Ask Penguin What are the best novels about infidelity? With Sophie Mackintosh
May 6, 2026
Sophie Mackintosh, Booker-longlisted novelist of Permanence, The Water Cure and Cursed Bread; Derek Owusu, Penguin colleague and book recommender. They explore a surreal city built for secret lovers, why infidelity fascinates writers, the tension between paradise and prison, spare intimate scenes, and a stack of standout novel and short‑story recommendations.
41:22
Anchor A Novel With A Single Concept
- Use a central conceptual image to anchor a novel's emotional logic — Mackintosh began with Object Permanence then shortened it to Permanence.
- That image guided the characters' need to believe their hidden relationship exists even unseen.
Design Imagined Cities With Visual Research
- Build speculative settings visually using concrete references and mood boards to make them feel real.
- Mackintosh used places she'd been, a Pinterest mood board and the idea of postcards to craft the city's look and textures.
Intentional Artifice Creates Dreamlike Tone
- Mackintosh intentionally left the city's sky ambiguous — it may be fake and adjusts to mood — creating a dreamlike, slightly artificial atmosphere.
- She referenced The Truman Show and cinematic sunset blinds to underline artifice.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Introducing Permanence's adulterers' city
01:30 • 48sec
Origins: relationships as spaces
02:19 • 41sec
Why write about infidelity's drama
02:59 • 1min
What happens when hidden relationships get space
04:22 • 1min
Mundane intimacy and Simple Passion influence
05:34 • 56sec
Title meaning: permanence and object permanence
06:30 • 52sec
Silences, unsaid things and dialogue
07:22 • 1min
Visual worldbuilding and city geography
08:49 • 1min
Architectural and natural imagery
09:56 • 3min
Speculative freedom and internal logic
12:50 • 2min
Planned ambiguity and letting writing surprise
14:38 • 1min
Influences and difficult scenes
16:00 • 2min
Character creation and Clara's perspective
18:04 • 2min
Still life painting as memory portal
20:11 • 2min
Books that sparked Sophie's reading habit
21:44 • 28sec
Reading habits and next projects
22:12 • 1min
Listener question: bizarre-event fiction picks
23:38 • 3min
Books to reread endlessly
26:54 • 3min
Which book character to befriend
30:16 • 3min
Short story collection recommendations
33:28 • 2min
Hating then sympathizing with a protagonist
35:20 • 3min
Favourite novels about affairs
38:20 • 2min
Outro
40:49 • 22sec
#
The Water Cure
Sophie Mackintosh
The Water Cure follows three sisters raised in isolation on an island by their parents, trained to believe the outside world is poisonous to women.
When strangers arrive, the sisters are forced to confront their upbringing and the realities of power, gender, and trauma.
Sophie Mackintosh uses stark, evocative prose and speculative elements to interrogate patriarchal violence and survival.
The novel blends mythic and contemporary concerns to craft a haunting exploration of control and vulnerability.
It established Mackintosh as a distinctive voice in contemporary speculative fiction.
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All Things ConsiDered (All Fours)
Miranda July
All Fours by Miranda July is an idiosyncratic novel that defies conventional relationship narratives, blending the absurd with poignant observations about care and human need.
July's experimental voice and fragmented structure create surprising emotional textures and sudden tonal shifts that challenge reader expectations.
The novel often stops the reader short, prompting reflection on why characters behave and how intimacy functions.
It reimagines affair tropes through a contemporary, offbeat lens, presenting ruptures in narrative logic that mirror relational dislocation.
The book is celebrated for its originality and willingness to break form in service of emotional truth.
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OBJECT PERMANENCE
Renee Baillargeon
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The magic toyshop
Angela Carter
The Magic Toyshop is Angela Carter's early novel about a young girl who, after family upheaval, is sent to live with her eccentric uncle and becomes embroiled in a world of toys, puppetry, and dark enchantment.
Carter's rich, evocative language transforms domestic spaces into sites of mythic power and sexual awakening.
The novel explores themes of autonomy, violence, and the construction of identity through imaginative metaphors and surreal set-pieces.
Carter's blending of fairy-tale motifs with subversive feminist perspectives has made the book a landmark in British magical realism.
Its ambiguous boundary between reality and enchantment aligns with influences Sophie Mackintosh cites for her own work.
#93513
White Heart
Robert Rabil
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The Infatuations
Javier Marías
The Infatuations follows a narrator drawn into the lives of a couple after the husband's sudden death, leading to an obsessive engagement with memory, grief, and interpretation.
Javier Marías crafts a slow-burning narrative where motives remain elusive and loyalties shift, compelling the reader to question appearances and truth.
The novel interrogates how we construct stories about others and the moral ambiguities in judging private lives.
Marías's languid, digressive sentences create an atmosphere of steady unease, culminating in revelations that recast earlier events.
The work is a meditation on desire, watchfulness, and the unknowability of other people's interior lives.
#1839
• Mentioned in 25 episodes
Awakenings
Oliver Sacks
Jonathan Davis
The book tells the extraordinary story of a group of patients who survived the great sleeping-sickness epidemic of the 1920s and were 'awakened' 40 years later by the administration of the drug L-DOPA.
