Fair Ones Book Review and Summary

Author: Lydia Millet
Page Count: Unknown
Publication Date: Expected publication 2026-10-06 APL

The forthcoming Fair Ones by Lydia Millet – a double novel, no less, about two Brooklyn women grappling with the enigmatic death of their friend Claire. The synopsis promises a “vibrant, funny-sad fiction of companionship and solitude” with a dash of dry wit and sharp prose. I’ll believe it when I see it. Millet’s previous work, A Children’s Bible, was a decent enough effort, but this new book sounds suspiciously like a rehashing of the same tired midlife crises that have been done to death in contemporary literature. Can we really expect anything new from a story about fortysomething women reeling from a friend’s death? The setup reeks of the same pseudo-profound navel-gazing that’s been plaguing the literary world for years.

But, I suppose, the real question is: what does Millet plan to do with this tired setup? Will she manage to elevate it into something more than just a shallow exploration of middle-aged angst? Or will it be just another Eat Pray Love for the Brooklyn set? I’m not holding my breath. The fact that the synopsis barely mentions the actual plot, instead focusing on the “banality, bombast, and humble beauties of midlife friendships,” suggests that Millet might be relying too heavily on atmosphere and not enough on actual storytelling.

And don’t even get me started on the whole “dialogue-driven, fast-moving” business. That just sounds like a euphemism for “we couldn’t be bothered to come up with a real plot, so we’ll just make the characters talk a lot.” It’s a trick that’s been used to great effect by authors like Jennifer Egan, but I’m not convinced Millet has the same level of skill. The result might be something akin to a literary version of the Real Housewives franchise – all surface, no substance.

But what really gets my goat is the way the synopsis name-checks “midlife friendships” as if that’s some kind of profound theme. Newsflash: it’s not. It’s a cliché, and one that’s been done to death by authors like Jonathan Franzen and Meg Wolitzer. I mean, what’s next? A novel about the trials and tribulations of being a suburban mom? Please. Give me something with a little more depth, a little more complexity. Something that doesn’t feel like it was ripped straight from the pages of The New Yorker.

And then there’s the whole “love song to the intricate annoyances of families both chosen and unchosen” business. That sounds like something a Hallmark card would say, not a literary novel. It’s a sentiment that’s been expressed far more eloquently by authors like Elena Ferrante, who actually knows how to write about complex relationships without resorting to trite platitudes.

I suppose, in the end, Fair Ones might be a decent enough read for fans of the whole Brooklyn-lit scene. But for those of us who crave something a little more substantial, a little more challenging, it’s probably safe to say that this one can be skipped. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my driver is currently navigating the parking lot that is the Long Island Expressway, and I have a dinner party to get to in the Hamptons. #literaryfiction #brooklynlit #meh