I requested and received an eARC of The Book of David by Jean-Luke Swanepoel via NetGalley. Leon Jonker first meets David Hale on a San Francisco beach. David is naked, confident, and younger than Leon. The two share a conversation and don’t meet again for six months. Once they reenter each other’s orbit they find themselves in a relationship that ends when David dies. Leon returns to his home country, South Africa, and attempts to write his way out of his grief and to make sense of the life they shared. The narrative darts between the past and the present, the story of their relationship preserved in Leon’s words and, occasionally, David’s.

Sexy and tense. Gut-wrenching and lovely and slightly infuriating. I’m somewhat at a loss trying to describe this work. The dialogue in this book is fantastic. Swanepoel’s crafts lines that at times cut like a dagger, showing us the cracks and gray areas in David and Leon’s relationship, but he is equally skilled at enticing the reader with moments of flirtation or endearment. When I wasn’t enthralled by the dialogue, I was enthralled by what wasn’t being said. The author is very clever with his prose and his use of repetition, demonstrating on the page both the infallibility of memory and the way we construct the stories of our lives and versions of people as we perceive them.

The Book of David contains many terrific references, and is a real testimony to gay relationships, art and literature. The novel is short but impactful, many scenes have lodged themselves in my mind. The work is character driven and in it Swanepoel manages to create a portrait of a relationship that is both captivating and uncomfortable. Leon is such an interesting narrator with a very distinct voice. He isn't terribly likeable and there are moments where he seems to lack some self-awareness which to me only enhanced what the author achieves in this story (a very frank dissection of relationships — sort of like Anatomy of a Fall but without the potential mariticide and subsequent legal proceedings.) Grief, resentment, and desire abound in this book and I found that I couldn’t tear myself away from the page. Swanepoel’s writing really excited me and the dynamic between Leon and David felt very real. There were moments where I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry or curse at one of the characters. I was very impressed by this novel and I look forward to seeing how other readers respond to it.

The book, however much I wanted it to, did not meet my expectations. The promise of a tragic love and what happens after a tragedy sounded perfect: I really do enjoy such stories. However, The book of David felt rather...dull.

I could not find the love between Leon and David. It seemed to me that David - after meeting Leon for the second time - simply decided he was done sleeping around and (for whatever reasons) decided to be with Leon. The sexual attraction I saw, there was plenty, but deeper feelings? No.

The story itself was rather interesting, though, I did feel like the ending was vague. I expected the tragic end of love to come up much earlier in the book, so we could see what comes after and was rather disappointed that it only happened very near the end.

I had some trouble adjusting to the constant time-skips in the text. One chapter it's present, another it's a memory, third an antry from David's journal. Also, there was a lot of repetition that seemed unnecessary.

One thing that I really enjoyed was the writing. It was emotional, deep and beautiful. Reminded me of Ocean Vuong a bit.

The Book of David by Jean-Luke Swanepoel is a raw, poignant exploration of a tumultuous relationship. Through Leon Jonker's reflections and David Hale’s journals, Swanepoel captures the complexities of love, loss, and memory with a powerful emotional depth. The narrative’s honesty and introspection make it an unforgettable read.

"The Thing About David" by Jean-Luke Swanepoel beautifully captures the complexities of the relationship between South African author Leon Jonker and American David Hale. The novel features Leon reminiscing and navigating his memories alongside David's journals. It portrays the highs and lows of their relationship. If you enjoyed Isherwood's "A Single Man," you'll appreciate the depth of emotions and contemplation in this novel.

Thank you for sharing the ARC!