Anna
This is a good book to read when you find yourself in a very specific income bracket (significantly more than you grew up in; slightly more than you'd expected; enough to be morally uncomfortable; not quite enough to take the edge of your moral discomfort via redistribution), which is likely where you are if the synopsis of this book appealed to you enough to read it. Otherwise it might seem a bit self-indulgent.
Got this book because of all the hype and have to admit that all the hype was 100% justified. It's been a long time since I'd neglected everything to this extent, ignored so many text messages and cancelled so many plans because I was so engrossed in a book and just wanted to find out what happened next.
I'd deliberately steered away from reading any news about this book so I can only imagine the bidding war for the film rights that surely must've happened by now. But it feels destined to be a Jordan Peele movie - the dread and slow-burning tension, the interracial suspicion and awkwardness, but most of all the uncanny microinteractions all made me think of the man.
Alam's writing is admirably confident. He goes for self-assured and unexpected turns of phrase of varying accuracy, and I admired his bravery at times. His narration is super smooth and moves from one pov to another and back to the (very present) narrator in a really pleasant way.
I knew nothing about this book and only picked it up based on the title expecting some light philosophy, so the heavy dose of Marx was unexpected (though I see how the author got from A to B and his argumentation seems airtight to me). What I don't quite get is the author's confidence in having figured out the solution when what he proposes is completely utopian. I wish I could be as idealistic as him, it's very Swedish.
If I had to choose my favourite literary sub-genre, “realism written by authors doing working-class jobs to support their writing” would likely be it, not just for the aesthetic itself but for how fantastical it now seems that this was ever a maintainable lifestyle.
Larry Brown was a fireman with only a high school diploma, and in his own words: Nothing but desire, no talent, and a love of the written word. What's so fascinating about this collection is how visible his progression is - each story is a hell of a lot better than the previous one. There's a recurring theme of writing against the current of constant rejections and the moods that this creates, which makes it all the more amazing that he nevertheless made it.
The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess
It's a bit annoying that, having pointed out that the purpose of gym equipment is to make money for gyms and that you don't really need it, the author proceeds with a training plan that's full of said equipment... The theory part is solid and busts some common myths, but if you're looking for a dumbbell- and bodyweight-only plan, this isn't it.
The author's playwright chops are clearly visible in this novel: though the story ostensibly takes place over a single work day of a single restaurant, the backstory of each character in the ensemble is laid out beautifully and tied to their state of mind on the day, resulting in a lot of drama - possibly maybe a bit too much?
Either way, it was a mesmerising read with some great insights into the psychology of casual cruelties that people inflict on each other.
I'm mildly uncomfortable with the fact that my new favourite female character was created by a man, but oh well. The female protagonist of Mating strikes me as rare because she's so clearly driven by both intellect and minutely dissected emotion working in tandem. Rush pokes fun at the pretentiousness of intellectualism without ever being smug, and writes about emotions with zero sentimentality.
