2026 Booker Longlist: The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

Next up for our panel is The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. Our whole panel read this book. Keep reading to see how it rates among our panel.

Elizabeth Strout is one of those authors who has made a career out of finding something fascinating in seemingly ordinary lives. She is probably best known for Olive Kitteridge, which won the Pulitzer Prize, but many of her novels are interconnected, with familiar characters appearing and reappearing across her books. Strout is particularly good at getting inside her characters’ heads and exploring all the messy, complicated parts of relationships, families, loneliness, and love. Her latest novel, The Things We Never Say, once again focuses on the kinds of quiet, everyday moments and relationships that Strout has always written about so well.

Book Synopsis from Booker website: Artie Dam is a man with a secret. He spends his days teaching history to high schoolers, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a kind word to those who need it most. He goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades, makes small talk with neighbours, and, on weekends, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. He is, by all appearances, present and alive. But inside, Artie is plagued by feelings of isolation. He looks out at a world gone mad – at himself and the people around him – and turns a question over and over in his mind: how is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us?

And then, one day, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him, one that threatens to upend his entire world. Once he learns it, he is forced to chart a new course, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear – and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence.

Jen’s Thoughts: I’d like to start out by saying that I personally enjoyed this book quite a bit. I actually read it before the longlist announcement—it was the only book on the list I had already read—and I think I gave it four stars at the time. Strout is always a solid writer. Her books are character-driven, beautifully written, and filled with the kind of quiet observations about people and relationships that she does so well.

But in many ways, reading Strout can feel like reading the same book over and over again. I didn’t include this one in my longlist predictions because a) I don’t think it’s quite as good as some of her other books, and b) there’s something a little unexciting about yet another Strout novel making the list.

For me, Booker nominees should offer something different—whether in their subject matter, structure, narrative style, or the way they approach familiar ideas—beyond simply being well-written. This is a good book, and readers who already love Strout will almost certainly enjoy it. But is it doing something interesting or distinctive enough to deserve a place on the Booker longlist? For me, the answer is no.

Writing quality: 4/5
Originality: 2/5
Character development: 4/4
Plot development: 3/4
Overall enjoyment: 2/2
Total: 15/20

Tracy’s Thoughts: Strout is a must read author for me- what can I say, I’m over 50 and love comfortable shoes. I loved this book, for me as a reader. There was a lot of grown up GenX angst, very timely and accurate. Is it a Booker book? Probably not. I was surprised it was long listed.

Writing quality: 5/5
Originality: 2/5
Character development: 4/4
Plot development: 3/4
Overall enjoyment: 2/2
Total: 16/20

Nicole’s Thoughts: At the time of this writing I’ve read 3.5 of the Booker books, and I think I figured this year out. The picked 3 big names (Stuart, James and Strout) and then every other judge got to pick their 2 favorites. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me thus far. Don’t mind me, I’m still annoyed by Helen of Nowhere.

As for this book, it was good. I always enjoy Strout. She writes well, she creates interesting characters and she tells a good story. And this book did all those things. It fell a tiny bit flat for me. Usually when I read Strout I’m reminded of the things I love about her and typically think – I need to read the ones I’ve missed. This one was just a bit uninspiring. Solid. Good. Enjoyable, but not her best.

Writing quality: 4/5
Originality: 3/5
Character development: 3/4
Plot development: 3/4
Overall enjoyment: 2/2
Total: 15/20

Anita’s Thoughts: Initially, this book started off like vintage Strout – interesting, troubled characters fully revealed in all their humanity with simple prose. I just love her ability to reveal a character to her readers. She deserves accolades for being one of the best in this regard. However, I just was not a fan of how the politics were weaved into the story. I think the political milieu was important to the storyline, but the way it was done just lacked subtlety which I think would have made the story both more timeless and more believable. This book just wasn’t one of my favorites of hers, but even her weaker efforts are still worthwhile reading, and this novel was no exception.

Writing quality: 4/5
Originality: 3/5
Character development: 4/4
Plot development: 2/4
Overall enjoyment: 2/2
Total: 15/20

Andrew’s Thoughts: After a long hiatus, I’m back to review the handful of books I can read in a month’s time frame (i.e. not many). And I’m sure this blog has been missing the all-important white, cisgender, straight, male perspective. We certainly don’t get opportunities to express our opinions often.

I had never read any of Elizabeth Strout’s work prior to delving into “The Things We Never Say.” I began with a bit of trepidation as my wife had read a couple of her previous novels and not liked them. And she likes most things, whereas I am typically overly critical. So imagine my surprise when I didn’t hate this book! I found the first half of the book rather dull, but once the plot twist kicked in I found it much more compelling. Artie is a sympathetic character and I cared about what happened to him and enjoyed his arc. Can’t say I found many other characters as interesting or engaging.

My two main criticisms are Strout’s style and the way she forced current politics into the story. I’m typically a fan of short, declarative sentences (i.e. Steinbeck and Hemingway), but I felt Strout over-explained the characters’ thoughts and emotions to the point where it felt simplistic – almost as if she was writing to an audience of 10 year olds. The injection of Trump’s second election didn’t forward the story at all and felt contrived. I wasn’t sure why she bothered including it. I understand current politics are a “thing we never say,” but there were more than enough other examples of unspoken beliefs and secrets that this just felt tacked on and superfluous. 

Writing quality: 3/5
Originality: 5/5
Character Development: 3/4
Plot Development: 3/4
Overall enjoyment: 1/2
Total: 15/20

Lisa’s Thoughts: I listened to this book. Elizabeth Strout is such a clear, strong writer. I found that I really liked Artie Dam – I was really in his corner, and I really understood him. I appreciated the decision – to not say anything — that is at the core of the book. I also identified with Artie’s love for his son and the pleasure he took in their relationship. Artie is not a cynic, and it is a relief to read about someone who doesn’t choose the cynical, complex, path. That said, this may not be her best book. Some of the other characters —such as his wife — were not very fleshed out. I could not really see what Artie got out of his relationship with his wife. And I understand that the author did not want to ignore current events, but the insertion into the story felt a bit forced. However, I’d call these flaws minor, and the book was both thought-provoking and enjoyable.

Writing quality: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
Character development: 3/4
Plot development: 3/4
Overall enjoyment: 2/2
Total: 16/20

Rankings
1. John of John: 16.83/20

2. The Things We Never Say: 15.3/20

Have you read it?  What do you think? Want to try it for yourself? You can purchase your copy here: The Things We Never Say