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rshattuck55 's review for:
Dept. of Speculation
by Jenny Offill
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.