Main Characters by Bobby Palmer

Some of the observers are very close to the couple: friends, family, flat mates, colleagues, but the really interesting viewpoints are from strangers. A delivery man, a passenger, a jogger, a smoker, a nurse, a cafe worker, a photographer, an estate agent…a weird and wonderful list. It means that all human relationships are is subjective and it shows how deeply we exist inside other people’s stories and memories without ever realising it.
 
The title Main Characters refers to the man and woman of the story, Clara and Seb, and the wordplay reference is to the film industry as she is an ambitious aspiring film director and scriptwriter while he starts as an actor and model. She becomes successful and he drifts, longing to share his life with animals and children. He is passionate and carries grief and hurt that he finds impossible to face.

The book is set in central London, particularly Soho and the Golden Square where the story starts and ends, where the couple first meet. Not a coincidence that this part of London is known as a vibrant media, nightlife, and entertainment district. Other frequented areas are Tottenham Court Road, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus amongst others. The city is so well formed in the narrative it’s almost another character in the story. There are the occasional visits to Leicester where he is from, including going to see a football match involving Leicester City, which is very rounding for the complexity of the character.

There are many people in this story, as one would expect, and they all play an indelible part. A few are unlikeable, most are anonymous but the ones central to the story are very human, realistic and warm and exceptionally formed. There are sensitive issues, heartbreaking really, that are expressed with deep emotion and the tears won’t just be in the book, I’m sure. Tragedy, anxiety, communication, perception, longing, forgiveness and maturity all feature strongly.

The style of writing is captivating and I stole as many hours as I could to continue reading this wonderful work. I was totally immersed from the first line and felt like I was one of the observers. Intense, powerful and utterly beautiful. What a read. What a writer.