A review by stephjones71
A Field Guide to Reality by Joanna Kavenna, Oly Ralfe

4.0

A Field Guide To Reality by Joanna Kavenna is a beautiful book, a back and white hardback with a charming layout and stunning illustrations by Oly Ralfe. Set in the landscape of a part real and part imaginary Oxford, the book’s main protagonist is Eliade Jencks, a waitress in a museum cafe who was befriended by Professor Solete, an academic at Nightingale Hall. Upon Solete’s sudden death, Eliade is gifted a box which is due to contain his Field Guide to Reality; eagerly sought after by Solete’s academic colleagues. After this bequest Eliade embarks upon a journey to find the truth and location of Solete’s masterpiece. Joanna Kavenna’s writing is beautiful (hardly surprising that she is currently one of Granta’s Best Young British Authors) and we follow Eliade on her journey of discovery through a surreal landscape including a cast of legendary academics such as Robert Grosseteste, Roger Bacon and Albert Einstein to name but a few. Some of Eliade’s escapades are bizarre, particularly her visit to The Society of the Universal Chrysanthemun where she is given psychotropic tea but Kavenna’s writing and story telling is always engaging and enjoyable. I am still thinking about the ending of the book now and must admit do find some of the philosophical concepts puzzling but I would recommend A Field Guide to Reality to anyone looking for a thought provoking read.

Thank you to www.realreaders.co.uk for the review copy of A Field Guide To Reality.