A review by eriynali
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann

5.0

Excellent.
truly a magnificent work. it took me a year just to read it once, (although about 200 pages of that i reread by accident because twice i lost my place and went farther back than i needed - i didn't regret the rereading at all though because it's quite meditative). it was worth it but i shudder to think how difficult it was to write or to EDIT! i was impressed.

no matter what was going on, the book always had enough relevant and varied references that SOMETHING on the page matched my current brain cycle. i was in the hospital, she talked about being in the hospital. i was feeling a bit down, there's a thing on the page that sais "stupid irma" my kids try out for the opera la boheme, the character mentions not being able to remember the name of the hero in boheme.
"the fact that" got annoying for a bit at the beginning and then that annoyance slowly faded. i found myself peppering my own speech with it.