FFB-BRIAN, Jeremy Cooper

 

This book was published in 2023 so it's not forgotten, but I'm betting few people have read it. I heard of it through a podcast GOOD READS. (on GOOD READS, three British celebrities of sorts each pick a book, which all three read).

Brian is a lonely British office worker who has shut off most of the world due to various fears. But one night he goes to the British Film Institute and enjoys a film. He begins going regularly because a membership is affordable and through his growing interest in film, he becomes familiar with the other regulars. He also begins to take film seriously and reads books about the films, the directors and engages in discussions about them after the film ends. In this way, a lonely man creates a life for himself. It still has limits-he is careful not to get too close to most of them, but it's a richer life than he lived before. We learn why he is so fearful as the book goes on and the ending is heartening. 

This is an unusual book. There is no dialogue although Brian tells us what was said. He also fills us in on what he learns through his reading, his own impression of the films. This is for a patient reader because almost nothing happens. My favorite sort of book but not everyone's.