James Orr wakes one morning to find he can no longer move half of his face. He is diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a condition that paralyses the facial nerves, and makes eating and talking difficult. He no longer looks nor feels like himself; he’s signed off work and his days lose their shape. His comfortable middle-class existence, a high-powered job, two children, and a house on a private estate, starts to come apart. Tom Lee’s first novel, written while he was recuperating from a serious illness, is crisp and slim. It has a dash of Kafka, but it’s also subtly propulsive, as James becomes increasingly competitive with his neighbours, including the frequently shirtless and barefoot Kit, more sexually demanding with his wife, and more disoriented by his surroundings. His frozen face becomes a symbol of a deeper unease with his status in the community and in his marriage. Though the novel ends rather abruptly, Lee writes with elegance and concision, conveying James’s growing distress and disconnection.

• The Alarming Palsy of James Orr by Tom Lee is published by Granta (£12.99). To order a copy for £11.04 go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99