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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Dementia
I loved Johnson's story collection Fen so much and this novel has a similar DNA. It is looser and messier though and the gauzy writing can verge into repetition. Even so, Johnson is an incredible writer, so skilled with language. I think I may adopt some of her made up words for this book. I, too, often need a sheesh (time alone). She is quite a talent and I am excited for the next one she writes.
A beautifully written book with a beautifully illustrated cover sets my heart aflutter. Daisy’s Johnson’s EVERYTHING UNDER, which made this year’s Man Booker’s shortlist, retells the Greek tragedy of Oedipus set in modern day London with childhood flashbacks of life on dilapidated houseboat on the Isis/Thames River. Somehow it still feels timeless and ancient. Knowing that may make some of the story less surprising but never any less scintillating. The story follows a lexicographer who sets out to find her estranged mother whom she has not seen since she was 16. As their secret invented language returns to her mind, so too do the memories she buried deep, and the reunion offers answers about her mother’s painful past and missing pieces of her own. Though slow going from the get-go, once the story comes into focus, Johnson masters control over pacing and reveals just enough at just the right time to engage. The modern myth is brimming with symbolism, like protagonist Gretel’s folklore first name and her moniker Regretal (hint: it’s less to do with regret and more to do with the prefix re- as a clever way of foreshadowing), to the mirroring of fluidity in gender/selfhood and the water of which their life floats on and their personified fear (the Bonak) lurks in. I will be thinking of everything under EVERYTHING UNDER for awhile, turning back pages to untangle and bring back meaning to the surface. 5/5 one of my favorites this year.
Took me about 50 pages to get into it; after that I couldn't put it down. Great, weird, grim stuff.
Needed to concentrate for this novel, so not a great choice for my bedtime audio. Some beautiful lyrical phrases. An interesting twisting tale where characters change and surprise.
Daisy Johnson’s EVERYTHING UNDER was my pick for the #popsugarreadingchallenge Prompt 12 “A book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore”. I decided not to air out the myth it’s meant to be retelling because it’s a key plot spoiler, but it also has elements of Hansel and Gretel scattered in. It was on the 2018 Booker Prize short list, and it is definitely ambitious and atmospheric, but overall didn’t really work for me. Three stars, enjoyable, but meh, kind of drawn out in the middle. ⭐️⭐️⭐️