What Will Survive of Us

By Howard Jacobson | Publisher: Vintage Publishing

About the book

Love can change your life. Can it survive marriage and middle age?

'A rare gift and one to be treasured' SUNDAY TIMES

‘A profound and vital book’ WILLIAM BOYD

'Equal parts funny and challenging' DAILY TELEGRAPH

*LONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2025*

Lily falls in love with Sam the minute she sets eyes on him. It takes Sam a day or two longer. Curious, because Lily – independent, headstrong, rational – has never quite believed in love; while Sam – confident, passionate, romantic – thought he understood it inside out.

Lily is an award-winning television documentary maker. Sam is an award-winning playwright. Both are in relationships that have quietly expired, but their encounter makes Lily and Sam come alive again. As they begin to work together on the page and on screen, an affair takes hold that they are powerless to resist.

Arriving in mid-life, their relationship opens unexpected new worlds and, for Lily, offers her a surprising form of liberation. But what will happen to them when familiarity, illness and age begin to take their toll? What will survive? Taking us to the edge of desire, love and betrayal across a lifetime, What Will Survive of Us reveals what is left of us when we strip away every layer.

Editions of What Will Survive of Us

Hardcover
ISBN 9781787334823
Paperback
ISBN 9781787334830
Paperback
ISBN 9781529921489
EBook
ISBN 9781529921496

Read an Excerpt

Love can change your life. Can it survive marriage and middle age?

'A rare gift and one to be treasured' SUNDAY TIMES

‘A profound and vital book’ WILLIAM BOYD

'Equal parts funny and challenging' DAILY TELEGRAPH

*LONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2025*

Lily falls in love with Sam the minute she sets eyes on him. It takes Sam a day or two longer. Curious, because Lily – independent, headstrong, rational – has never quite believed in love; while Sam – confident, passionate, romantic – thought he understood it inside out.

Lily is an award-winning television documentary maker. Sam is an award-winning playwright. Both are in relationships that have quietly expired, but their encounter makes Lily and Sam come alive again. As they begin to work together on the page and on screen, an affair takes hold that they are powerless to resist.

Arriving in mid-life, their relationship opens unexpected new worlds and, for Lily, offers her a surprising form of liberation. But what will happen to them when familiarity, illness and age begin to take their toll? What will survive? Taking us to the edge of desire, love and betrayal across a lifetime, What Will Survive of Us reveals what is left of us when we strip away every layer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is What Will Survive of Us about?

Love can change your life. Can it survive marriage and middle age?

'A rare gift and one to be treasured' SUNDAY TIMES

‘A profound and vital book’ WILLIAM BOYD

'Equal parts funny and challenging' DAILY TELEGRAPH

*LONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2025*

Lily falls in love with Sam the minute she sets eyes on him. It takes Sam a day or two longer. Curious, because Lily – independent, headstrong, rational – has never quite believed in love; while Sam – confident, passionate, romantic – thought he understood it inside out.

Lily is an award-winning television documentary maker. Sam is an award-winning playwright. Both are in relationships that have quietly expired, but their encounter makes Lily and Sam come alive again. As they begin to work together on the page and on screen, an affair takes hold that they are powerless to resist.

Arriving in mid-life, their relationship opens unexpected new worlds and, for Lily, offers her a surprising form of liberation. But what will happen to them when familiarity, illness and age begin to take their toll? What will survive? Taking us to the edge of desire, love and betrayal across a lifetime, What Will Survive of Us reveals what is left of us when we strip away every layer.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in What Will Survive of Us?

Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre > Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general

Where can I read a sample of What Will Survive of Us?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781787334823

Who is/are the Author/s of the book What Will Survive of Us?

Howard Jacobson

Who is the Publisher of the book What Will Survive of Us?

Vintage Publishing

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

What Will Survive of Us is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781787334823) and paperback(ISBN 9781787334830) and paperback(ISBN 9781529921489) and ebook(ISBN 9781529921496)

Where can I buy What Will Survive of Us online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy What Will Survive of Us from below

Where can I buy What Will Survive of Us?