This book absolutely floored me. Henry Henry is a queer reimagining of Shakespeare’s Henriad, set in London, 2014. Admittedly I don’t know a lot about Shakespeare’s history plays, although this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the novel, so I imagine if you’re familiar with the source material it’ll be even more rewarding.
Hal Lancaster is 23 and throwing his life away, numbing himself with drink and drugs. He is eldest son and heir to his tyrannical father, Henry, who places high expectations on him for when he inherits. Things begin to change for Hal after a shooting accident sparks a romance with his former rival and family friend, Henry Percy. Bratton’s prose is fantastic, witty and filled with emotion. I couldn’t help but feel for the characters even though most of them are narcissistic or downright nasty. Hal in particular will stay with me for a long time. He’s got his flaws, definitely, but I loved him.
Henry Henry is a novel about the cycles we get trapped in— addiction, tradition, abuse— and how, or if, we can escape. A superb debut and I can’t wait to see what this author does next.

I'm going to start out by saying this was never going to be a book I "enjoyed" -- not because of any fault in the book, but by nature of what I respond to as a reader. With that said, there is so much this book does really well. The sentence level writing is not only excellent, but excellent in a unique and intelligent way. (My personal favourite line: "Philippa wasn't so much behaving as exhibiting behaviours, in a clinical sense.") It was also very atmospheric, both geographically and psychologically. And, somehow, the author made me empathize with all-but-one of these pretty horrid people, which is a testament to just how strong the writing is.

As disturbing as many of the plot elements were, I was impressed by way it all connected to the themes of the weight of inheritance and legacy, this world where sons exist solely to become their fathers, born more to be links in a chain than human persons.

So, did I enjoy this book? Absolutely not. But was I impressed by it? And will it stick with me? Absolutely.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I will post a favourable review (with a 'reader, know thyself' caveat to ensure this book falls into the hands of the right readers) close to the publication date.

Henry Henry is an upcoming literary novel which comes out April 16. Even though it is not a long novel, it took me a while to finish it. I will include the positive and negative aspects that I got from this book.

Let's start with the positive aspects. The book's cover deserves special commendation, as it captures the essence of the narrative. Kudos to the artist. Additionally, considering this is Bratton's debut work, the writing is remarkably beautiful. The author exhibits a skillful command of language, which is always a great thing.

One notable drawback lies in the characterization, where the cast of characters, particularly the main protagonist Hal, failed to garner my sympathy. The narrative often leaned into the tired trope of "rich people doing bad things", a theme that has been exhausted in contemporary literature. Unfortunately, as I delved deeper into Hal's story, my connection with the character waned, leaving me disengaged from the unfolding events.
The second thing that I didn't like was the lack of significant events or plot. It left the narrative feeling stagnant, as if stuck in a loop without progression.

In conclusion, "Henry Henry" showcases both strengths and weaknesses. Nevertheless, considering Bratton's debut effort, there is promise for a bright literary future.

On the basis of its blurb, cover, and editor (Brandon Taylor is the author of one of my favourite recent debuts), I had high expectations of this novel. Sadly (as suggested by my star rating) the end result was a real disappointment: the plot felt bloated, unconvincing, and unsatisfying; the protagonists were underdeveloped and woefully one-dimensional; the dialogue was amateurish (each character spoke in such a similar way it was difficult to know who was speaking). With more editing, perhaps, something interesting or original could have risen from such an ambitious concept - for me, however, this felt more like a self-indulgent MFA exercise than a skilful new spin on Shakespeare.

Although not to my personal taste, I am sure some readers will get a lot out of the thematic interests of the novel (and the idea itself is sound, just poorly executed in my opinion); it may fare better with a more commercial audience than a literary one.

Thank you to Unnamed Press & NetGalley for my e-ARC!

this just might be one of my favorite reads of the year (so far) it’s messy, complicated and has an MC that’s so unlikeable yet you can’t help but root for him. ‘henry henry’ is a coming of age story in so many ways, hal’s struggling to figure out what it means to be part of a legacy that goes back hundreds of years, his father is Awful, he’s gay with A Lot of catholic guilt and he gets shot in the face by a guy that makes him realize he can in fact be loved by another person. hal’s story is hilariously sad, it had me laughing at his sarcasm but tearing up at how awful his situation is. allen bratton’s ability to write a book with so many hard hitting topics while still managing to keep you having a decently good time is exactly what i look for in a book.

