A review by whatyouegg
Reproduction by Ian Williams

3.0

This a masterful book that will be enjoyed by only the very most patient of readers. I was unsure of what the author's intentions were until the last third of the book, when in my opinion all the pieces start to fall together. Much like Riot's long-form experimental films, the narrative itself is a long-form story that encompasses many everyday domestic occurrences rather than following a traditional narrative structure. It is up to the reader to make connections with the text and find meaning in it. The small text in this portion of the story I think is intended to highlight the cyclical nature of conflict in families and other relationships.

While Edgar is described as going through life like floating in a lazy river, in fact almost every character seems powerless to change their future; they remain doomed to repeat patterns and never take action to alter their fate. Felicia seems to believe that life is suffering, and the narrative does little to prove her wrong.

Overall I enjoyed the last portion of the book, as well as the attentional to detail and the very real, very flawed characters, but I think the book is about 300 pages too long.