99% of the characters in this book are insufferable (Lucy, you can stay). Watching someone (aka Martin) fawn over someone rich and shitty (Ben) is typically painful. However, it isn't as painful here because Martin sucks and might be a sociopath?? Like what's with the animals?? Gross.

A fantastic page-turner of a book that explores class, friendship, jealousy and politics in modern England. Fascinating characters and a well-executed plot make for a must read novel..

Author interview with Elizabeth day:

Intrigue, lies, forbidden desires, and subterfuge are markers of only some of the many plot twists and turns of Elizabeth Day’s new novel, The Party. But if the mention of intrigue leads you to believe this is a spy tale or police procedural, you’re mistaken.

Instead, it’s the story of two friends, Ben and Martin, who meet in college and establish an unlikely rapport despite the social abyss that separates them. While Martin grows up with a mother who constantly undermines his every accomplishment and labels him a “wrong ‘un,” Ben is a privileged member of society with a family that has its secrets.

As Ben and Martin’s friendship somehow survives the decades, the two men marry diametrically opposed women; Lucy is devoted to Martin, an understanding and faithful companion to a man who rarely deserves it. Ben’s spouse, Serena, is the clichéd wife of a rich man, dedicated to her fundraising efforts, strategic dinner parties, and, on occasion, caring for her children.

It’s at one of these parties that the years-old tension and animosity between the couples bubbles to the surface and unveils some unpleasant truths. By the end of the night, Martin is at a police station being interrogated about what exactly happened at Ben and Serena’s party.

In an email interview, Day expands on the true story behind The Party and the challenges of writing unconventional characters.

How different is the writing process for you regarding fiction vs. journalism?

I deliberately make the process as different as I can because I find it helpful to have a separate psychological headspace for separate forms of writing. So, when I write a piece of journalism, I'll do that at my desk. When I write fiction, I prefer to go to a café. There's something about the different physical locations that is important to me because it helps me have a clearer idea of what I'm doing.

In terms of the actual writing, there are some obvious differences — in journalism, I use far fewer adjectives or lyrical turns of phrase because my goal is to communicate something as clearly as possible, in as concise a way as I can. In fiction, I can make the text richer and take more risks because I have more words at my disposal. But ultimately my goal as a writer is the same in both forms — I want to connect with the reader and convey what makes us human.

Which authors have influenced your writing?

This is a tricky question because I have authors I really admire but I don't necessarily think I write like them (more's the pity!). But when I was working on my first novel, I often went back over passages in the writing of Elizabeth Jane Howard to see how she shifted perspectives between a whole host of characters. She's an incredible observer of human behavior and involves you so deeply in her characters' lives that you never want her books to end. She was married to Kingsley Amis and stepmother to the novelist Martin Amis, and I feel her reputation as an author in her own right has been somewhat unfairly overshadowed by these more famous men.

The Party was specifically influenced by L.P. Hartley, who wrote The Go-Between, Alan Hollinghurst, and Edward St. Aubyn. It's been compared to The Talented Mr. Ripley — a comparison that delights me — but I actually hadn't read the Patricia Highsmith novel until after I'd written The Party. The Anthony Minghella film adaptation is, however, one of my favorite movies of all time.

What gave you the initial idea for The Party?

My first job out of university was as a journalist for a gossip column on the Evening Standard newspaper. For a year, I spent almost every night of the week being invited to these super glamorous parties where the great and not-so-good of British society would gather. But because I was there as a journalist, and because my role was essentially to bowl up to celebrities and try to get stories from them that would make the next day's paper, I was always an observer and never a full participant. That gave me the idea for Martin, my protagonist. He is also a journalist, also an outsider, and is desperate to belong to this gilded world. His fatal flaw is that he fails to understand he'll never be accepted.

When I started reading The Party, the plot seemed quite linear. But as everything moves forward, I realized there were so many nooks and hidden chambers. How difficult was it to knit everything together?

I wanted to nail plot with this novel. Previously, plot had always intimidated me, and I wrote my first three novels allowing ideas to come to me as I went. I didn't map anything out in advance. But because The Party is a psychological thriller, I knew I had to make the plot sharp, coherent, and gripping, so there was no escaping the fact that I'd have to put in the hours!

I started writing purely from Martin's perspective. In the original draft, the first four chapters were from Martin's point of view and chronologically paced. That helped me get his voice. It was only then that I played with the structure — opening the book with a police interview looking back over the dramatic events of the party itself and then having a series of flashbacks into Martin's past.

