The Empathy Problem, like Extence's earlier books, centres on a character who looks at the world rather differently from most people. Alex Woods is a nerdy teen who develops epilepsy after being struck by a meteor and Abby (confusingly perhaps, Melody herself is a minor character in the novel named for her) is a young woman whose worsening mental health problems are triggered by discovering a dead neighbour. In this book our focus is on Gabriel Vaughn – hedge fund manager with an angel’s name and a very unangelic attitude to the rest of humanity – and his brain tumour. Gabriel is, in some ways, almost a caricature of the worst kind of person working in London’s financial world – he treats women badly, looks down on lowly admin and service staff (or rather never considers them at all) and generally believes that money can get him anything. In short his problem with empathy – from our point of view – is that he has none. But the tumour starts to change him and, in particular, his emotional responses. I have sat in hospital neuro wards listening to people who, in previous times, were mild-mannered to a fault but now are rude, foul-mouthed and prone to wandering hands. The tumour has changed their personality and this is exactly what happens to Gabriel – but in reverse. There is no question that he will die, the tumour is inoperable and we are told this right at the beginning, but the book explores how Gabriel discovers that there is a better way to live your final days. This book is never sentimental and Extence doesn’t make the mistake of having Gabriel suddenly becoming perfect but by the end he is someone you’d have as a friend. Along the way we learn the value of honesty, love, music and loyalty. As well as the joy of perfectly aimed revenge…

Empathy. Noun. 1) The psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitude of another. In The Empathy Problem, Gabriel Vaughn has made a great success of himself partly due to a lack of it. Now a tumour the size of a golf ball lodged deep in something called his anterior insular cortex is causing peculiar side-effects… That empathy is presented as a problem is the crux of this novel. Is it really never too late to change your life? Does that change count if it is imposed rather than sought? Does wealth equal richness? All of these questions and more are threaded through this intelligent, bittersweet, darkly comic, thought-provoking, and hugely enjoyable read. This is Gavin Extence’s third novel, and it’s the third time that he’s delivered something that is going to challenge your assumptions and opinions. I love it especially because I know that some will be warmed by a redemptive love story, and others will be discomforted by spending time with a skilled manipulator. Book clubs especially are going to be thrilled with the discussions that this book will raise. He writes books that get under your skin and stick with you, and this offering is well worth your time.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up The Empathy Problem, the blurb intrigued me and the cover is stunning, I started to read with an open mind. A couple of hours later I looked up, I was hooked, well and truly. This writing is so compelling, and Gabriel Vaughan is a lead character that I should hate, but who has snuck into my heart and stayed there. Thirty-two year old Gabriel is at the top of his game. He earns over three million pounds a year, his suits cost £30,000. His chauffeur drives him to work in the city every day in a Mercedes, they don't speak ... ever. His personal car is a yellow Ferrari, his apartment is minimal, stocked with the best of everything and kept as neat as a pin by a cleaner .... who he has never seen. Money is his goal, it buys everything, even his sex life. Gabriel is at his desk every morning by 6.20am and leaves the officer at 7.30 .... 6.45 on a Friday. He manages his hedge fund with skill, making his company millions and earning the respect of those he works with ... apart from the admin staff, and the doormen .... he doesn't speak to them. The one thing that money cannot ensure is good health, and when Gabriel bursts into unexplained tears whilst travelling on the Tube ... which in itself is unusual, let alone the tears ... he consults a doctor straight away. The news is bad ... terminal. There's a tumour on Gabriel's brain, and it's going to kill him. He has six months. The unexplained tears are not the only symptom of this brain invader. Gabriel begins to notice strange feelings. He actually appears to start to care about things. He spends hours gazing out of his high-rise office window at the Occupy London camp that has set up on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral, and when he hears a young girl busker playing classical music on her violin one day, his life takes an unexpected curve. Gavin Extence is an absolute genius character builder. I should hate Gabriel and all that he stands for, but there were times when I just loved him and his total disregard for those around him which gave him a certain air of vulnerability, and made him quite gullible. The supporting cast of characters range from the downright frightful (his boss Mason), to the absolutely delicious (Caitlin the busker). And the insights into the world of finance were intriguing and told with a straightforward charm that even a complete financial novice such as myself could enjoy. There's a message within The Empathy Problem, yet it is so sensitively done and so touching that it never feels patronising or preachy. The story raises the question of whether it is ever too late to change, and whether love and empathy go hand in hand. I really cared about Gabriel. I hoped that it wasn't just the tumour that changed him, I hoped that discovering real love helped him along the way, I hoped that he discovered real happiness alongside the empathy. Witty, insightful and tender, The Empathy Problem is a triumph. I loved it.

Gabriel isn’t a likeable chap. He earns millions by making decisions with the primary motivation of profit, is arrogant, self interested and he is dying of an inoperable brain tumour. The last six months of his life are going to be different. I loved this book. It’s set in the financial hub of London at the time of the Occupy camp erected outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. It fits perfectly with this time in modern history, illustrating the gulf between capitalism and those who oppose it in an educated and inspiring way. Much of the book is made up of this gap between rich and poor as it asks questions on the morality of the distribution of wealth in society, and the relationship between owning money and personal happiness and fulfilment. Empathy is a central theme, questioning and exploring the part it plays in our interactions with others, the media, art and our finances as well as looking into where it originates in humanity. One of the features of this book that made a big impact with me was how much it spiked my own feelings of empathy. Extence plays excellent devil’s advocate and balances arguments well, you can believe the experiences which shape the characters and can accept their motivations even when they are not particularly affable. Central to the messages it gives the reader are more philosophical, that not every poor and left wing is good and not everyone rich is a psychopath, but that people are both good and bad in different shades all the time and we should all be careful who we box into cages and how we let the end result determine our actions rather than what we consider the ‘right’ thing. The book contains some great humour and some moments of triumph that made me feel weepy. The emotional experience, great story and added nods to some of my favourite music equalled a really enjoyable and worthwhile few days reading. I know this book will do well and it totally deserves to.

Gabriel isn’t a likeable chap. He earns millions by making decisions with the primary motivation of profit, is arrogant, self interested and he is dying of an inoperable brain tumour. The last six months of his life are going to be different. I loved this book. It’s set in the financial hub of London at the time of the Occupy camp erected outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. It fits perfectly with this time in modern history, illustrating the gulf between capitalism and those who oppose it in an educated and inspiring way. Much of the book is made up of this gap between rich and poor as it asks questions on the morality of the distribution of wealth in society, and the relationship between owning money and personal happiness and fulfilment. Empathy is a central theme, questioning and exploring the part it plays in our interactions with others, the media, art and our finances as well as looking into where it originates in humanity. One of the features of this book that made a big impact with me was how much it spiked my own feelings of empathy. Extence plays excellent devil’s advocate and balances arguments well, you can believe the experiences which shape the characters and can accept their motivations even when they are not particularly affable. Central to the messages it gives the reader are more philosophical, that not every poor and left wing is good and not everyone rich is a psychopath, but that people are both good and bad in different shades all the time and we should all be careful who we box into cages and how we let the end result determine our actions rather than what we consider the ‘right’ thing. The book contains some great humour and some moments of triumph that made me feel weepy. The emotional experience, great story and added nods to some of my favourite music equalled a really enjoyable and worthwhile few days reading. I know this book will do well and it totally deserves to.