80s novels that best capture zeitgeist?

[Peverellshire]

Looking for any set in London in particular.

Also, particularly keen on any lesser known, ‘under the radar gems’? Thanks

The Line of Beauty has a really strong sense of the era, if you like Alan Hollinghurst.

What a Carve Up! Jonathan Coe.

I do, have that one - are the others worth reading in series? Thanks, great suggestion!

Looking for any that deserve to be better known & under radar.

@ditalini I tried & couldn’t get on with it years ago, will give Coe another go :)

Thinking of something akin to Julian Fellowes’ Snobs (?)

Black Swan Green. Not London though. And adolescent protagonist but still!

I resorted to Googling "novels set in 1980s London", to see if anything that came up was something I'd read... alas no!

This list: bookriot.com/100-must-read-novels-set-in-london/ has a couple that state that they're set in the 80s but I've not read either of them.

It's funny, because in the 90s and 2000s I read thousands and thousands of books, many which you would assume would have been set in the fairly recent past, but this seems to be a gap.

There's a Julie Burchill one set in London. I can't remember the name

Ambition

@BringMeTea Black Swan Green is v good, there’s a ‘Bert Baxter’ type scene, if I recollect correctly, which reminds me of ‘Adrian Mole’ which deffo captures 80s, adult, ‘under the radar’, equivalents?

Martin Amis "Money" - although I suspect it's very misogynistic, I haven't read it since I was a late teen.

@ditalini will take a look at list, thank you!

Nice Work - David Lodge

The Buddha of Suburbia written in 1990

Second this. Money is the 80s.

London Fields by Amis (1989) also worth a read.

The Adrian Mole series - I truly believe that had they been written by a middle class man they would be far more recognised as the works of literary genius they are. Some of my favourite books of all time.

“do you weep, Mrs thatcher, do you weep?”

Made myself want to reread them all for about the tenth time now..

whoops just saw you asked for London.. ah well, have some Leicester 😁

You could also try some Alan Hollinghurst; The Line of Beauty especially.

Sorry, totally missed that @mildlydispeptic had already suggested that one. <buffs reading glasses>

@wherethewaterisdarker 'Do you weep like a sad willow, on your Marks and Spencer's pillow' Genius, indeed! :)

Agree re: middle class man and recognised far more, just sheer literary brilliance, it shines out. 'The Queen and I' (think that was the title?) also pretty good. I wonder what she'd have made of the recent Royal dramas?

Sue T captures the 1981 Di and Charles wedding vibe entirely and his parents and Pandora etc, so skilfully captured. I remember the Mum's affair and him running up huge bills on the phone, and 'The Norwegian Leather Industry' of course. How did she manage to get inside 'Adrian' so authentically?

Thank you.

Bimbo by Keith Waterhouse is quite entertaining and clever, but prob hasn't aged very well (a long time since I read it).

BETTER is 'The Story of My Life'
Jay McInerney

I LOVED this when I read it in my 20s, sex, and drugs and the New York 80s equivalent. I read a lot and the books I can remember vividly are few, this is one of the front runners. I am not sure its widely known? I like all McInerney.

So many good suggestions here but struggling to think of any more...

Agree with What a Carve up! And Money.

And the Adrian Moles 💕💕💕 Lo! The Flat Hills of my Homeland....haven't thought of that in years albeit that was probably into the 90s at that point.

PS @Peverellshire re The Queen and I.... I loved it as a child and it comes up in conversation often. I was unaware there is a follow up, Queen Camilla

I bought it recently, as so topical, haven't read it yet.

Adrian Mole was a work of utter genius, I’m so sad Sue Townsend is no longer with us, and there will be no more. Each book in the series captures the time, society, everything, so well. She got inside Adrian’s character so well, he was such a full person if you know what I mean, that you could put him in any situation in your head and predict what he would do. I can’t think of any other book character that I could do that with.

Another Alan Hollinghurst, “The Swimming Pool Library”.

@derbylass81 Who knew? Thank you!

Will get a copy, seems to get mixed reviews. She was registered blind from 2001 and very unwell all told, amazing that she carried on writing at all.

Sue Townsend life is an interesting one, she clearly really knew the Midlands and is an example of why 'writing about what you know' is so powerful.

Clearly, she also REALLY did her research, becoming a youth worker in a youth club etc. She knew her adolescents.

@MsInsomniac @wherethewaterisdarker I think she was modest, shy and self-effacing, possibly she'd have got far more recognition, sadly, if she wasn't. Also her ill health probably meant she had to keep a lower profile. It's good we can recognise her genius here!

Not exactly under the radar but London Fields.

I’ve read both Bimbo and Story of my life. Classics. Evocative.