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A review by frasersimons
Zorrie by Laird Hunt
5.0
I was going to give this a four star, simply because I don’t think it comes near being truly novel. But from the expectations it sets at the start: Zorrie as a young girl in 1930s but actually an old woman remembering a whole life, there really isn’t any slip of craft to be had. I wasn’t even that keen on the premise or setting, and yet recognize it as an absolute command performance from a writer. There is near as can be said perfect prose work, pacing, and character work. Sentence-by-sentence, paragraph formulation, and setting.
It’s idyllic, bucolic, and indicative of the kind of life your grandmother would actually tell you. Complicated and naturally heartbreaking in the ways a simple life without systemic renderings whatsoever. The police man is a kind sheriff from town, who genuinely cares. The neighbour is literally your best friend. You reap and sow. Literally, all day long.
Life was complicated enough, it seems to say. And I can respect that. Nothing wrong with this kind of well-rendered myopic escapism. It knows exactly what it’s doing and executes it superlatively.
It’s idyllic, bucolic, and indicative of the kind of life your grandmother would actually tell you. Complicated and naturally heartbreaking in the ways a simple life without systemic renderings whatsoever. The police man is a kind sheriff from town, who genuinely cares. The neighbour is literally your best friend. You reap and sow. Literally, all day long.
Life was complicated enough, it seems to say. And I can respect that. Nothing wrong with this kind of well-rendered myopic escapism. It knows exactly what it’s doing and executes it superlatively.