A warm-hearted novel with strong themes of kindness and travel. There are some gently amusing moments but I didn’t find it very hilarious, as some reviewers have. Maybe it resonates more if you’ve travelled a lot.

The story is about an older and younger man who meet on a beach in Goa. The older man, Jan, is constantly searching for his girlfriend from a long time ago, also called Jan. The narrative goes back and forth between the 70s and recent years, as their life stories are gradually revealed. Occasionally the narrative focuses on various animals and what they’re thinking. The settings include India, Russia and a northern English town.

I’m a little unclear on the finer details of the plot, which is quirky and meandering. The story is more about connections and emotions. I felt somewhat distanced from the characters, which to be fair is usual (for me) with a third-person narration, but I expected to be more invested in them. The settings were probably the best element of the book for me, as they are atmospheric, with careful attention to detail. I liked the inclusion of animals’ viewpoints and experiences but I would have preferred more of them and more integrated with the human characters, as the title (We Are Animals), cover (pictures of animals) and blurb (‘twenty-two different animals’) suggest they are a main feature of the story, whereas I felt that it wouldn’t have made much difference to the overall story if most of them were left out.

In summary, a unique and eccentric novel that I wasn’t totally sure about, but there’s only one way to find out if it’s your kind of read…

Published in 2020 by Lightning Books.