Henry Henry. Henry Henry. Henry Henry.

Henry Henry is another of those slice of life novels I’ve picked up because it sounded interesting, only for me to constantly question if I should keep reading it. Part of me wants to give up from boredom, but the other part of me wants to keep reading in the hope that something, anything interesting happens. Well, I’m sorry to say that although I did finish this, nothing really happened…

Hal Lancaster, is the heir to the Duke of Lancaster is in a rut. Living in London and cycling between drinking, doing drugs, showing up at his internship, fighting with his siblings, and avoiding his father.

Re-enter Harry Percy. A schoolmate of Hal’s who it appears he has an immense dislike. Until a shooting accident throws Hal and Harry into a relationship which they both know will end eventually. But throws light onto the complex daddy issues that Hal has. And boy do I mean complex. They’re something we get a glimpse of early on, but it’s not until later we know what’s really happening. And even then I wasn’t 100% sure I read what I read.

Honestly, the relationship between Hal and his father was the most interesting part of this novel. Maybe if I was familiar with the Shakespeare work it’s based on, it would be more enjoyable? Maybe not. Also what was that ending? Absolutely nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada

DNF at 20%. Very slow and did not keep me interested. Upon hearing it was a Shakespeare retelling, I was hoping that not having read the original piece of work wouldn't impact my reading experience. I do think I would have had an easier time following it if I had read the original book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC. This was well-written but I didn’t find this story very gripping. I got about halfway before DNFing. I would still check out other books by this author because I did enjoy the writing style.

I did not get very far I to the book before adding it to my do not finish pile. The story itself was not grouping enough to pull me In and the characters were very one dimensional

Many thanks to NetGalley and Unnamed Press for a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unedited feedback.

In Henry Henry we follow Hal Lancaster, a gay catholic in his early twenties, as he navigates his life over the course of a few years after leaving Oxford University. He has the typical feelings that most of us experience at that point in our lives – lostness, a lack of meaning, a sense that you’re floating through life, purely waiting for your own future to yank you down an unseeable path. Yet, the situation with Hal is slightly heightened. He comes from a family who are anything but ordinary; they belong to the UK’s wealthiest 1%, they teeter on the edges of royalty, the mother of the family died a number of years ago, and they hold secrets around identity that are clear to the reader from the very start.

Hal is content with sponging off his father for the foreseeable future. He doesn’t have any standout goals, nor does he seem to be bothered by the lack of them in his life. He goes out shopping with a stack of family credit cards - the statements always coming back to his father who, outside of a gentle warning or a clip over the ear, doesn’t stamp down any authority. The father feels weak to begin with, however we soon realise why he is so lenient with Hal and his behaviour. After these early reveals, as well as setting up that involves enough characters to leave a reader’s eyes spinning, we settle into what surprisingly comes across as a very dark and twisted tale wrapped in gaudy interiors and tweedy attire.

Despite the spinning sensation one can feel from being barraged with those early character entries, Allen Bratton eased into a groove that allowed for separation between them after the first 20-or-so pages. The introductions to characters weren’t helped by the similarity – and sometimes complete identicalness – of their names. I understand the links here are in reference to Shakespeare’s Henriad, but it didn’t help with the onslaught straight out of the gate. In complete contrast to this early annoyance, the similarities work well in the later stages of the book, as we see certain of Hal’s behaviours mirroring those of his father and other ancestors.

A secretive, quiet air hovers over the entire novel, and rarely, if ever, do we get respite from that. It would feel out of character for Hal to not be swimming in thoughts of sin, betrayal, hurt, etc., based off the events of his life. Therefore, it’s expected to have an unrelenting and overriding mood that never lifts. Bratton does a fine job of eking out the secrets that surround the family through gradual, slow conversation. Realism takes centre stage in the undramatic reveals/non-reveals between Hal and his family members. Potential opportunities to leak out the secrets of one’s own life are withheld at the last minute, quite the same as would happen to any one of us in an everyday scenario. Outside of soap operas, we do not see many situations where reveals pop up quicky and out of the blue. Bratton’s deftness in this element of the book shows great maturity and care.

