‘An utter triumph . . . Far and away the best debut novel I’ve read in a very long time’ JOHN NIVEN, author of O BROTHER
‘[An] empathetic novel . . . Masterful’ ALICE SLATER, author of DEATH OF A BOOKSELLER
Since dropping out of school three years ago with no qualifications, no pals, and no ambition, Jamie Skelton spends most of his days asleep and most of his nights wanking, playing video games with his online friend, Lee, and occasionally making the journey downstairs to the kitchen for a microwave burger. He hasn’t left the house in months, and now he’s not sure he can.
Fiona, Jamie’s maw, is trying her best, but since finding the courage to kick out her abusive husband her confidence has never recovered. She goes to work every day, but otherwise she’s not that different from her son – withdrawn from life, without friends. She knows their lives can’t carry on like this, but she’s at a loss to know how to change things.
When Fiona tries to get Jamie to apply for a job, he sees her as the cause for all of his problems. Then Lee tells Jamie he’s realised there’s a name for what they are – incels – and that there’s a guy he’s met through the forums they can go stay with in London, to get away from their nagging mams.
But in running away from his problems at home, Jamie may actually be running towards something much worse.
Praise for Chris McQueer:
‘Charlie Brooker on Buckfast’ Martin Compston, Line of Duty
‘[McQueer’s] talent zings off the page’ Guardian
‘Impressive’ Eric Idle, Monty Python
‘[An] empathetic novel . . . Masterful’ ALICE SLATER, author of DEATH OF A BOOKSELLER
Since dropping out of school three years ago with no qualifications, no pals, and no ambition, Jamie Skelton spends most of his days asleep and most of his nights wanking, playing video games with his online friend, Lee, and occasionally making the journey downstairs to the kitchen for a microwave burger. He hasn’t left the house in months, and now he’s not sure he can.
Fiona, Jamie’s maw, is trying her best, but since finding the courage to kick out her abusive husband her confidence has never recovered. She goes to work every day, but otherwise she’s not that different from her son – withdrawn from life, without friends. She knows their lives can’t carry on like this, but she’s at a loss to know how to change things.
When Fiona tries to get Jamie to apply for a job, he sees her as the cause for all of his problems. Then Lee tells Jamie he’s realised there’s a name for what they are – incels – and that there’s a guy he’s met through the forums they can go stay with in London, to get away from their nagging mams.
But in running away from his problems at home, Jamie may actually be running towards something much worse.
Praise for Chris McQueer:
‘Charlie Brooker on Buckfast’ Martin Compston, Line of Duty
‘[McQueer’s] talent zings off the page’ Guardian
‘Impressive’ Eric Idle, Monty Python
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
An unflinching tale of the traps into which young men can fall, filled with insight, heart and humour
What a ride! This is not a particularly twisty book and yet, there were surprises aplenty. I could not guess - until the last possible moment - what the climax would be . . . In this superb and topical book on mental health and incel culture, McQueer goes to bat for young boys and shows us the faux-shepherds that threaten to turn them loose and angry upon society, at a time when they are most vulnerable
I've spent years impatiently waiting to see where McQueer would take us with his debut novel. Some of its pleasures are to be expected. McQueer's unusual gifts of voice, pacing and light touch surrealism are all wonderfully in evidence. This is a very funny novel. But I'd not expected to be quite so moved by the interlocking stories of Fiona and Jamie, the cripplingly shy, oddball mother and son, for whom life is one lengthy endurance test. A real statement from a unique talent.
I just finished Hermit. Jesus Christ - what an utter triumph it is. Just packed with feeling, intensity and humanity. Far and away the best debut novel I've read in a very long time. Chris McQueer invests Jamie and Fiona with such love that the reader feels for each of them at every turn. That world of young, male online culture feels blisteringly, achingly plausible and real. Also, in the shadow of the US election, it has much to tell us about how and why we are where we are. Bravo man, bravo
Hermit is bleak, funny, and dreadfully human. Its subject matter is grim and timely but its characters are handled with such empathy you find yourself desperately hoping Jamie and Fiona will be OK. In a world of big personalities, Hermit shines a stark light on the quiet, forgotten ones. Nobody writes wee guys like Chris McQueer.
A grimly addictive, empathetic novel. Hermit is a visceral examination of the misogynistic rot permeating the minds of young men and putting women at risk. A dreadful - but masterful - read