THE LAST WEEKEND

Blake Morrison (Chatto & Windus, £12.99)

A weekend in the country goes badly wrong in Morrison’s latest novel. Narrator Ian is invited with his social-worker wife Em on a break in Suffolk organised by his university friends Ollie and Daisy.

Things do not bode well. We gradually learn that not only did Ollie ‘steal’ Daisy from Ian, but also that they are rivals in other ways. Ian, a primary school teacher, is jealous of the other couple’s material success, but can’t help being disappointed when the holiday house they have rented turns out to be less than luxurious.

Disaster follows, as Ian behaves more and more badly. We soon realise that he is less than trustworthy as a narrator. He is not the ‘caring’ teacher we first thought; he hates kids and is facing a disciplinary hearing for assaulting a pupil. He also has a history of violence and is a compulsive online gambler who is deeply in debt. By refusing to face up to his infertility, he has delayed action until Em is too old for IVF.

In short, he is a seriously creepy liar, but gives the reader a few clues to work out what’s going on. He often contradicts himself, but it is clear that he is in love with Daisy and has been since university.

His bitter rival, Ollie, is revealed to be a bit of a liar as well. Ollie claims to be suffering from a brain tumour, but hasn’t told Daisy. However, Daisy seems to know, but says Ollie is a hypochondriac.

In the end, we don’t know what or who to believe. Is Ian having a nervous breakdown? Is Ollie really dying? We never find out. The climax to the men’s lifelong rivalry comes after Ollie challenges Ian to a series of athletic contests, holding him to a bet the pair made years before.

Only the women seem sane. But unfortunately, like the holiday guests, this reader spent much of the time waiting for the horrid weekend to finish.