Hayley's Review: 'Love and Other Thought Experiments' by Sophie Ward

It is my ambition to one day read all of the books on the longlist for the Booker prize and while I don’t think I will be achieving my goal this year (the shortlist is announced on 15th September!) I am glad that I was able to read this one. Love and Other Thought Experiments follows Rachel and Eliza, a couple who are trying for a baby when one night an ant crawls into Rachel’s eye. Or does it? For Rachel, it is important to the core of their relationship that Eliza believes her. Going into this book I thought it would be a simple study of the changing dynamic of their relationship following the ant, but I was pleasantly surprised that the novel pans way out to explore a much wider narrative. The novel follows multiple characters whose lives are each affected by this maybe-incident in some way. Each chapter is prefaced by a though experiment which becomes a lens through which each character is explored. I loved the way the novel moved through different periods of time and locations, and there are even occasions where the story will follow a character through multiple potential narratives which created a lot of suspense. I was blown away by the beautiful writing and how ambitious the scale of the narrative turned out to be. The novel also features multiple queer relationships which I really enjoyed reading, and it meant the novel explored a variety of dynamics, both between the characters in their respective couples, and in their relationship to Rachel and Eliza’s child. I would definitely recommend this novel as there is so much to enjoy, from witty characters and heart-warming parent-child relationships to potential time-travel. This is Sophie Ward’s debut novel and I will definitely be reading whatever she publishes next.