Reviews - Dept. of Speculation

2.65k reviews for:

Dept. of Speculation

Jenny Offill

3.79 AVERAGE

marocuya's review against another edition

3.25

reflective medium-paced

a_schwa's review against another edition

4.0

How did Jenny do that with the form?! How did she do this to my heart! So many golden lines in here.

bookhobbits's review

4.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

The blurb doesn't explain well what this book is about. A wife is reflecting back on her entire marriage in the wake of learning her husband has been having an affair. The title and description made it seem to me like the Department of Speculation would be a big part of the novel, maybe even epistolary at points- it's not. It's only referenced in a couple lines.

That said, I enjoyed this. It felt like peeking into someone's mind as they wander through their memories. You don't ever get the full picture because it's disjointed, sometimes meandering off path, but you get the full emotions, which is all you really need.

Content Warnings

keweizhang's review against another edition

2.0

emotional reflective

buggie_books's review against another edition

4.0

Offill skillfully conducts an emotional examination of a young woman torn between motherhood, marriage, and her aspirations as a writer. The MC grapples with a lack of inspiration, embarking on a journey through her past to unearth wisdom. She vividly portrays the consuming demands of motherhood and, amidst the struggles, there are moments of joy. She navigates this all adeptly, just as she confronts her husband's infidelity with a nuanced perspective. However, the novel falters in its final stretch, lacking the satisfying conclusion it deserves and detracting from its overall impact.