

SUPER HOST is a delicious portrait of middle age, marriage, and the underlying fears and loneliness that color so many lives. Walter's writing is witty, rueful, and rich in observation, providing a nuanced and empathetic portrayal of characters who are all searching for meaning and connection in their lives.

The novel is also filled with moments of humor and warmth, making it a pure delight to read. Lily King, in her review for The New York Times, praised SUPER HOST as "smart, fun, poignant, and deeply satisfying." She praised Walter's ability to create "a world that is both familiar and strange, full of surprises and revelations."

Overall, SUPER HOST is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt lost or lonely in their own lives. It is a testament to the power of human connection and the resilience of the human spirit.

\n Weight: 576g\n
Dimension: 164 x 243 x 35 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781472270016\n \n