The voice of Martin's wife, Lucy, was a later addition and that took a bit of juggling. I wasn't sure where to fit her in at first, but then I just decided to add in her passages where it instinctively felt right. The joy of writing Lucy is that it gave a different perspective on the same events, and sometimes her account jars with Martin's. That gives the reader a chance to put the pieces of this complex puzzle together themselves.

About two-thirds of the way through the first draft, I plotted everything out on a sheet of brown paper, which I stuck up on the wall in front of my desk. I used different-color pens for each strand of the narrative and that meant I had a quick visual representation of what happened in each chapter and whether it was evenly weighted. That really helped.

The Party deals with topics that are by no means simple, from obsessions to unrequited love and even rape culture in colleges. Did you have all this outlined when you started the novel?

The short answer is no! I'm a great believer in authorial serendipity — those moments that come to you as you're writing, when you're so deep into a character that you find yourself recounting an event or a feeling you hadn't anticipated them experiencing, and yet it feels absolutely right. There were a few of those moments with The Party — the sexual assault on campus being one of them. But the three or four major plot pivots were all mentally in place when I started out.

It's such a complicated dynamic not only that exists between Martin and Ben, but also between Lucy and Martin. Would you say it's maybe an observation about human emotions and how they can imprison us?

I like that idea! I think it's a book about the innate human desire to be loved and what happens if that love isn't returned, or if you don't understand its power. Martin is, in many ways, a product of the warped love he experienced from his mother as a child. He's always been made to feel strange, so he longs to be accepted — and that, in itself, is also a kind of love; a love for a way of life you'll never fully possess.

Lucy, meanwhile, is mistrustful of the savagery of passion, which she once mistook for love. So she goes to the opposite extreme and marries a man who is so emotionally withdrawn from her that she feels safe, but essentially hollow. In the end, I think what unites the characters is that they lack an understanding of themselves, so they seek completion in the guise of another's embrace. Whereas, actually, they need to start by loving who they are rather than who they want to be.

The ending was a bit enigmatic. Was it the one you envisioned when you started writing?

The ending came to me literally as I wrote it. I knew I wanted there to be a passage of years before the final chapter, and I knew where I wanted the characters to be in their lives. But the final few paragraphs were not planned. Without giving too much away for those who haven't read it, I wanted there to be a degree of uncertainty and possibility. I've been really touched by how many readers have contacted me asking about the ending, and my reply is always that I, as the author, can believe one thing happens, but my character might do something entirely different.

What future projects are you working on?

I'm playing with a half-formed idea for my fifth novel and I'm also excited that The Party has been optioned, so I am consulting on the TV adaptation. And I'm interviewing Robert Pattinson next week, which is the really important news.

The Party written by Elizabeth Day is a psychological thriller that will keep you reading. The characters and plot are compelling. A fortieth Birthday party sets off events. We get multiple perspectives with flashbacks to the past. All in all, the story is layered and complex.

This book has a lot going for it. Not only is it the psychological thriller that you want to read through and not put down, it also has intriguing insights into human behavior and motivation. It's effective to rotate settings from a police station in present day, to the night of the party, to events of the past. This book may be a good recipe to cure someone's reading slump. There are so many amazing quotes that I continue to reread and ponder from this book.

This book begins with the police interrogation of 39-year-old Martin. Apparently there has been some violent incident at the 40th birthday party of Martin's old school friend Ben who comes from a wealthy family. Martin is married to Lucy, but his primary relationship is with Ben. It's a relationship comprised of longing and envy on Martin's part, and camaraderie and disdain on Ben's part. The relationships of Martin/Ben and Martin/Lucy are told in lengthy flashbacks from the points of view of Martin and Lucy. Lucy just seemed so dull. I never really understood why she pursued Martin and was so devoted to him despite his lack of charm or effort in her direction. She somehow didn't acknowledge that Martin was just not that into her. We never get to hear the point of view of Ben and I would like to have heard how Ben really felt about having Martin (his little shadow) clinging to him all those years.

I wish that the book had focused more on the party itself. There were some interesting and snarky interactions among the guests. It wasn't until the last third of the book that we find out about a significant event in the Martin/Ben saga that colored their relationship and led to the party incident. Up until that time, I found the flashbacks redundant and boring. The actual violent incident was kind of a let down. There's some attempt to make the upper classes the bad guy, but really no one comes off looking good here. I think the author was striving for dark and clever in this book but didn't really achieve that goal.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I get that "the next GONE GIRL" is a publishing white whale these days, but this book's parade of sociopathic monsters was thoroughly unpleasant, and the ending was even worse.