Dr. Sacks documents the miraculous and sometimes disastrous effects of this treatment, exploring themes of health, disease, suffering, care, and the human condition.
The book also delves into the psychological and philosophical implications of these patients' experiences, highlighting the complexities of identity, personality, and the impact of their prolonged immobility on their lives.
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Sudden Traveller
Sarah Hall
Sudden Traveller is a collection of short stories by Sarah Hall that demonstrates her versatility and mastery of language across varied moods and subjects.
Each concise piece presents a distinct, fully realized world, often blending domestic detail with uncanny or intense emotional undercurrents.
Hall's control of tone and imagery makes even brief narratives linger, rewarding close reading.
The collection highlights her ability to shift modes while maintaining precision and emotional resonance.
Readers of short fiction find in these stories a demonstration of craft and the surprising reach of brief narrative forms.
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The Glutton
Amy Blakemore
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Cursed Bread
Sophie McIntosh
#2770
• Mentioned in 18 episodes
The Man in the High Castle
Michelle Charrier
Philip K. Dick
Published in 1962, 'The Man in the High Castle' is set in a world where Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany emerged victorious from World War II. The novel follows multiple characters, including Robert Childan, who runs an antique shop in San Francisco specializing in pre-war American artifacts, and Juliana Frink, who becomes involved with a mysterious novel called 'The Grasshopper Lies Heavy', which presents an alternate history where the Allies won the war.
The story delves into themes of resistance, cultural identity, and the exploration of different historical outcomes.
#91900
Permanence
Lisa Broderick and Marshall Goldsmith
Permanence, co-authored by Lisa Broderick and Marshall Goldsmith, examines how our perception of time influences behavior and offers practical methods to make positive changes stick.
The book presents simple daily questions and reflective practices designed to shift habits and foster lasting personal and organizational transformation.
Drawing on research and real-world leadership experience, it shows how brief, consistent self-assessments can alter choices during the day.
The authors combine psychological insights about time perception with actionable routines to help readers become the best versions of themselves.
Overall, the book emphasizes small, repeatable practices as the path to sustainable change.
#19378
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
A single man
Hubert Henry Davies
A Single Man is the twelfth studio album by Elton John, released in 1978.
It marked a stylistic shift for John, featuring more experimental arrangements and introspective lyrics.
This was his first album without Bernie Taupin.
It includes the singles 'Part-Time Love' and 'Song for Guy.' A Single Man received mixed reviews but showcased John's willingness to explore new musical directions.
It is remembered for its unique sound within his discography.
The album themes are loneliness and change.
#933
• Mentioned in 41 episodes
Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison
In 'Invisible Man,' Ralph Ellison tells the story of a nameless black protagonist who navigates the surreal and often hostile world of 20th-century America.
The novel begins with the narrator living in an underground room, reflecting on his life and the various ways he has experienced social invisibility.
He recounts his journey from a small Southern town to Harlem, involving experiences with racism, a brutal 'battle royal,' and his involvement with the Brotherhood, a civil rights group.
The narrative delves into themes of identity, power, and the struggle for self-definition in a society that refuses to see him.
Through his experiences, the narrator grapples with the complexities of being a black man in America, ultimately leading to a profound exploration of invisibility and the search for one's true self.
#1264
• Mentioned in 33 episodes
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Milan Kundera
Set in Czechoslovakia during the 1968 Prague Spring and its aftermath, 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' follows the lives of Tomáš, a surgeon and serial adulterer; Tereza, his wife; Sabina, Tomáš's mistress and an artist; and Franz, Sabina's lover.
The novel delves into philosophical themes such as the concept of 'lightness' versus 'heaviness', drawing from the ideas of Nietzsche and Parmenides.
It explores the characters' experiences with love, sex, loyalty, and betrayal, all set against the political turmoil of the time.
The story examines the human condition, the search for meaning and happiness, and the consequences of the choices made by the characters.
#8932
• Mentioned in 6 episodes
The Lottery
Shirley Jackson
Written immediately after World War II, 'The Lottery' is a cautionary tale that explores the dangers of blindly following tradition and the dark side of human nature.
The story takes place in a small, unnamed village where the residents gather annually to conduct a lottery that results in the stoning of one of their own.
The narrative highlights the mob mentality and the abandonment of reason as the townspeople participate in this brutal tradition, revealing the underlying themes of communal violence and individual vulnerability.
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The Mercies
The Mercies
Kiran Millwood Hargrave
The Mercies is Kiran Millwood Hargrave's debut novel for adults, set in Norway at the beginning of the 17th century.
Inspired by Louise Bourgeois' installation piece 'The Damned, the Possessed and the Beloved,' which commemorates the 1621 execution of 91 people for witchcraft on the Norwegian island of Vardø, the novel explores the true historical events behind this tragedy.
The book debuted at number 1 on The Times Bestseller Chart and number 5 on the Sunday Times Bestseller List, was named an NYT Notable Book of the Year, and won a Betty Trask Award.
