A review by emma7377
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey

challenging informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

5.0

EDIT: it is one week after making the review below and i cant stop thinking about the book so im raising my rating to 5 stars! it was just so good and gave me the same feeling i had when i finished a secret history!

This took me so long to read, but that’s only due to my post exam burnout and just being at work in the evenings when i usually read, not because this book isn’t excellent. 

mild spoiler warning!
X is such an interesting character but thank god she’s not a person because I would hate her more than I’ve hated anyone. The narratar’s relationship with her evolves to become a little…cultish? She’s this one-woman cult dedicated to having X percieve her in a certain way as she constantly censors her immediate thoughts and desires whenever talking to her, fearing that X will look down on her for them. It’s infuriating to read…and also midly familiar. I strangely felt myself relating to the narratar’s passive obedience (maybe thats not the right word) during her time with X and her realisations post X and how she realises these realisations aren’t even complete and never will be and ultimately mean nothing. The only realisation i guess is that some people, like X, can never be explained. I like that there is no big red bow to tie the events of X’s life together and explain it all - it feels right. She wasn’t meant to make sense just as most people don’t. Also why she is so magnetic and captivating is never quite conveyed which might just be a flaw of the author but then again, some people do just have a charm and power about them that you can’t put a finger on. Maybe it was unintentional but I feel like this helps to make this more grounded and believable. 

Oh and also- I NEED A FILM ADAPTATION NOW.