Books I read in January
February 19, 2022 · 4:27 p.m.
Case study by Graeme Macrae Burnet Set in the 1960s, it consists of a fictional biography of Arthur Collins Braithwaite, a radical psychoanalyst with a practice in north London, mixed with notebooks allegedly “found” by one of his cousins and “found” by one of his cousins. author. The patient believes that Braithwaite is responsible for the death of his older sister, Veronica, and acts like Rebecca Smyth to find out more about him. Like the Booker Prize with His Bloody Project, Burnet demonstrates his perfect storytelling skills to present the story as a true source. There are many satires depicting Braithwait’s rivalries with his contemporaries, reminiscent of Ryan O’Neill’s biographies of Their Brilliant Careers, while asking the right questions about the nature and identity of reality while looking for “Rebecca’s” answers. “Case Study” is another notable novel by one of my authors.
Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara It’s one of my most anticipated books of 2022. His third novel consists of three episodes set in 1893, 1993, and 2093, all featuring different characters named David Bingham in an alternate version of New York. The first part dates from the 19th century. It is set in the late 19th century, where New York is part of the Free States and same-sex relationships and marriages are accepted as the rule. David’s wealthy grandfather has arranged an arranged marriage with Charles Griffith while he is attracted to David Edward Bishop. The second part is about AIDS and has a relationship with Hawaiian-born David Charles, with flashbacks to David’s father’s life, and the third part about the 21st century. It is about the impact of some pandemics during the twentieth century. The novel was already well-developed by the time COVID-19 arrived, and as a result, the second part probably feels less speculative than it intended. Although the links and motives are repeated in each of the three parts, the very different settings mean that I find it more appealing to consider the book as a single novel. Although I wasn’t entirely convinced that ‘To Paradise’ is coherently put together as a single novel, Yanagihara’s prose is consistently excellent and explores some interesting topics that ultimately lead to what it means to be free. Thanks to Picadori for submitting a copy of the review via NetGalley.
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