I’ve brought two Big Novels with me for this month-long journey: Zadie Smith’s Fraud (Anjali, you know I loved Swing Time) and Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead. There’s something Dickensian in the air, apparently!
Anjali, I completely agree about This is How You Lose the Time War. I listened to the audio version, and it took me two tries because the beginning was deceptive: I thought, this isn't my kind of book at all. But I heard so much buzz that I gave it another shot and I'm so glad I did. What artistry! It's genre-defiant, gorgeous and inventive and, as you said, surprising in so many ways. It's a beautiful story, but it's so much more than that, and I'd encourage writers especially who might not think it's their kind of book at first to stick with it just to experience the craft woven into its pages.
Artistry is exactly the word. I'll admit I might not have stuck with it if it hadn't been for the fact that I was leading a book club discussion about it. But I'm soooo glad I did. And I do intend to re-read it, now that I have a better sense of its structure and premise, so that I can really soak in the writing.
I’ve brought two Big Novels with me for this month-long journey: Zadie Smith’s Fraud (Anjali, you know I loved Swing Time) and Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead. There’s something Dickensian in the air, apparently!
Welcome Sydney!
Anjali, I completely agree about This is How You Lose the Time War. I listened to the audio version, and it took me two tries because the beginning was deceptive: I thought, this isn't my kind of book at all. But I heard so much buzz that I gave it another shot and I'm so glad I did. What artistry! It's genre-defiant, gorgeous and inventive and, as you said, surprising in so many ways. It's a beautiful story, but it's so much more than that, and I'd encourage writers especially who might not think it's their kind of book at first to stick with it just to experience the craft woven into its pages.
Artistry is exactly the word. I'll admit I might not have stuck with it if it hadn't been for the fact that I was leading a book club discussion about it. But I'm soooo glad I did. And I do intend to re-read it, now that I have a better sense of its structure and premise, so that I can really soak in the writing.