Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst
Our Evenings follows the life of David (Dave) Win, a mixed‑race gay actor whose story unfolds across more than five decades of social change in Britain. Beginning with a prologue in 2016, the novel moves back to Dave’s adolescence in the 1960s, when he wins a scholarship to Bampton School funded by the wealthy Hadlow family. His mother Avril, a talented dressmaker, raises him alone; his Burmese father is absent, a silence that shapes Dave’s sense of identity. As a teenager, he becomes aware of his sexuality and begins to develop his love for acting.
Dave’s life takes him from boarding school to Oxford and then into the world of theatre, where he builds a career while navigating racism, class barriers, and the complexities of love and desire. The Hadlows continue to influence his life, especially Mark Hadlow, Dave’s benefactor. Over time Dave forms relationships of varying depth, ultimately finding lasting stability with his husband Richard. The novel carries him through changing eras of gay liberation, cultural attitudes, and political shifts, culminating in his later life and legacy.
Alan Hollinghurst’s seventh novel has been widely praised as one of his most accomplished works. Critics highlight its rich atmosphere, emotional subtlety, and Hollinghurst’s signature elegance of style. The Guardian calls it “his finest novel yet,” noting the glowing intensity with which Dave recalls six decades of formative episodes and the deft portrayal of both personal and societal change - reflective, immersive, and quietly powerful. It offers a moving portrait of a man’s life shaped by art, love, and the changing currents of British society, making it an excellent choice for thoughtful readers and book groups.
