A review by egoenner
The Last Life by Claire Messud

4.0

This was the first, but won't be the last, Messud book I read. A beautiful writer, she expertly creates characters with deep personalities and backstories. Slow to unravel, and gently looping through time and various characters' stories, the novel took, and deserved, time to explore its intricacies and language. I frequently say the stories of "the old person remembering life" are lazily written and terribly structured, and The Last Life is evidence to support my belief. Messud moves seamlessly through generations, weaving stories, echoing histories and creating new ones. The reader learns of generations of stories, woven through time, organically. In this time of 'stay-at-home' life, this novel was a treasure to savor.