Enjoyable premise, good writing, and an interesting present story. Unfortunately, long, boring stretches in which the novel's central character describes the origins of his friendship and obsession drag the book down. The flashbacks could have been handled in a few pages instead of taking up much of the novel.

The Party by Elizabeth Day is about a long lasting friendship between Martin and Ben. They meet as young children at boarding school, go to college together, and have remained what Martin considers best friends into adulthood. Sadly for Martin Ben doesn't feel quite the same way about their friendship. Tensions mount and eventually explode at a party. The story is told from the viewpoints of Martin at the present time as well as when he was in school and also from the viewpoint of Martin's wife. This style of writing allows the suspense to build for the reader and lets us see how the friendship has evolved over the course of many years. Read and enjoy!

This book was completely enthralling. I could not put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen and what had already happened that we didn't yet know.

Elizabeth Day begins this book by placing you in a police interrogation room. An incident occurred at a party, and you are about to find out its cause(s) and effects.

Ben and Martin have known each other forever, although theirs is one of those "haves and have nots" relationships. Ben has it all: good looks, indulgent parents, a fancy British title, and an enviable bank account. Martin, on the other hand, has longing. He longs to keep Ben close, for one thing. Not because of the access that Ben's money buys, but also because being around Ben elevates Martin to a certain extent. it puffs him up. There is one scene in particular that struck me: Ben, Martin, and another school chum are getting their photo taken, and Martin stands behind them, watching the ease with which they interact. To interject himself - to become an active part of this tableau - he reaches out and rubs the shoulder of Ben's jacket, claiming he's removing something. In this simple gesture, Day tells you everything you need to know about Martin.

Now, years later, Ben is married to the sylph-like Serena, and Martin is married to the loyal Lucy. Martin doesn't so much take Lucy's steadfastness for granted as he disregards it entirely. When Ben invites them to his swanky country estate for a birthday party, Martin gleefully accepts, forgoing any concerns over his and Lucy's clear discomfort as they hobnob with the rich and titled.

And then something happens. Whose fault is it? Why are Martin and Lucy being interrogated? Is Lucy protecting Martin, or is he protecting her?

Day slowly reveals the truths that Martin and Lucy hold close, although some of those truths - particularly one that I think is intended to shock - are easy to suss out. By the time bombs have been dropped, you feel a sort of letdown at how predictable they were.

For all the weaknesses in the plot twists, Day builds tension and suspense quite effectively. The more you get to know Martin and Lucy, the greater your sense of growing dread. And then there is the ending, which made me giddy with anticipation. Day's wit shines in those closing scenes - a wit she threads through the book as she casts an eye on socioeconomic discrepancies and on the erring natures of friendship and marriage.

Let me know your thoughts on this one. I liked it despite feeling disappointed.

This was such a treat. Between the super rich British family, the posh boarding school setting, the outsider story (actually there were two outsiders - the main character and his wife), and the scandalous twist you just know is coming, this is a tale that will leave readers turning the pages until the very end. Not only is it un-put-down-able, it's also a total pleasure to read - the writing and the descriptions of the setting and glamour of the Fitzmaurice family will have readers just falling into the setting. Pure escapism at its best!

Ben is popular, wealthy and from the right family. Martin is odd, poor and grew up with a single mother. When their paths cross at school, they become inseparable. But why? An interesting read which will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/books/review/the-party-elizabeth-day.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fbook-review&action=click&contentCollection=review&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=10&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

This was undoubtedly the most tedious book labeled fiction that I have ever trudged through. I even skipped pages, lots and felt like it was a punishment.

I do, also, have to admit that there were parts that were excellent. Unfortunately, they were few and FAR between.

First off, I did not connect with any of the characters. I did not like any of them. That, I'm sure what one reason it did not entertain me. Secondly, I get it, Martin had a tough life. He was very unlikable in his fictional life and to me, as a reader. Considering at least 2/3 of the books dealt with Martin's boring, mundane and spineless early years, it did not bode well for my expectations.

I gave this story an extra star because there were some good parts and the author went through a lot of work in writing this book.

Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The real problem with this novel of obsession, friendship, power and privilege is that it’s all been done before, and it all felt very derivative. It’s not badly written – although there are rather too many clichés for my liking – and it’s well-paced, even if the framing device feels hackneyed, but it adds very little to the rather banal trope of a poor but clever misfit who desperately wants to fit in with the rich and privileged, and falls in love with the rather shallow object of his desire, a wealthy “toff” who seems to have it all. As a satire of the rich and privileged it’s heavy-handed. The set piece party of the title is peopled with characters who are all stereotypes to a greater or lesser degree and who add nothing to the storyline. The jovial Prime Minister is all too obvious. There’s little that’s original here, but having said that I found it readable and reasonably compelling and certainly wanted to find out how it all panned out. Although I didn’t really care.

