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A review by chaotic_reading
Second Place by Rachel Cusk
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"I believed in the plot life, and its assurance that all our actions will be assigned a meaning one way or another, and that things will turn out - no matter how long it takes - for the best."
Cusk has written a narrative that resembles the sometimes-rambling-sometimes-thoughtful writing of the 18th and 19th century. A tribute to Lorenzo in Taos, Second Place is written like a long-winded account or letter to the reader (in this case, the 'reader' is Jeffers). This piece reads almost like a one-sided therapy session, wherein M, the narrator, explores and meticulously de-constructs every thought, feeling, or emotion this L has both inadvertently and purposefully caused.
The summary suggestions that L's "provocative presence provides the frame for a study of female fate and male privilege, of the geometries of human relationships", and I would agree; this book felt like a story of self-discovery for M and the coming to terms of self. It also felt like an extreme caricature of womanhood and manhood in their most binary forms.
Reading Second Place as my introductory to Rachel Cusk's writing, I am eager to pick up another book of hers. After sitting with my feelings for a bit, I've come away with brief glimpses of something raw Cusk has poked holes in - whether that be my psyche or my soul, that is unclear - and I think that Cusk has shown a light on a level of unease and comfortability that I'm interested in exploring more through her writing.
I don't believe this book is easily accessible for every reader; it is not an enjoyable read. It asks the reader to ponder questions of self and belief, whiling following a character-driven narrative that seems to only tread water. CW for abuse, violence, and death which occur off-page and in brief mention.
Cusk has written a narrative that resembles the sometimes-rambling-sometimes-thoughtful writing of the 18th and 19th century. A tribute to Lorenzo in Taos, Second Place is written like a long-winded account or letter to the reader (in this case, the 'reader' is Jeffers). This piece reads almost like a one-sided therapy session, wherein M, the narrator, explores and meticulously de-constructs every thought, feeling, or emotion this L has both inadvertently and purposefully caused.
The summary suggestions that L's "provocative presence provides the frame for a study of female fate and male privilege, of the geometries of human relationships", and I would agree; this book felt like a story of self-discovery for M and the coming to terms of self. It also felt like an extreme caricature of womanhood and manhood in their most binary forms.
Reading Second Place as my introductory to Rachel Cusk's writing, I am eager to pick up another book of hers. After sitting with my feelings for a bit, I've come away with brief glimpses of something raw Cusk has poked holes in - whether that be my psyche or my soul, that is unclear - and I think that Cusk has shown a light on a level of unease and comfortability that I'm interested in exploring more through her writing.
I don't believe this book is easily accessible for every reader; it is not an enjoyable read. It asks the reader to ponder questions of self and belief, whiling following a character-driven narrative that seems to only tread water. CW for abuse, violence, and death which occur off-page and in brief mention.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Physical abuse, and Violence