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vaia_the_reader's review
5.0
The unreliable narrator becomes the most reliable vehicle from which to observe a life within inscrutable mental illness.
lizawall's review against another edition
5.0
This book really smashed my mind in a way that I keep revisiting and reinterpreting it months later, and I think this is a sign that it is a truly great work. My one wish is that there had been more Fiona Apple -- sequel maybe?
mettetta's review against another edition
5.0
I honestly read this book in one day. I was so enchanted by Helen, the quirky, flawed, unreliable narrator. I read another review that claimed Sorry to Disrupt the Peace was boring, but I was fascinated the whole time. It's definitely more of an internal struggle Helen has, while the outward plot is pretty basic. But it is so beautifully, subtly written, and there is so much hope at the end. Definitely worth the read.
thebobsphere's review against another edition
5.0
Sorry to Disrupt the Peace is part of the 2018 Republic of Consciousness longlist, this is a prize that awards books that are , according to prize founder Neil Griffiths, ‘hard-core literary fiction and gorgeous prose’. Patrick Cottrell’s debut novel does fulfill those criteria.
The book is about Helen, a Korean woman, who was adopted into a white US family as a child. Helen is quirky, she only gets her clothes from garbage cans , she collects rubbish and displays that and is brutally honest to a point where it is embarrassing. However she does barge through life despite the troubles she encounters, the book’s title is named after her abrupt way of contributing to a conversation.
Sorry to Disrupt the Peace begins with Helen receiving a call from her uncle stating that her adopted brother committed suicide. Helen then goes on a quest to investigate the reason why her brother decided to end his life. Her investigation brings her back to her hometown from New York and she puts the pieces together and things become clear.
As such I would not say that the suicide is a maguffin because Helen goes through some self-realisation about her character and her brother’s but it is a vehicle to show us readers that being foreign can affect one’s position in society – whereas Helen has outward tendencies it is obvious that she doesn’t fit into society, her brother is a misfit as well but he retreats into his shell, until we find out why he has committed suicide and then perspectives change but ultimately the book is about not fitting with the mores and norms of people.
The narrative tone is darkly funny, at times I was reminded of Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs, another book which is stuffed with offbeat characters. Helen’s perversions (I’m never going to forget that towel scene) sort of echo the titular character of Otessa Moshfegh’s Eileen but the overall tone is similar to Elizabeth McKenzie’s The Portable Veblen. The above comparisons are just little signal markers. Patrick Cottrell has got a distinctive voice and coupled with the clever plot makes this book a special read indeed.
The book is about Helen, a Korean woman, who was adopted into a white US family as a child. Helen is quirky, she only gets her clothes from garbage cans , she collects rubbish and displays that and is brutally honest to a point where it is embarrassing. However she does barge through life despite the troubles she encounters, the book’s title is named after her abrupt way of contributing to a conversation.
Sorry to Disrupt the Peace begins with Helen receiving a call from her uncle stating that her adopted brother committed suicide. Helen then goes on a quest to investigate the reason why her brother decided to end his life. Her investigation brings her back to her hometown from New York and she puts the pieces together and things become clear.
As such I would not say that the suicide is a maguffin because Helen goes through some self-realisation about her character and her brother’s but it is a vehicle to show us readers that being foreign can affect one’s position in society – whereas Helen has outward tendencies it is obvious that she doesn’t fit into society, her brother is a misfit as well but he retreats into his shell, until we find out why he has committed suicide and then perspectives change but ultimately the book is about not fitting with the mores and norms of people.
The narrative tone is darkly funny, at times I was reminded of Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs, another book which is stuffed with offbeat characters. Helen’s perversions (I’m never going to forget that towel scene) sort of echo the titular character of Otessa Moshfegh’s Eileen but the overall tone is similar to Elizabeth McKenzie’s The Portable Veblen. The above comparisons are just little signal markers. Patrick Cottrell has got a distinctive voice and coupled with the clever plot makes this book a special read indeed.
amoveableread's review against another edition
4.0
occam's razor: the simplest explanation, requiring the fewest assumptions, is often the correct one
minas_elessar's review against another edition
5.0
Extremely visceral, moving writing that I actually found a bit triggering and really brought the reader into Helen's mindset. and what an odd mindset that is. I can't say I liked any of the characters, but I definitely did feel for them. Really felt to me like an incredible portrayal of the isolation and despair so many of us feel.
filmnoirz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
i really felt for her as i too am depressed, weird, and a fan of fiona apple. however this just didn’t work for me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Vomit
erincampbell87's review against another edition
4.0
This book is quiet, sad and bleak in a way that feels very much like inhabiting the confused, scattered mind of someone deep in the throes of a conflicted grief.
Helen is a memorable narrator like no other whose eccentricities feel keenly observed and believable rather than manufactured for the purpose of creating throwaway quirky plot points. She's what makes this one of the standout books I've read this year.
The author consistently makes stylistic choices to grant the everyday pain of life with an absurd dark humor. In this way, the journey Helen takes through her grief feels natural - the way our brains end up working and processing the traumas we are forced to live with. The story succeeds because its author makes no judgments. At the end, it has the stylistic effect of disturbing the peace - bringing to life the way we all occasionally feel inserted into our own lives through Helen's interactions with the world. As Helen bumbles through her own life, she forces us to reflect on what it is that wills us to make the decision to stay alive, and contemplate whether that choice can possibly be as mundane as she comes to conclude it is.
Helen is a memorable narrator like no other whose eccentricities feel keenly observed and believable rather than manufactured for the purpose of creating throwaway quirky plot points. She's what makes this one of the standout books I've read this year.
The author consistently makes stylistic choices to grant the everyday pain of life with an absurd dark humor. In this way, the journey Helen takes through her grief feels natural - the way our brains end up working and processing the traumas we are forced to live with. The story succeeds because its author makes no judgments. At the end, it has the stylistic effect of disturbing the peace - bringing to life the way we all occasionally feel inserted into our own lives through Helen's interactions with the world. As Helen bumbles through her own life, she forces us to reflect on what it is that wills us to make the decision to stay alive, and contemplate whether that choice can possibly be as mundane as she comes to conclude it is.