It is beautiful. Endlessness of water and our reading. Openness of water and the books. Mystery of water and a book. Wisdom of water and a book. Enjoyment of water and a book. Danger of water and a book…
I love this new way of reflecting on what has affected you in the past month. This sounds like such an unusual book, I love nuanced looks at sex and power, considering unlikeable and sometimes uncomfortable storylines. Thank you for sharing :)
This is a book I am unacquainted with, and your review is really helpful. A very funny book I read some years ago about academia with a female narrator is Jane Smiley's Moo. I read it when I was working as an academic and I could resonate with so much of the craziness of the academic world. It's tongue in cheek humour with an underlying scrutiny of that particular world.
The monthly wrap-up post is a challenge. I am still working on how I do mine and have yet to feel inspired without stealing someone else's interesting idea!
Other books that have an academic-as-lead:
White on White by Ayşegül Savaş. The protagonist is writing her phd in art history. She is obsessed with her landlady who is an artist.
Landscapes by Christine Lai. I didn't love the book but I did enjoy elements of it. I did read it a while ago but there are two POVs and the female is a curator in a near future UK that is impacted by climate change. She is archiving the art/artefacts that are part of the collection of her husband's estate. There are some trigger warnings.
It is, isn’t it?! I find myself both loving and feeling intimidated by other people’s roundups! Thank you for the recommendations; White on White sounds particularly interesting to me.
Oh, I really love this new format, Kate! This is a fun way to learn about new books while also learning about what you resonate with -- a lot of these themes feel familiar to the "modernist" books you often write about here, but then there's that neat contemporary bend that makes it feel different and fresh, too. Thank you!! Adding it to my TBR...
Really enjoyed this. For me, your take at the end using Cynthia rather than Vlad' really added flavour.
Thanks! I wasn't overly taken with Vlad, he was a bit flat for me!
It is beautiful. Endlessness of water and our reading. Openness of water and the books. Mystery of water and a book. Wisdom of water and a book. Enjoyment of water and a book. Danger of water and a book…
I love this new way of reflecting on what has affected you in the past month. This sounds like such an unusual book, I love nuanced looks at sex and power, considering unlikeable and sometimes uncomfortable storylines. Thank you for sharing :)
Thank you! I really enjoyed playing around with the format so I'm glad u liked it ☺️
This is a book I am unacquainted with, and your review is really helpful. A very funny book I read some years ago about academia with a female narrator is Jane Smiley's Moo. I read it when I was working as an academic and I could resonate with so much of the craziness of the academic world. It's tongue in cheek humour with an underlying scrutiny of that particular world.
Thanks, Lucy! Ah, I haven’t heard of Moo, I will put it on my list to check out- thanks :)
I enjoyed it a lot, Kate! Definitely something to repeat as long it’s something you enjoy writing.
Thank, Joanna! I wasn’t sure, but the shorter, reflective essay was fun to write!
I enjoyed it a lot, Kate! Definitely something to repeat as long it’s something you enjoy writing.
The monthly wrap-up post is a challenge. I am still working on how I do mine and have yet to feel inspired without stealing someone else's interesting idea!
Other books that have an academic-as-lead:
White on White by Ayşegül Savaş. The protagonist is writing her phd in art history. She is obsessed with her landlady who is an artist.
Landscapes by Christine Lai. I didn't love the book but I did enjoy elements of it. I did read it a while ago but there are two POVs and the female is a curator in a near future UK that is impacted by climate change. She is archiving the art/artefacts that are part of the collection of her husband's estate. There are some trigger warnings.
It is, isn’t it?! I find myself both loving and feeling intimidated by other people’s roundups! Thank you for the recommendations; White on White sounds particularly interesting to me.
My comments...
A superb review, not only of the novel, but also your reaction to it.
I wouldn't call it short.
You are an integral member of substack's reader/reviewer culture. A woman of letters!
On the fiction side of things I'm reading Madam Bovary. Non fiction at the moment is a philosophy tome "The World and Us" by R. M. Unger (2024).
Thanks so much, Matthew! I read Madam Bovary as an English Lit undergrad. It has some interesting themes.
Oh, I really love this new format, Kate! This is a fun way to learn about new books while also learning about what you resonate with -- a lot of these themes feel familiar to the "modernist" books you often write about here, but then there's that neat contemporary bend that makes it feel different and fresh, too. Thank you!! Adding it to my TBR...
Excellent! Thank you, Haley. I wasn’t sure, but it was fun to write! Definitely love to hear your take on the book when you’ve read it.
Sex! Power! Marketing! Hype!
'Cause, you know, who would want to read a novel that's just about people and their complicated lives?