The Echo Chamber by John Boyne

The Echo Chamber, published by Penguin Random House, is about the wonders and dangers of the mobile phone. In his latest book, John Boyne describes this phenomenal piece of technology that we’ve almost come to take for granted as “Six ounces of metal, glass and plastic, fashioned into a sleek, shiny, precious object. At once, a gateway to other worlds – and a treacherous weapon in the hands of the unwary, the unwitting, the inept.”

In the glass bubble of their privileged existence, the Cleverley family lives a gilded life. The father, George, is an experienced talk show host and a self-styled 'national treasure’. His wife, Beverley, is a celebrated novelist (although she uses ghost writers). Their children, Nelson, Elizabeth and Achilles, are all addicted to their devices, and all display some form of dysfunction. None of these characters are remotely likeable.

The veneer of the idyllic family starts disintegrating when they step out of line on various social media platforms and elicit outrage from an unforgiving society. And the consequences are dire indeed.

Having read Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies, I was interested to pick up his latest novel, The Echo Chamber. True to form, it is equally well written, and his characteristic humour, sardonic satire and razor-sharp observation are to be admired. That said, although I soon realised his intention, I still found the inevitable downward spiral of action and consequence just too predictable and rather depressing. Perhaps it is because it is too close for comfort, or perhaps it is because I found it too hyperbolic, even farcical. Then again, that was probably his intention too, but it just didn’t resonate with me.

Although it’s not my cup of tea, it has garnered many rave reviews and, perhaps if you relate to the addictiveness of social networks or get annoyed by the ubiquitous wokeness of modern society, you might well enjoy reading this one.