A review by kennonstewart
Outline by Rachel Cusk

5.0

I loved the book. Cusk focuses on the conversations that make up life's interactions, and Outline is largely filled with monologues. It's realistic in that she observes human quirks that only arise when talking with someone else, like the face they make when remembering to ask about the other person. On the other hand, few people are self-obsessed enough to deliver monologues of the length in her novel. This makes the story slightly fantastical, but also allows us to meet her characters in greater depth. The book is purely composed of 10 conversations, that's plenty of time to get to know each of her conversors deeply--especially since Faye herself rarely speaks.

As a bonus, there's something ethereal about the blur of airports and Athens in summertime. It really adds something to the storyline.