The End of Everything by M. John Harrison | Audiobook Review | Booker Prize 2026

M. John Harrison’s The End of Everything is strange, baffling — and somehow compelling. In this Bertie’s Books review, I look at Harrison’s Booker Prize 2026-longlisted novel, Russ Bain’s narration, and whether being completely bewildered by an audiobook can actually be part of the fun. Europe has largely disappeared, reality doesn’t seem entirely dependable, and the mysterious iGhetti aren’t in any hurry to explain themselves. Harrison gives us fragments, repetitions and tantalising snippets of information — and somehow kept me following the treat trail right to the end. I even listened to the final chapters twice. I was none the wiser. But I’d happily listen to the whole thing again. 🎧 THE AUDIOBOOK The End of Everything Written by M. John Harrison Narrated by Russ Bain Published by Serpent’s Tail Audio Running time: 3 hrs 50 mins Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2026 ⭐ BERTIE’S SCORES Story: 4/5 Narration: 4/5 Waffleometer: 2/5 Remember: with the Waffleometer, lower is better! 📚 CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction 1:08 The Author 1:38 The Story 4:48 The Narrator 5:57 The Waffleometer 6:55 The Scores 7:28 The Verdict 8:30 Next Time 📖 NEXT TIME The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley, narrated by Nathalie Buscombe. After the bewildering world of The End of Everything, this was a very different experience: beautiful writing, superb narration and, despite some uncomfortable moments, an audiobook that felt rather like being snuggled up in a warm blanket. 📷 IMAGE CREDITS Book jacket supplied with permission by Profile Books / Serpent’s Tail. M. John Harrison photograph © Hugo Glendinning. Supplied with permission by Profile Books. Russ Bain photograph © Karolina Heller. Used with permission of Russ Bain, courtesy of Harvey Voices. 🐾 BERTIE’S BOOKS Audiobook reviews and recommendations — with occasional assistance from Dave. If you enjoyed the review, please like the video and subscribe to Bertie’s Books for more audiobook reviews. #TheEndOfEverything #MJohnHarrison #RussBain #BookerPrize #BookerPrize2026 #Audiobooks #AudiobookReview #BertiesBooks