by Tim Parks
First published 1997
Jerry finds himself trapped on a three-day bus trip across Europe, surrounded by travelers he can't stand. Worse yet, his former lover sits nearby, the woman who shattered his heart and left him consumed with jealousy. As the coach rolls through country after country, Jerry's obsession festers in the cramped space. He can't escape her presence or the other passengers who grate on his nerves. His thoughts spiral between rage and longing, revenge fantasies and desperate desire. The close quarters amplify every emotion until the journey becomes a psychological pressure cooker. Jerry's love has curdled into something toxic, but he remains helplessly drawn to the woman who destroyed him. Parks captures the claustrophobia of forced intimacy and the way passion can transform into its own prison.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Europe
Period: contemporary
272 pages · Paperback · Secker & Warburg
Content warnings: toxic-relationship