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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Both the book’s second half and a conversation with my friend who enjoyed this book as “a female author’s spin on domesticity in postmodern fiction” convinced me to give Dept of Speculation 3 stars instead of a dreaded 2. I was troubled by the first half of the book, which seemed to argue that the domestic sphere dulls women who were previously sharp and interesting, and it gave me the ick that our protagonist didn’t seem to love her husband until something went wrong. I wasn’t keen on the periodical quotes and factoids, which struck me as far too gimmicky to be effective (except that Emily Dickinson line toward the end!).
But I loved how convincingly Offill talked about the way marriage changes over time, how immense parental love is, how rage and sadness and feeling betrayed can turn us into a person we no longer recognize. So yes. 3 out of 5.
But I loved how convincingly Offill talked about the way marriage changes over time, how immense parental love is, how rage and sadness and feeling betrayed can turn us into a person we no longer recognize. So yes. 3 out of 5.
It reads like a poem, and is so sad it made me scared for what the rest of my life willl be like
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Remember this sign, this tree, this broken-down street. Remember it is possible to feel this way.
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story of a marriage and an affair. A blended recounting that captures the maddening hamster wheel of trying to make sense of your partner’s cheating through research, literature, self-help, and stories/advice from your peers, but realizing over and over again that no matter how much context you have, you can’t stop hurting. I wasn’t blown away by this book, but I respect it for what it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship
Almost too personal (a professor with an only child, a daughter, for starters) to write a public review. Generally speaking, a good, quick read. I liked the writing style.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
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:
Yes