Great writing. Loved the use of metaphors. Found the ending a little anti-climatic.

May We Feed the King is of those strange books that leave you wondering how anyone could ever have dreamt up that story. Which is to say that it's different to anything else I've ever read. Good different, but definitely different.

The story is in three parts. In the first, our unnamed narrator's job is to curate scenes in medieval buildings. Her technique is to immerse herself in the history and archives of the place in question before deciding on a scene that, if successful, will look as though one of the past inhabitants has just left the room. As such she spends a lot of time with the archivist, and a mutual attraction slowly develops.

The middle section is the story they find in the archives, of a king who never expected or wanted the role. As the third son he was content in his role until his brother succumbed to an illness, and suddenly the throne is his. The reign of this reluctant king unfolds, leading to the final section which mostly comprises a description of the scenes created by the curator, and the reaction to it.

An odd little story, but strangely compelling.

I thought it was a slow starter. I persevered and was glad I did.

Good and quite a surprising read. Historical story with a difference. Enjoyed it.

Beautifully written and a completely unique story/structure. The prose is elegant and graceful, and at all times you are drawn into the world of the book, both in the present and the past.

This debut novel has been praised by critics and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. There's no doubt it's well-written and full of interesting detail, but I found it a confusing and ultimately unsatisfactory read. I found myself getting bored about halfway through and should have stopped there, but I carried on in hope of a resolution which was not forthcoming. I can appreciate ambiguity with the best of them but this book is so dense it that it just became annoying.

I literally just scratched my head as I started to write. What to say about a book I galloped through - short book short chapters -with a compelling narrative. But a narrative about what, I cannot really say. There are two main characters - the curator of scenes in historic buildings and a long dead king who lived in the palace of her latest commission.

I am left with impressions - the expectations of others, the need to pursue one's own vision, the loss of things past, the unknown unknowns and I feel strangely affected by all of that. Why, I cannot say

Loved the beautiful descriptive writing and the way the story was weaved between today and the past. This is a enjoyable read

Reading this book was a breeze, prose so brilliant that it keeps you immersed. Hopefully this gets shortlisted for Booker

Beste korte novel tot nu toe van 2026. Intrigerend, eigenzinnig en uitputtend goed.