Scan barcode
A review by agenor
Outline by Rachel Cusk
3.0
Outline consists of a series of conversations between the narrator and acquaintances, friends or a group of students during a short trip to Athens to teach a writing workshop. It is elemental in it's style with very little emphasis on plot and almost feels as though these are notes on characters that the author is considering using in a later novel, or ones that never made it into a previous novel; b-tracks of the literary world perhaps.
The characters aren't particularly well drawn and feel to be more just spokespeople for various philosophical points of view. It is to be applauded that the opinions aren't simply for or against a single way of life / opinion but each seems to be approaching life and their experiences from a different perspective, some compatible while others contradictory.
The characters discuss pivotal moments in their lives, some seeking a logic in the events and others using them as evidence of the overall randomness of life and the futility in trying to control your destiny.
It was engaging and difficult to put down with an innovative style, but overall wasn't cohesive enough in my opinion. I think the characters would have also benefited from more depth, but the brevity seems to have been part of the overall impact intended by the author.
The characters aren't particularly well drawn and feel to be more just spokespeople for various philosophical points of view. It is to be applauded that the opinions aren't simply for or against a single way of life / opinion but each seems to be approaching life and their experiences from a different perspective, some compatible while others contradictory.
The characters discuss pivotal moments in their lives, some seeking a logic in the events and others using them as evidence of the overall randomness of life and the futility in trying to control your destiny.
It was engaging and difficult to put down with an innovative style, but overall wasn't cohesive enough in my opinion. I think the characters would have also benefited from more depth, but the brevity seems to have been part of the overall impact intended by the author.