John Lanchester's Latest Novel Delivers Sharp Social Commentary
John Lanchester, the acclaimed author of Capital and The Wall, returns with his sixth novel, Look What You Made Me Do, published by Faber. This biting black comedy explores themes of infidelity, revenge, and the deepening chasm between baby boomers and millennials in modern London.
A Tale of Two Generations Colliding
The novel centers on Kate and Jack, a married couple navigating their thirtieth year together within London's privileged professional circles. Their relationship has developed a private language of nicknames and in-jokes that often carries an unkind edge. Meanwhile, Phoebe Mull represents the younger generation as the creator of Cheating, a wildly popular television series that portrays intergenerational adultery with unapologetic amorality.
The plot takes a dramatic turn when Kate discovers unsettling parallels between her own life and the intimate details that give Phoebe's television show its dark authenticity. This revelation sets in motion a chain of events that exposes the fundamental tensions between generations.
Lanchester's Signature Social Critique
While Lanchester's previous works like Capital addressed broader political and economic issues, Look What You Made Me Do turns its focus more directly on personal relationships and generational dynamics. The author continues his examination of inequality, this time highlighting the resentment millennials feel toward boomers whom they perceive as having monopolized opportunities and resources.
Lanchester creates distinctly unlikable characters to make his point. Kate embodies boomer entitlement with her dismissive attitude toward female solidarity and her limited life beyond her marriage to Jack, who emerges as an arrogant mansplainer of the worst kind. Phoebe, while more entertaining with her withering wit, proves equally self-absorbed and heartless, suggesting neither generation holds moral superiority.
Strengths and Shortcomings of the Narrative
The novel excels in its sharply observed social satire. Lanchester skillfully skewers London's chattering classes, from their culinary preferences to their weekend retreats. His decision to write from the first-person perspectives of both Kate and Phoebe adds depth to these contrasting characters, though some might question a male boomer author's ability to authentically capture female voices.
Where the novel struggles is in its plot mechanics. The narrative relies heavily on coincidences that strain credibility, and the storyline becomes predictable in its progression toward revenge. While Lanchester creates compelling individual scenes and characters, they don't always cohere into a satisfying whole. The revenge plot, a staple of literature for centuries, feels insufficiently earned within this particular framework.
A Mirror to Contemporary Society
At its core, Look What You Made Me Do raises provocative questions about contemporary values. Through discussions of Phoebe's television show, characters debate whether any character deserves sympathy, which generation behaves worse, and who exhibits greater obliviousness and privilege. These questions reflect real-world tensions that continue to define social discourse.
Lanchester's novel may not achieve the seamless integration of personal and political themes found in his earlier works, but it offers a compelling examination of how generational conflict manifests in intimate relationships. The book provides both entertainment and food for thought about the lasting consequences of infidelity and the complex dynamics between those who came of age in different economic and social climates.