The dialogue in general is the main positive of this debut. Hal’s voice is distinctive from the very start, needing no warming up from the reader to see how he tackles various situations, and despite continuous dialogue being the main push for the narrative, it keeps a hook on the attention of the reader throughout. Most of the characters feel unique after a time, and considering they’re all generally unlikeable people, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the subtle personality traits that Bratton was able to lay out.

The relationship between Hal and Percy makes up a great portion of the story, with it taking a huge front seat in the middle of the book, and at least skirting around the edges throughout. The author uses this relationship to home in on the numbness that envelopes Hal as a character. I was reminded ways here of characters in Dennis Cooper novels. They have a wall up due to abuse and trauma, and this comes out in their relationships, especially when attempting to show a genuine love. Hal is incapable of showing a lovingness that Percy needs, and he always drifts towards pain as a substitute for a lack of feeling that he otherwise gets from their relationship. This can only ever lead one way eventually, and despite the overall feelings one may have towards him as a character, you can’t help but feel sadness for Hal in these moments where he almost tips into a fulfilling and true connection.

Complaints could be made to a general lack of growth that any of the characters, especially Hal, experience over the course of the novel. It’s important to take a step back on this, however, and notice where the book points towards numbness/trauma meeting needs for normality and acceptance of potential growth/good feelings. Hal’s actions take on a cyclical nature, and therefore a lack of growth and a white flag of acceptance towards it is the message at the book’s heart.

A strong debut that, when looked at closely, tackles wider and more external issues such as class divide, political differences, and religion, whilst also holding a magnifying glass to the internal poisoning that can occur when bold lines have been crossed and crossed again.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. A brilliant debut. I laughed, cringed, and felt so my sympathy for the characters. I felt guilty for having sympathy as well. This book will play with emotions and have you second guessing how you really feel from page to page.

This is an impressive retelling, but I can’t say I had fun or enjoyed reading this and I think maybe that’s the point. The book covers a variety of difficult topics with some really difficult characters, but the writing was really well done. While I wouldn’t choose to read this book again, I definitely look forward to more from Allen Bratton.

This truly felt like I was reading Henry's (RWRB) perspective if he was really going through it. To be honest, the cover reminded me of the actor who does play Henry in the movie. Sometimes, the plot felt very blurry and grey in regards to what is consent and what isn't so it's hard to be full-on interactive with the characters and plot. I also don't think it should be labeled as a Humor book, gave more a toned down A little Life.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

An intense and consuming book that I have not been able to shake. Ever since I first heard of this book on Twitter last year, I have been desperate to read it and I’m so glad I did. I could not stop thinking about it the entire time I was reading it and since I finished it, it has been on my mind constantly. Henry Henry is a modern, queer, Catholic retelling of the Henriad by Shakespeare, which is unfortunately not something I’m that familiar with, but that fact didn’t take away from this at all for me and in fact made me wonder if I would love it more (if that’s even possible) if I was more familiar with those plays.
The book follows Hal Lancaster, the first son and heir of the Duke of Lancaster as he’s forced to confront the reality of his life after leaving Oxford. This deals with both personal and religious trauma and dives into some complicated family dynamics. As a result of a shooting accident, he ends up in a relationship with the son of a family friend, and its thanks to this relationship that much of the plot of the book is set into motion and is also in many ways the basis for the growth that he experiences during the course of the book.
Hal is certainly not the most likeable character, so if that’s something you need this book probably isn’t for you. He’s frustrating and often acts against his best interests, he couldn’t exactly be considered nice, and is often downright mean, but on the other hand he is incredibly fascinating and interesting and nuanced and sympathetic and has become one of my favourite characters I’ve ever read and empathizing with him was made so easy by the writing. Ultimately, he just felt so real which is personally one of the highest compliments I can pay about a book.
There was so much to love about this book. The complex characterization and the stunning writing to name a few. It explored so many interesting topics. As someone who was raised Catholic, I really loved the look into the Catholic guilt aspect and the intersection with Hal’s queerness, and ultimately the repression and self-hatred. I also found it really interesting to consider the reality of being an heir to a dying legacy. What exactly does it mean to inherit a dukedom in the 21st century? Essentially, I think i could talk about what I love about this book for ages and it's one that will stick with me for a long time as it gave me so much to chew on.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc!

