Hangover Square

by Patrick Hamilton
Hangover Square cover
Good Books rating 4.25
Technical:
  • ID: 200
  • Added: 2025-09-04
  • Updated: 2025-09-04
  • ISBN: 9780141185897
  • Publisher: Penguin UK
  • Published: 2001-06-28
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
BookerTalk · 2025-09-04
oppressive 4.00

The novel presents a relentlessly oppressive atmosphere and a bleak, affecting portrayal of mental illness, addiction, and obsessive love, making it difficult to put down despite its gloom.

The reviewer focuses on Hamilton's unflinching depiction of George's mental and psychological breakdown, highlighting his 'dead moods' and the slow disintegration of his personality under the weight of alcohol dependency and manipulative relationships. The seedy London setting and the looming war contribute to a pervasive sense of despair, but the compelling narrative and precise, detached portrayal of tragedy make the book gripping and unforgettable. Despite the bleakness, the novel's power lies in its emotional authenticity and the intimate look into a man’s tragic unraveling.

Quick quotes

    Hamilton offers an unflinching portrayal of a man in the throes of a mental and psychological breakdown.

    With everything stacking up against poor George it’s hard to believe that things can possibly end well.

    So a gloomy tale for sure but once you start reading Hangover Square it’s impossible to stop.

Goodreads · Peter Boyle · 2021-02-22
haunting 4.50

A dark and deeply affecting tale of loneliness and obsession set on the brink of WWII, portraying a decent man trapped in a doomed path with an inevitable tragic end.

Peter Boyle praises Hamilton's ability to capture the obsessive and tragic mindset of George Harvey Bone, a good-natured man devastated by unrequited love and mental instability. Despite the period-specific setting, the novel feels timeless in its exploration of loneliness and thwarted aspirations. The inevitable tragic conclusion casts a strong emotional impact, evoking empathy and remorse for a character who never finds happiness. The reviewer regrets the novel's relative obscurity given its literary merit and emotional depth.

Quick quotes

    Hamilton captures the edgy, obsessive and eventually murderous mindset of a romantically frustrated British man in this WWII-era novel.

    It’s a deeply affecting tale of loneliness, thwarted love and lives cut adrift.

    Even though the denouement is inevitable for nearly every page of the book, it will still give the empathetic reader a shudder of remorse.

Sandra Danby Blog · 2018-10-10
tragic 4.25

The story explores the tragic exploitation of a kind but deluded man by a manipulative woman and her friends, highlighting his oscillation between lucid hope and dark blackouts.

This reflection reveals a deeply mournful tale centered on George's hopeless love and inability to see Netta's true nature. The reviewer emphasizes how George is exploited by Netta and her social circle, who only tolerate him when he provides money or drink. The narrative's power lies in its portrayal of George's internal conflict — switching between moments of hopeful clarity dreaming of a better life and terrifying blackouts where he plots drastic actions. This tension forms the emotional core, illustrating the tragic dynamics of manipulation and self-delusion.

Quick quotes

    The story flicks back and forth in George’s head between his lucid moments planning a new life in Maidenhead when he will stop drinking, and what happens after the ‘click’ in his head – a blackout or loss of sense of time and place.

    George is put-upon by Netta and her circle of friends, he buys drinks, brings food, and they tolerate his company only when he can contribute something.

    Netta and her heartless group of friends exploit George mercilessly and he allows them to do it.

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