$38.00
20 in stock
20 in stock
The latest short story collection from the bestselling author of Matrix and Fates and Furies
‘Groff has a gift for capturing human nature and the compulsions that drive us.’ FINANCIAL TIMES
‘You’ll walk away feeling more connected to other people and with more compassion for yourself.’ HARPER’S BAZAAR
‘Groff reminds us of the myriad human galaxies around us, spinning off brightly into the dark.’ MELISSA HARRISON, author of All Among the Barley
One of our best writers, Lauren Groff returns with a fierce new story collection, her first since the award-winning and bestselling Florida.
Ranging from the 1950s to the present day and moving across age, class, and region – from New England to Florida to California – these nine stories reflect and expand upon a single shared theme- the ceaseless battle between the dark and light in all of us.
Among those caught in this match are a young woman suddenly responsible for her disabled sibling; a hot-tempered high school swimmer in need of an adult; a mother blinded by the loss of her family; and a banking scion endowed with a different kind of inheritance. Motivated by love, impeded by human fallibility, they try to do the right thing for as long as they can.
Precise, surprising and provocative, anchored by profound insight into human nature, Brawler reveals the repeated fracture points between love and fear, compassion and violence, reason and instinct, altruism and survival. It is a timeless, stunning achievement from one of the very best short story writers working today.
Praise for Lauren Groff
\\”Her writing has a timeless quality\\” The Times on The Vaster Wilds
\\”Groff’s writing is muscular and precise, her themes wildly resonant\\” Sunday Times on Matrix
\\”An audacious piece of storytelling, full of passion, wisdom and magic\\” Sarah Waters on Matrix
\\”It’s as brightly lit as an illuminated manuscript\\” Naomi Alderman on Matrix
\\”One of its stories is a bracing read; together they form a masterpiece\\” Stylist on Florida
\\”She’s a writer whose turn of phrase can stop you in your tracks\\” Financial Times on Florida
\\”Easily the year’s best story collection\\” Vogue on Florida
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Imprint: Hutchinson Heinemann
Publication date: 03/03/2026
Brawler
by Lauren Groff
Review by Alex A
In her latest book, Groff digs into a favourite philosophical conundrum: are humans inherently "good"?
This collection of short stories (including one longer, almost-novella) depict a variety of characters, including a high school diving star in need of adult guidance, an heir to a banking dynasty struggling with addiction and apathy, a young woman living in the pool house of a San Francisco eccentric, a 17 year old girl left to care for her disabled brother in the 1950s, and a newly retired woman whose efforts to enrich her life instead reveal deep fault lines in her marriage.
Groff’s writing is rich, without becoming floral. She cuts through layers of complexity with a brief sentence. Each of these characters are written with consideration, nuance and care, and you are compelled to understand their actions, even if they behave abysmally.
Set across time periods but all within America, the situations the characters find themselves in ask the reader to consider how our agency is shaped by factors outside of our control; is it possible to be virtuous when one is starving? Is it possible to choose the noble path without knowing a day's hard work?
My favourite line was in the final story: “...in every human there is an animal and a god wrestling unto death.”
Perfect for readers of Annie Proulx and Margaret Atwood.
