Booker Prize 2026 · Audiobook Review
Written by Douglas Stuart · Narrated by Lorne MacFadyen
A powerful and beautifully observed novel about family, belonging and the pull of home, set within a vividly realised island community.
The Story
Calum Macleod returns to Harris from art school and finds himself pulled back into the complicated world he thought he had left behind. At the centre of the story is John of John, a charismatic and complicated figure whose presence reaches into the lives of the people around him.
The Narrator
Lorne MacFadyen is excellent. He gives the characters distinctive voices without turning the narration into a performance of caricatures, and he captures the atmosphere of the island beautifully.
The Waffleometer
Very little waffle. There’s plenty going on, but Stuart takes his time with the characters and the world rather than padding the story out.
Scores
Story & Writing: 4.5 / 5
Narration: 5 / 5
Waffleometer: 1 / 5 (lower is better)
The Verdict
I thought Shuggie Bain was excellent. I thought Young Mungo was better. And I think John of John is better again.
It moved me, the island community felt utterly convincing, and despite Cal’s flaws I found myself invested in what happened to him. The ending was satisfying without being obvious.
A very good Booker novel — and, at the time I reviewed it, one I thought had a very good chance of winning.