Allen Bratton's debut novel, "Henry Henry," offers a bold and ambitious queer reimagining of Shakespeare's Henriad, set against the backdrop of 21st-century Britain in the tumultuous years leading up to the Brexit referendum. The novel follows the life of Hal Lancaster, a 22-year-old gay, Catholic, Oxford graduate, as he navigates a complex web of internships, friendships, awkward hook-ups, and the occasional confession to absolve his sins. The narrative is rich with themes of identity, family legacy, and the struggle to find one's place in a world that seems determined to uphold tradition over personal truth.

That being said: wow this novel needs to come with some major trigger warnings. Rape, incest, pedophilia, eating disorders… The sexual assault subject matter was dealt with in a way that might be realistic or helpful to some, but I found it hugely problematic. Cloudy issues of consent, as if to walk back the horror of the rapist’s acts, as well as a troubling lack of consequences. Also, it feels like an irresponsible cliche to have your gay protagonist experience same sex “interference” in his formative years. Feels like it skirts without addressing the trope of psycho-sexual trauma leading to homosexuality in response.

I really appreciated the inclusion of text messages and other modern signifiers while keeping as many elements of the Henriad as possible alive. For instance, it would have been easy to have Henry (problematic father/stand-in for King Henry IV) with a passionate enthusiasm for philately or political aspirations. But instead, Bratton cleverly kept the religious mania of a Crusader alive, and I really felt that enriched the modern narrative with historical clout.

Well written, beautiful prose – the phrase “devastated by fondness” will remain in my heart for a long time. I would love to see what Bratton does next.

As a Shakespeare enjoyer, I did appreciate many of the ways Bratton transferred the original into this context, in both large and small ways (from a character's role in Hal's life to the interpretation of single lines). I caught many of them and the Henriad isn't even one I'm the most familiar with, which means there are likely more!

My favorite characters in terms of story impact were Richard, Phillipa, and Jeanne, because all of them brought out something different about Hal or about the story and interrupted the status quo. I liked Richard's pervasive influence even years after his death; I liked how Hal was different with Phillipa than he was with anyone else; and I liked how Jeanne was very much not part of whatever was going on with their unspoken family rules that are perceived normal but very much not, but chose to engage with and become part of it anyway, even knowing what she did.

This is not my general genre of choice, but I knew that going in and I did read it for the Shakespeare, on which front it delivered, so I'm not going to discuss the things I didn't enjoy because it really is entirely personal preference and I expected it. I liked how the story wasn't something that was resolved - I liked the way it meandered and it was part of Hal's life and he did change but it wasn't all at once and it wasn't a big moment. It was very human and very much, this is a person in the world.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! Henry Henry is well written, crass, dark, humorous, and at times a bit hard to read. If that is your taste in literature you’ll enjoy this read!
I however wish I had been able to really see and feel more of the main character’s developments and improvements.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*

TW: drug abuse, body horror, pedophilia, sexual abuse, homophobia, eating disorder, injury/gore, rape,...

"Henry Henry" is supposed to be a Shakespeare retelling but I honestly did not realise that while reading it (shame on me I guess). The novel strongly reminded me of the Patrick Melrose novels: class, privilege, abuse by a father, drugs, uncertainty in young age, family responsibilities are at the core of both narratives.

Many reviews state that "Henry Henry" is supposed to be funny - I mostly did not think so, I found it tragic and disturbing. The novel is overly explicit, all characters are damaged, doomed or damaging and dooming themselves. All the characters were pretty f*cked and quite unlikeable. I found the ending especially disappointing.

Having said that: the book was not boring. It was well written and in parts quite entertaining. Other parts confused me, quite a lot of characters including the main protagonist I very much disliked, but I also pitied him.

What a mess. Life. Everything.

Anyhow. 3 stars

This is a beautifully written book which wonderfully captures Hal’s post-Oxford life and amply demonstrates money and privilege do not buy happiness.

I had a hard time with Henry Henry.

This is presented as a queer reimagining of Shakespeare's Henriad, but to me, the purpose of the Henriad is to witness the character's growth. Here, while there were hints of evolution, I feel like the main character didn’t advance much during the story and it was hard to relate to anyone since everyone was unlikeable.

The writing was dense but cohesive and easily the best part of the novel. It keeps me reading to the end even when the storyline seems to stagnate and meander endlessly during the book's middle section.