Susan Johnson is a funny woman. Anyone who has read her previous work will already value her ability to see the absurdity of everyday monotonous routines. The Landing is full of such observations, although it would not be considered a humorous novel. It is more a snapshot of middle-aged and middle-class people doing what they need to do to get through the day.

The story focuses on Jonathan Lott, a man wealthy but stranded at his weekend retreat, located a healthy distance from Brisbane. His wife has left him for a woman and here he is, alone, sad and restless. Surrounding him and his loneliness is a cast of eccentric local residents. There are beautiful, interesting women; aging, disagreeable men; misfits; and, always, there is the presence of his ex-wife.

The novel begins with Lott hosting a dinner party for an assortment of these neighbours. It is here we become tangled in the lives of others. We know who drinks too much, who yearns too greatly, and who searches for too long. Lott’s desire to be seen as social, coping, interested and interesting means he acutely observes the pain of others. Johnson has always been able to eloquently describe that which is hidden in us all. She understands the everyday stoicism needed to survive one’s lot.

This novel is an aide-mémoire that we all travel through sorrow and memories, that we all try too hard at times to be heard and appreciated, and that often we are simply peculiar. The Landing is an emotional testament to arriving at peace. Johnson’s language makes this voyage, alongside Lott, easy to navigate. The Landing is a quick and purely delightful read.

Chris Gordon is the events manager for Readings