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savvylit's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Cleanness is a beautifully written book about love, sex, desire, and power in an overwhelmingly homophobic culture. Our narrator continuously grapples with the inherently furtive nature of sexual expression in Bulgaria. The necessity of these clandestine encounters allows the narrator to reflect upon his own past shame and acceptance of his sexuality.
The most powerful aspect of this story is the skillful writing. Greenwell's prose is evocative, haunting, and artful. The atmosphere of melancholia and loneliness that he has created in the pages of Cleanness is so palpable.
Another strength of this book was how readers learn the most about the narrator through his encounters with lovers, students, and colleagues. Cleanness reminded me of Rachel Cusk's Outline in that way. Oftentimes, more detail is given about the secondary characters than our narrator.
It is also worth noting that Cleanness is incredibly sexually explicit and often erotic. Greenwell frankly details every moment of the narrator's intimate encounters down to every move made and every word said. I'm not sure I've ever experienced that same level of candor anywhere else in literature.
Where this book did not work for me, though, was in the disjointed structure of the narrative. I am all for nonlinear narratives, but in this case, I found my interest waning between standalone vignettes. That's what ultimately influenced me to put this book at 3.5 stars instead of 4.
As a final note, please check the content warnings before reading Cleanness. I made the mistake of not doing that myself and was completely thrown and jarred by a very brutal scene early on in the book.
The most powerful aspect of this story is the skillful writing. Greenwell's prose is evocative, haunting, and artful. The atmosphere of melancholia and loneliness that he has created in the pages of Cleanness is so palpable.
Another strength of this book was how readers learn the most about the narrator through his encounters with lovers, students, and colleagues. Cleanness reminded me of Rachel Cusk's Outline in that way. Oftentimes, more detail is given about the secondary characters than our narrator.
It is also worth noting that Cleanness is incredibly sexually explicit and often erotic. Greenwell frankly details every moment of the narrator's intimate encounters down to every move made and every word said. I'm not sure I've ever experienced that same level of candor anywhere else in literature.
Where this book did not work for me, though, was in the disjointed structure of the narrative. I am all for nonlinear narratives, but in this case, I found my interest waning between standalone vignettes. That's what ultimately influenced me to put this book at 3.5 stars instead of 4.
As a final note, please check the content warnings before reading Cleanness. I made the mistake of not doing that myself and was completely thrown and jarred by a very brutal scene early on in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, and Homophobia
Moderate: Hate crime
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
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