An Experiment in Love: A Novel

Year 1997
Pages 256

Worth buying if: You appreciate character-driven British fiction about class and memory.

Skip it if: You prefer plot-heavy or fast-paced thrillers.

Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780805052022. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.

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Summary

This 1997 novel follows a woman who confronts past friendships, social ambition, and secrets as events from schooldays ripple into her present; Mantel probes loyalty, betrayal, and identity with precise psychological observation.

Why this book now

Return to a Booker-winning author's earlier work to see the incisive character focus and social acuity that prefigure her later novels.

30-second preview

Two quick cards, fifteen seconds each.

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1-sentence hook

Hilary Mantel's An Experiment in Love traces the intimate and uneasy bonds of friendship, class, and memory across a woman's adult life.

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Best for readers who...

Good fit if you want...

  • You appreciate character-driven British fiction about class and memory.
  • You enjoy Hilary Mantel's psychological subtlety and sharp prose.

Maybe skip if...

  • You prefer plot-heavy or fast-paced thrillers.
  • You want contemporary settings or recent political commentary.
  • You need the newest edition, freshest examples, or the most current framing.

Mood / Vibe Tags

introspective wry melancholic sociological Medium length

Decided it fits?

Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780805052022

Worth buying if: You appreciate character-driven British fiction about class and memory.

Skip it if: You prefer plot-heavy or fast-paced thrillers.

Buy This Edition on Amazon

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.

Reader guide

Cues to help you decide faster.

Reading commitment

Light Short sit-downs

At 256 pages, expect a moderate, contemplative read focusing on character nuance rather than rapid plot turns.

What stands out here

This Owl Books edition presents Mantel's 1997 novel, notable for its concise length and concentrated focus on relationships and class dynamics.

Best way to approach it

Read slowly and attentively, pausing to reflect on dialogue and memory-driven passages to appreciate Mantel's psychological detail.

Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780805052022

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.