Whenher father dies, Kay Wilkinson can’t cry. Over ten years, Alzheimer’s had steadilyeroded this erudite man into a paranoid lunatic. Surely one’s own father passing should never come as such a relief.

Both medical professionals, Kay and her husband Cyrilhave seen too many elderly patients in similar states of decay. Although healthy and vital intheir early fifties, the couple fears what may lie ahead. Determined to diewith dignity, Cyril makes a modest proposal. To sparethemselves and their loved ones such a humiliating and protracted decline, theyshould agree to commitsuicide together once they’ve both turned eighty. When their deal is sealed, the spouses are blithely looking forward to another three decadestogether.

Butthen they turn eighty.

By turns hilariousand touching, playful and grave, Should We Stay or Should We Go portraystwelve parallel universes, each exploring a possible future for Kay and Cyril. Werethey to cut life artificially short, what would they miss outon? Something terrific? Or something terrible? Might they end upin a home? A fabulous luxury retirement village, or a Cuckoo’s Nest sort of home? Might being demented end up beingrather fun? What future for humanity awaits—the end of civilization, or aValhalla of peace and prosperity? What if cryogenics were really to work? Whatif scientists finally cure aging?

Both timelyand timeless, Lionel Shriver addresses serious themes—the compromisesof longevity, the challenge of living a long life and still going out in style—withan uncannily light touch. Weaving in ahost of contemporary issues, from Brexit and mass migration to the coronavirus,Shriver has pulled off a rollicking page-turner in which we never have to mournperished characters, because they’ll be alive and kicking in the very nextchapter.