Hangover Square

by Patrick Hamilton
Hangover Square cover
Good Books rating 4.06
Literary Fiction
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  • ID: 200
  • Added: 2025-09-04
  • Updated: 2025-09-10
  • ISBN: 9780141185897
  • Publisher: Penguin UK
  • Published: 2001-06-28
  • Formats: 34
  • Reviews: 4

Hangover Square explores the grim world of 1939 London’s Earls Court through the eyes of George Harvey Bone, a lonely, borderline alcoholic man suffering from dissociative episodes. Obsessed with Netta, a cold and manipulative failed actress, George is trapped in a cycle of hope, despair, and exploitation, as he struggles to win her affection despite knowing he is being used. The novel vividly captures George’s psychological disintegration, his alcohol dependency, and the bleak social environment of seedy pubs and shabby boarding houses. Patrick Hamilton’s narrative offers an unflinching and deeply affecting portrayal of mental illness and obsession, set against the looming backdrop of war. George’s episodes, called “dead moods,” reveal a fractured personality that ultimately drives him to violence. The story culminates in George’s tragic decision to kill Netta, reflecting a relentless atmosphere of despair and loneliness, making Hangover Square a powerful study of a man on the edge and the dark side of human desire.

Reviews
Europa Editions · 2025-09-10
tragic 4.00

Hamilton brilliantly evokes a grimy, seedy London world and crafts a tragic story of obsession and mental instability centered on George Harvey Bone’s doomed love.

This source praises Hamilton’s evocative depiction of London’s grimy pubs and seedy life at the outbreak of WWII, framing George Harvey Bone’s obsessive and destructive love for Netta as central to the novel’s dark power. The review underscores Hamilton’s literary stature, comparing him to an urban Thomas Hardy and highlighting his skill as a social historian who captures both personal and societal decay. The novel is presented as a profound exploration of mental illness and doomed passion.

Quick quotes

    Hamilton […] is a sort of urban Thomas Hardy: He is always a pleasure to read, and as social historian he is unparalleled.

    Adrift in the grimy pubs of London at the outbreak of World War II, George Harvey Bone is hopelessly infatuated with Netta.

    George also suffers from occasional blackouts. During these moments one thing is horribly clear: he must murder Netta.

The Critic · 2025-09-10
haunting 4.00

A dark crime thriller and tragedy that hauntingly explores the life of George Harvey Bone amid the seedy streets of London.

This review describes Hangover Square as both a crime thriller and a tragedy, centering on George Harvey Bone, a large, sad-eyed man who haunts the grim streets and flats of London. The novel's atmosphere is richly textured with a sense of menace and despair, with George’s mental struggles and tragic fate at the core. The review highlights Hamilton’s skill in blending dark humor and tragedy, portraying a world where George’s personal demons and external threats intertwine, creating a gripping, somber narrative. The story’s impact is deeply felt through its exploration of loneliness, mental illness, and the toxic relationships that shape George’s doomed existence.

Quick quotes

    Hangover Square is a crime thriller and a tragedy.

    It centres around the character of George Harvey Bone, a sad-eyed, big man who haunts the streets, flats and pubs of London.

    Hamilton blends dark humor and tragedy to create a gripping, somber narrative.

JacquiWine's Journal · JacquiWine · 2025-09-10
haunting 4.25

A brilliant character study capturing the sudden mood shifts of a lonely man tormented by a manipulative woman, set in the seedy underbelly of London.

JacquiWine praises the novel as an utterly compelling study of George Harvey Bone, a fundamentally decent but slow-witted man caught in a toxic relationship with the beautiful yet vindictive Netta Longdon. The review highlights how Hamilton perfectly captures the emotional torment and mood swings of a man on the edge, painting a vivid portrait of loneliness and desperation. Set in London’s Earl’s Court, the book immerses readers in a world of shabby bars and boarding houses, where George’s affection for Netta blinds him to her exploitative nature. The reviewer admires the nuanced depiction of George’s fear and awe of Netta’s beauty and cruelty, which adds depth to the tragic dynamics of their relationship.

Quick quotes

    It is an utterly brilliant portrait of a man on the edge, perfectly capturing the sudden changes in mood and mindset of a lonely and tormented soul.

    He was too afraid of her loveliness – of being made to feel miserable by some new weapon from the arsenal of her beauty.

    Somehow or other, Bone... has fallen under the spell of a thoroughly rotten crowd.

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.

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