Meg Mason’s new book, Sophie, Standing There, has been advertised as a bittersweet story of love, loneliness and finding connection in the most unlikely of places.

Most reviews describe Sophie, Standing There as a novel about loneliness, chaos or obsession. Others focus on its insider insights on the world of literary festivals, drawing parallels with Mason’s own rapid rise to literary success.

However, what stands out to me is the novel’s depiction of intense introspection. Sophie is, as the title implies, a static participant in her own life. At times, her reflection and awkwardness is gruelling to observe. But while some readers might become impatient, others will feel a strong affinity with her minute self-analysis.

Sophie is a sound technician working in a precarious, seasonal role at literary festivals. She deferred her career to support her husband’s job, but the novel opens with her grieving the end of her marriage – he brutally ended their relationship while she was showering.

Sophie dwells on the immediate practical and emotional consequences of their separation, but does not disclose details until late in the novel. Throughout, plot elements are gradually and painstakingly conveyed: perseverance is the key.

Few novels have such self-effacing main characters. Sophie is something like the “witness-protagonist” figure – a major character who observes the central plot from the margins, such as Nelly........

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