Middle England (novel)
Middle England is a 2018 novel by Jonathan Coe. It is the third novel in a trilogy, following The Rotters’ Club (2001) and The Closed Circle (2004). The novel explores the experiences of characters from those earlier novels against the backdrop of the major events taking place before, during and after the Brexit referendum. Characters Benjamin Trotter: At the start of the novel, Benjamin is happily divorced from Cicely and lives in semi-retirement in Shropshire, having become fairly wealthy in London prior to the housing crisis. Since the events of The Closed Circle, he no longer speaks to his brother Paul. Colin Trotter: After the death of his wife Sheila, Colin moves in with his son Benjamin. During the course of the novel, he begins to experience the psychological effects of old age. Lois Potter (née Trotter): Lois continues to experience trauma as a result of the Birmingham pub bombings, where her then-boyfriend was killed shortly after proposing to her in The Rotters' Club. She lives separately from her husband Christopher and isn't in love with him, but cannot bring herself to admit this. Christopher Potter: Despite being married to Lois, Christopher lives separately from his wife and is happy