Booker Prize 2026 · Audiobook Review
Written by Emma Cline · Narrated by Robert Petkoff
A sharply written novel about a family coming apart, memory, resentment and the stories people tell themselves.
The Story
Switzy follows David and his family as old tensions, memories and resentments begin to surface. Dementia is visible early on, but Cline never turns it into the whole story. Instead, the novel gradually becomes less certain: relationships shift, memories become unreliable, and even apparently straightforward details start to feel slippery.
The Narrator
Robert Petkoff is excellent. He gives the characters distinct personalities without overplaying them, and his measured delivery suits a novel in which so much is happening beneath the surface. For me, his narration is one of the audiobook’s real strengths.
The Waffleometer
There’s plenty going on here, but Cline doesn’t labour the point. The novel is relatively short, moves quickly and trusts the reader to keep up. Very little waffle.
Scores
Story & Writing: 4.5 / 5
Narration: 5 / 5
Waffleometer: 1 / 5 (lower is better)
The Verdict
I thought Switzy was terrific. It’s clever, unsettling and beautifully written, with characters who aren’t always easy to like but are very difficult to forget. Robert Petkoff’s narration makes an already strong novel even better. I was sorry not to see it make the Booker shortlist.