#16192
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
Simple Passion
Annie Ernaux
In Annie Ernaux's 'Simple Passion,' the narrator recounts an all-consuming, intense affair with a married foreign diplomat.
The slim novel meticulously catalogs the narrator's obsessive thoughts, desires, and anticipation of her lover's calls and visits.
Ernaux explores themes of longing, waiting, and the blurring of identity within the context of a passionate, yet unequal relationship.
The narrative captures the emotional highs and lows, as well as the mundane details, of a life lived solely for the pursuit and experience of love.
This book offers a stark, unflinching examination of female desire and the power dynamics inherent in romantic relationships.
#628
• Mentioned in 55 episodes
Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert
Published in 1857, 'Madame Bovary' is a seminal work of literary realism that tells the story of Emma Bovary, a beautiful and intelligent young woman who marries Charles Bovary, a dull and unambitious doctor.
Emma's life is marked by boredom, romantic fantasies, and a series of ill-fated love affairs with men like Rodolphe and Léon.
Her inability to distinguish between her romantic ideals and the harsh realities of her life leads to financial ruin, public scandal, and ultimately, her tragic demise.
The novel is renowned for its masterful writing, detailed psychological insights, and its critique of bourgeois provincial life.
#8535
• Mentioned in 6 episodes
Revolutionary Road
Richard Yates
Set in 1955, 'Revolutionary Road' by Richard Yates explores the lives of Frank and April Wheeler, a couple living in the suburban Revolutionary Hill Estates in Connecticut.
The novel delves into themes of adultery, abortion, failed marriages, and the emptiness of suburban consumer culture.
Frank and April, who see themselves as different from their neighbors, are trapped in a life that does not align with their aspirations.
The story highlights their attempts to break free from their suburban rut, particularly through April's plan to move to Paris, and the devastating consequences of their self-deception.
The novel is known for its vivid and metaphorical descriptions, its critique of the American Dream, and its exploration of the isolation and communication failures within relationships.
#5053
• Mentioned in 10 episodes
Bartleby, the Scrivener
A Story of Wall Street
Herman Melville
The story, narrated by an unnamed lawyer, revolves around Bartleby, a scrivener hired to copy legal documents.
Initially, Bartleby is a diligent worker, but he soon begins to refuse tasks with the repetitive phrase 'I would prefer not to'.
Despite the lawyer's attempts to reason with him, Bartleby's behavior becomes increasingly bizarre, leading to his eventual arrest and tragic end.
The story delves into themes of alienation, the mechanical nature of work, and the societal expectations of the mid-19th century.
It is often interpreted as a critique of the sterility and impersonality of the legal and business world of that era.
#3173
• Mentioned in 16 episodes
Giovanni's Room
James Baldwin
Published in 1956, 'Giovanni's Room' is a groundbreaking novel by James Baldwin that delves into the life of David, a young American expatriate in Paris.
David is caught between his desire for Giovanni, an Italian bartender, and his engagement to Hella, an American woman.
The novel explores themes of love, shame, guilt, and the internal conflicts that arise from societal expectations and personal identity.
As David navigates his relationships and grapples with his sexuality, the story unfolds into a tragic confrontation with the consequences of his choices and the unspoken complexities of the human heart.
#10428
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
The End of the Affair
Graham Greene
Set in London during and after World War II, 'The End of the Affair' delves into the complexities of a love triangle between Maurice Bendrix, Sarah Miles, and her husband, Henry.
When Sarah abruptly ends her affair with Maurice, he becomes consumed by jealousy and hires a private detective to uncover the truth.
The narrative explores themes of religious faith, skepticism, and the destructive nature of obsessive love.
As Maurice unravels the secrets surrounding Sarah's decision, he confronts his own beliefs and grapples with the possibility of divine intervention.
Greene's novel is a profound exploration of human relationships and the search for meaning in a world torn apart by war and personal turmoil.
#67
• Mentioned in 239 episodes
The great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published in 1925, 'The Great Gatsby' is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life during the Jazz Age. The novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island and becomes entangled in the lives of his wealthy and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and Gatsby's obsession to win back his first love, Daisy Buchanan.
The story delves into themes of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past, ultimately reflecting on the disintegration of the American Dream.
What’s the difference between flash fiction and the short story? Why are we drawn to literature’s most flawed characters? And what would be the ideal fictional world for adulterers?
Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, on this episode of Ask Penguin, we’re answering your questions with our best book recommendations and talking to Booker Prize-longlisted novelist Sophie Mackintosh about her new novel Permanence. The book follows Clara and Francis – a couple in love, but in secret. When they wake in a strange city, they can finally be together. But as they move between this world and their ordinary lives, cracks begin to show, and they are forced to ask - how long can their love survive?
Discover all the books mentioned in this episode here
Sophie Mackintosh is the author of four novels, including The Water Cure and Cursed Bread. She has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Women's Prize, has won a Betty Trask Award, and has been selected as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists. She has been published in Granta, The White Review and TANK magazine among others.
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