Little Cruelties
Hailed by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell as “a force to be reckoned with,” Liz Nugent is back with a powerful and unsettling new novel that will invite comparison to the bitter relationships in HBO’s blockbuster series Succession, as it follows three brothers, bound by blood but split by fate, and delves into the many ways families can wreak emotional havoc across generations.
All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral.
But only one of them was in the coffin.
William, Brian, and Luke: three boys, born a year apart, trained from birth by their wily mother to compete for her attention. They play games, as brothers do…yet even after the Drumms escape into the world beyond their windows, those games—those little cruelties—grow more sinister, more merciless, and more dangerous. And with their lives entwined like the strands of a noose, only two of the brothers will survive.
Crisply written and quickly paced, perfect for fans of breathtaking suspense, Little Cruelties gazes unflinchingly into the darkness: the darkness collecting in the corners of childhood homes, hiding beneath marriage beds, clasped in the palms of two brothers shaking hands. And it confirms Liz Nugent—whose work has invited comparisons to Patricia Highsmith and Barbara Vine and has been celebrated as "captivating" (People) and "highly entertaining" (The Washington Post)—as one of the most exciting, perceptive voices in contemporary fiction.
All three of the Drumm brothers were at the funeral.
But only one of them was in the coffin.
William, Brian, and Luke: three boys, born a year apart, trained from birth by their wily mother to compete for her attention. They play games, as brothers do…yet even after the Drumms escape into the world beyond their windows, those games—those little cruelties—grow more sinister, more merciless, and more dangerous. And with their lives entwined like the strands of a noose, only two of the brothers will survive.
Crisply written and quickly paced, perfect for fans of breathtaking suspense, Little Cruelties gazes unflinchingly into the darkness: the darkness collecting in the corners of childhood homes, hiding beneath marriage beds, clasped in the palms of two brothers shaking hands. And it confirms Liz Nugent—whose work has invited comparisons to Patricia Highsmith and Barbara Vine and has been celebrated as "captivating" (People) and "highly entertaining" (The Washington Post)—as one of the most exciting, perceptive voices in contemporary fiction.
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Community Reviews
Oh my goodness, this was a great read! I was already a fan of Liz Nugent but this may be my favorite one yet. I wouldn't call it a thriller or a murder/mystery (although the book does open at a funeral). Rather, it is a great character study of one of the most dysfunctional families.
The Drumm family is seriously messed up. The story begins at the funeral of one of the Drumm brothers but you don't know which one. The book is divided into 3 main sections, one for each brother. William, Brian and Luke are born 3 years apart and for their entire lives, they have competed for their mother's attention. She is a crack pot also. Each boy's story gives you insight into why they are the way they are. The stories are not linear which was confusing at first. Sometimes, I would have to flip back to see what year we were in. But I loved how each brother had his own section. Some events were told more than once from a different brother's perspective. William is a narcissistic sex addict. Brian is the mastermind behind a lot of the brother's troubles. He is a behind the scenes player. And Luke, the youngest, suffers most of his adult life with mental illness. I actually had the most sympathy for him. The little cruelties they play on each other as children continue into adulthood. Their lives become so intertwined that it is only a matter of time before one is dead. The final section of the book is present day, leading up to the final day for one of the brothers. In true Nugent style, there is a final twist to the cruelties that the brothers play on each other that left me stunned.
The Drumm family is seriously messed up. The story begins at the funeral of one of the Drumm brothers but you don't know which one. The book is divided into 3 main sections, one for each brother. William, Brian and Luke are born 3 years apart and for their entire lives, they have competed for their mother's attention. She is a crack pot also. Each boy's story gives you insight into why they are the way they are. The stories are not linear which was confusing at first. Sometimes, I would have to flip back to see what year we were in. But I loved how each brother had his own section. Some events were told more than once from a different brother's perspective. William is a narcissistic sex addict. Brian is the mastermind behind a lot of the brother's troubles. He is a behind the scenes player. And Luke, the youngest, suffers most of his adult life with mental illness. I actually had the most sympathy for him. The little cruelties they play on each other as children continue into adulthood. Their lives become so intertwined that it is only a matter of time before one is dead. The final section of the book is present day, leading up to the final day for one of the brothers. In true Nugent style, there is a final twist to the cruelties that the brothers play on each other that left me stunned.
Little Cruelties opens at the funeral for one of the three Drumm brothers, but author Liz Nugent cleverly withholds critical information, immediately pulling readers into the suspense and dysfunctional family drama. Which brother is deceased? And how did he die?
Nugent employs three first-person narratives to relate the story from the perspectives of William, a film producer; Luke, a successful singer; and Brian, initially a teacher, who becomes Luke's manager. Melissa, their mother, was a showband singer and actress who was away performing most evenings, so their quiet, unassuming, much-older father cared for them. He referred to Melissa as his "orphan girl" and likely knew she cheated on him. He died of prostate cancer when William was seventeen years old. Their mother died in 2014.