This is not the first book i have read by Elizabeth Day and i have loved every one of them! This is without execption! I loved this book!
I really loved the style of writing and this book just pulls you in slowly, slowly then hits you with a cracker of a plot.
I loved and loathed most of the charaters for all different reason and i found it an utterly complelling read.
This is a story about a party that does not end well, it revolves around two bests friends, but is their friendship is not as conventional as most peoples are.
Terrific read, kept me readin untill the end and i devoured it in a couple of days, suberb amount of suspense. Go read it!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and of course Elizabeth Day for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Elizabeth Day’s novel, The Party, a critical look at male friendship, envy, jealousy and class differences, begins with the police interrogation of author and journalist Martin Gilmour. Gilmour and his wife Lucy were invited to attend the 40th birthday of Ben Fitzmaurice. The party takes place at the Fitzmaurices’ (golden boy Ben, and his elegant wife, Serena) second, country home, a renovated 17th century monastery (the monks have been thrown out). As with all things Fitzmaurice, the party is completely overboard with lavish, wonderfully described amounts of drink and food. All the important people are there but Martin, who has known Ben since boarding school, is disgruntled at not being invited as an overnight guest to Ben’s home, and instead, he and Lucy are lodged in a rather shabby, uncomfortable hotel, with Martin bitter in the knowledge that his friendship with Ben is slipping.

The rich do parties better than the rest of us. It’s not just the money or the every catered-for whim or the superior quality of the alcohol and food. It’s a certain unquantifiable atmosphere that comes from other people’s excitement. We are turned on by wealth, us lesser mortals. We don’t want to be and yet we are.

We are jealous, yes. Internally, we decry the excessive, absurd, narcissistic scale of a party like Ben Fitzmaurice’s fortieth. But other people’s money has a narcotic quality. It makes you high. It makes you forget your misgivings. You feel privileged, somehow exceptional to have been invited, as though the tiniest fleck of gold leaf from a giant glittering statue has smudged off on you and you can kid yourself you belong. That you are, for a single night, indubitably, One of Them.

The novel goes back and forth in time, switching between Martin and Lucy, who as it turns out, sometime after the party is now staying at some sort of psychiatric centre. While what happened at the party seems to bear crucial weight on the present, in truth, what happened between Ben and Martin decades earlier lies at the heart of this story.

The Party

The Party explores the corrosive taint proximity of the filthy rich can have on a middle-class lad. Martin’s envy of Ben reaches pathological levels as he seeks to become invited into Ben’s inner circle. And yet, even though Martin achieves admission to Ben’s coterie, he’s never quite good enough, never quite makes the grade.

The novel’s premise, unfortunately, isn’t new, and while Martin is described “as if his surface changed colour to melt into the environment, A chameleon,” neither he, nor Ben are terribly interesting characters. Serena is one of those pencil-thin, aloof bitchy women, and I would have liked to have seen more of her. Arguably the most interesting character here is Lucy, whose marriage to Martin is deeply rooted in denial, even as she valiantly tries to counterbalance Martin’s toxic need to ‘belong.’ Martin describes her as “my pliant, adoring little wife,” rather as one might describe a pet dog, and yet Martin fails to see that while he finds Lucy useful and tolerates her (trotting along at his heels ready to defend him at every turn) his relationship with Ben mirrors his relationship with Lucy. Whereas Martin is lured into Ben’s orbit by a desire to belong (and something else I can’t mention), Lucy is lured to Martin by his “unavailability.” Lucy is much more complicated than she’s given credit for; the Fitzmaurices and Martin underestimate her capacity for love, sacrifice and devotion. While the Fitzmaurices soar on social status and the flow of money, things coveted by Martin, Lucy rises above these obsessions and comes across as genuine, rare, yet sadly undervalued by all.

review copy

A compelling read involving wealth and class distinctions. Told from perspectives from Martin and Lucy (his wife) which are so skillfully written that you cannot put the book down. A tale of desperately wanting to belong and to be more than you are. Great read.

The story was compelling and definitely held my interest but I felt the ending was a letdown. I think I understand why it was written that way but after all the build-up it was rather anti-climactic. The characters were all so unlikable that I found myself not caring what happened to any of them. I did really enjoy the writing itself and the structure of the book with its different perspectives and time periods.