The Man in the Red Coat by Julian Barnes (Cape, 2019)
Julian Barnes continues to surprise his readers with his new book, neither novel nor completely non-fiction. Set during the Belle Epoque in Paris and London, Barnes tells the story of three men, a Count, a Prince and a commoner, the surgeon Samuel Pozzi, made famous by Singer Sargent’s powerful portrait. Elegantly written, Barnes always shines a light onto the unexpected and makes us see things in his own inimitable way – exactly as Singer Sargent painted his subjects.