The brothers relate events and details about their relationships with each other from various time periods in their life, beginning when they were children in the 1970's. It's a storytelling technique that requires great skill and Nugent is up to the task. Despite the nonlinear manner in which she crafts the tale, it is a cohesive and compelling narrative that shows, over time, how the brothers compete with and resent each other, frequently for good reason. They pursue their career goals, often with the support, encouragement, assistance, and interference of each other, as well as their mother. They come to each other's rescue, often begrudgingly, and betray each other in spectacular fashion. At one point, two of them question the third brother's sexuality, not to mention the lengths to which he will go to earn money after being driven from his career. Their relationships with women are as messy as their interactions with each other, and complicated by their siblings' role in them.
Each brother is fully formed and intricately crafted -- simultaneously sympathetic and despicable in his own way. William finds success, marriage, and fatherhood. The closest to their mother, he is duplicitous, calculating, and treats women abominably. Will sees himself as his brother's long-suffering caretaker . . . for how long and at what price? Luke struggles with excesses -- religion, followed by fame, money, women, drugs. He is talented, charming, and lovable, but irresponsible, unpredictable, and exasperating as a result of mental illness. Is he capable of getting himself sorted out and creating a meaningful life for himself? Luke is the son with whom Melissa shared a terrible secret when he was just thirteen years old. Brian is a quintessential middle child who expresses the ways in which he was treated unfairly by his parents. Their mother favored Will, and Luke and their father were close. Brian felt left out, and grew increasingly resentful, although he attempts to outwardly take on the role of peacemaker in the family. Frugal to the point of obsession, but extremely selfish, his actions are always designed to get what he thinks he deserves, but his brothers do not. He harbors feelings for Will's wife, Susan.
Nugent illustrates the role that the boys' upbringing and, more specifically, Melissa's narcissism and emotional abuse of her children plays in forming their personalities and establishing their worldviews. Instead of drawing together as a result of their shared childhood experiences, the brothers strike out against and visit myriad little cruelties upon each other. Their relationships and interactions are toxic, invoking strong emotional reactions.
The story is riveting, particularly for fans of tales focused on sibling relationships, and the underlying mystery propels it forward at a steady pace as curiosity about how the life of one of the brothers ends mounts. It is an unflinchingly dark story but unceasingly entertaining story, punctuated by surprising plot twists and an ending that is breathtakingly horrifying . . . in more than one respect.
Little Cruelties is masterfully crafted and engrossing.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
Nugent employs three first-person narratives to relate the story from the perspectives of William, a film producer; Luke, a successful singer; and Brian, initially a teacher, who becomes Luke's manager. Melissa, their mother, was a showband singer and actress who was away performing most evenings, so their quiet, unassuming, much-older father cared for them. He referred to Melissa as his "orphan girl" and likely knew she cheated on him. He died of prostate cancer when William was seventeen years old. Their mother died in 2014.
The brothers relate events and details about their relationships with each other from various time periods in their life, beginning when they were children in the 1970's. It's a storytelling technique that requires great skill and Nugent is up to the task. Despite the nonlinear manner in which she crafts the tale, it is a cohesive and compelling narrative that shows, over time, how the brothers compete with and resent each other, frequently for good reason. They pursue their career goals, often with the support, encouragement, assistance, and interference of each other, as well as their mother. They come to each other's rescue, often begrudgingly, and betray each other in spectacular fashion. At one point, two of them question the third brother's sexuality, not to mention the lengths to which he will go to earn money after being driven from his career. Their relationships with women are as messy as their interactions with each other, and complicated by their siblings' role in them.
Each brother is fully formed and intricately crafted -- simultaneously sympathetic and despicable in his own way. William finds success, marriage, and fatherhood. The closest to their mother, he is duplicitous, calculating, and treats women abominably. Will sees himself as his brother's long-suffering caretaker . . . for how long and at what price? Luke struggles with excesses -- religion, followed by fame, money, women, drugs. He is talented, charming, and lovable, but irresponsible, unpredictable, and exasperating as a result of mental illness. Is he capable of getting himself sorted out and creating a meaningful life for himself? Luke is the son with whom Melissa shared a terrible secret when he was just thirteen years old. Brian is a quintessential middle child who expresses the ways in which he was treated unfairly by his parents. Their mother favored Will, and Luke and their father were close. Brian felt left out, and grew increasingly resentful, although he attempts to outwardly take on the role of peacemaker in the family. Frugal to the point of obsession, but extremely selfish, his actions are always designed to get what he thinks he deserves, but his brothers do not. He harbors feelings for Will's wife, Susan.
Nugent illustrates the role that the boys' upbringing and, more specifically, Melissa's narcissism and emotional abuse of her children plays in forming their personalities and establishing their worldviews. Instead of drawing together as a result of their shared childhood experiences, the brothers strike out against and visit myriad little cruelties upon each other. Their relationships and interactions are toxic, invoking strong emotional reactions.
The story is riveting, particularly for fans of tales focused on sibling relationships, and the underlying mystery propels it forward at a steady pace as curiosity about how the life of one of the brothers ends mounts. It is an unflinchingly dark story but unceasingly entertaining story, punctuated by surprising plot twists and an ending that is breathtakingly horrifying . . . in more than one respect.
Little Cruelties is masterfully crafted and engrossing.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
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