By design, none of these characters is worth rooting for. Were the novel longer than 176 pages, that void would become tiresome ... With Universality, Brown has cemented herself as a writer who separates text from subtext with devastating clarity.
A fabulous fable about the politics of storytelling ... A terrific second novel from the British author of Assembly examines what it means to be truthful – and who really benefits when facts come to light ... Brown is a talented satirist, for sure, and her commitment to contemporary detail is impressive ... An incisive exploration of the power dynamics of storytelling.
Skilful satire...nuanced precision ... A particular skill of Brown is her ability to write with a cool objectivity a spectrum of characters across class divides and varying ideologies who are all, for the most part, multidimensional, complex creations ... [Brown] is unflinching in a particularly illuminating social analysis that sustains a clear-eyed appraisal... and...is confident in her ability to offer readers both enlightenment and entertainment ... With Universality, Brown more than delivers on her promise.
The narratives created here are deliciously nasty and brutish ... Universality is an uncomfortable, sharp and funny satire on Britain today, including a particularly acute takedown of the media and publishing industries ... Yet for all its cleverness, it can seem as hollow and one-dimensional as the characters it derides ... As a send-up of the culture wars, Universality succumbs to the very pitfalls Amis warned against.
Engaging but...at times, somewhat basic .... Brown’s novel is strongest and most compelling in its sharp analysis of social relationships, of the ways in which we understand and fail to understand one another ... At times, Brown’s political analysis is acute, although her characters are in danger of presenting as caricatures ... A clever, though at times predictable, analysis of modern-day British politics.
Deftly blends social commentary with mystery, crafting a narrative that is as unsettling as it is engaging ... Brown’s genius lies in her dissection of characters and the ideologies they represent, exposing hypocrisies with sharp wit and precision ... Lean and electrifying, the novel invites readers to confront the contradictions shaping contemporary life. Intellectually bracing, grim, and humorous, it’s a must-read for people who appreciate nuanced storytelling with a critical lens on modern issues.
Ambitious and stimulating ... The novel comprises a series of spryly shifting perspectives ... Astutely portray[s] the thorny, complex ways that class and race seep into news, information, and language itself ... A dizzying and fascinating tale.
