my job is book a familiar book stack making another appearance. If you’ve read any of these girlies I’d love to know your thoughts 💌 nothing I love more than eye catching scenery and book recs from fellow readers ! 💛
📖Kudos Both Faye as well as the world around her - politics especially - presses themselves a lot harder onto the text in this third and last book. Though it still had me enraptured, engaged, and conversing with it, it was not as compelling as the other two for me, though I adored it still. Kudos follows her trip to Europe where she's attending a host of literary events and this brings us a plethora of interactions - with publishers, editors, journalists, and of course, authors. I think the very meta context of the story meant that this book was much more aware of itself than the others, aware of writing as both a craft but more so as a business. There were a lot of slights handed out to the industry with some very cheeky references made to what I read as mirrors of actual authors and I enjoyed those. The making of something so private as reading and writing into a public affair and how that calls for a certain type of performance was another theme I enjoyed. Storytelling, of course, comes in again, once here with a solution, that you can disable the strength of a story by refusing to participate in it - whether that be through refusing to play your roles or to continue believing in them - and thus render it, and the teller, powerless. Writing in itself can be considered a quest for an unalloyed, unobtrusive truth that serves no one, but that got me thinking about whether such a truth really matters if it does not bring some sort of closure to someone or the other. The whole reason behind a pursuit for truth - no matter if we believe it to be fairness or justice - is actually reassurance. Comfort. And in reality, we write not to reach any objective truth but to reach the truth that we think might justify our subjective beliefs. The very act of reading and writing is brought into question by Cusk - lovingly though, never accusing - along with themes like understanding and whether true understanding can ever exist, art as something that contextualizes emptiness instead of covering it, family dynamics and how the outer world bleeds into it and so on. All around, it was a solid conclusion to an incredible series, one that I'm quite sad to let go of. 🤍
Buona festa della mamma dal team Nugae 🌹 #festadellamamma #mamma #madriefigli #12maggio #consiglidilettura #splendicomevita #mariagraziacalandrone #illavorodiunavita #rachelcusk #letteraaunbambinomainato #orianafallaci #libri #libridaleggere #nugae
Books about motherhood & mother-daughter relationships ✨ I love reading about motherhood & mother-daughter relationships. It’s endlessly fascinating to me, it’s both a universal as a very particular subject. Exploring these subjects in stories will never not bore me. So here are some recommendations of books I read and loved! These are books that are mostly about, or touch on themes around motherhood and mother-daughter relationships. In some cases they address many more themes and the theme of motherhood & mother-daughter relationships on their own only make up a small part of the book’s narrative. So please keep that in mind, if you’re like me and sometimes need your expectations managed when it comes to what a book is about. I included these books anyway, because they touch these subjects in a way that was very significant for either the story or for me. This list is by no means complete and I’d love to hear your recommendations, because at some point (I hope) my tbr books on this subject will be read and I need more recommendations! So let me know in the comments! Art is by Ethel Adnan
✨ON MOTHERHOOD✨ . This mother’s day I’d like to talk about Rachel Cusk’s ‘A Life’s Work’ (yes, yet another book on motherhood!). - Genre - Non fiction (autobiographical) What I love is that this is not a story but Cusk’s reflections on her journey during and after her pregnancy. I read this a while back so have merrily forgotten the details but I truly appreciated that Cusk kept it real. She did not glorify motherhood, nor did she vilify it. She shared the impact of motherhood on all facets of her life - career/ social/ personal. I personally find these books necessary reading because we still don’t talk enough about one of the most important decisions of a woman’s life. We spend so much time researching before purchasing our next gadget but mothers are expected to just go through it and make it work. Unless you’re too young for this or don’t like reading literary works, I don’t see why you shouldn’t read this book. If you’re a new mother, this might make you feel seen. If you’re at that age where you are deciding to take the plunge, this will give you a good perspective on what you might experience. If you are someone with a partner who is/ wants to be a mother, you must most definitely read it to see what they go through! - P.S. Many thanks to my mother who decided to jump on the motherhood bandwagon by having me! It’s a lifelong journey and you’ve been doing an A++ job 🫶 . [mother’s day, mom life, non fiction books] . Have you read A Life’s Work?
Introducing a new TMB series: Read of the Week! Neela gives a spoiler-free review of a (non-romance) fiction book and gives her thoughts and recommendations. Outline discusses motherhood, marriage, men versus women, writers, and more through dialogue-heavy chapters. This episode provides a small glimpse into Outline to help listeners decide whether to read it, without feeling like they've read the whole book! #readoftheweek #weeklyread #outlinebyrachelcusk #novel #rachelcusk
I read Outline with a book club and really enjoyed it 🫶🏼 I tried to pace myself while reading it because I tend to fly through books I like. We read it using the fable app which I now love 🩷 You can swipe to see my fav thought I had while reading this book. ————————— #booksta #bookinstagram #books #discoverpage #fyp #bookstack #bookish #bookcommunity #booksrecs #read #bookpile #contemporaryfiction #conversations #rachelcusk #outlinerachelcusk #bookclub #theyearsannieernaux #annieernaux #fable
tucson, az details and my arizona bookish findings. In defense of the rather large bookstack I have conjured, I haven’t bought books since the beginning of the semester 😌 (I think) I was ready for a summer refresh. I’m most excited about beautiful world where are you because I FINALLY completed the Rooney trifecta. I have been holding off buying it because I was sad to finish all of her books. But intermezzo’s publishing date this fall gave me the green light and here we are. Love u miss Rooney ALSO CUSK 💌💌 I read second place last summer and was absolutely mesmerized. It felt like she wrote the book for me. She’s inventive, curious, and knows her audience. I’m so excited to read outline 📖
New Dispatches from the Honing House drop! This month I talk about the trap of productivity, writing to the future, and marble. Link in bio! #writing #rachelcusk #productivity #productivitytips #creativewriting
I am really bad at posting things on time🫣 But since summer is around the corner, here is a "summerish" book that I read last summer. #rachelcusk #outlinerachelcusk Rachel Cusk 'Outline' ⭐⭐/5 I feel like a reason why I always get into a reading slump during the summertime is that I end up taking the wrong book😅 I heard a lot of good things about this one, so I had high expectations... And I was disappointed at the end. This novel was way too mundane for me. Even though usually I love books that have no plot only vibes, but not this time. Basically, nothing happens during the whole novel and I didn't feel any deep emotions from the main character's side even though I think that was the whole idea of the book, to show the main character's inner feelings through daily conversations with other people. It was just ok for me. #bookishaethetic #bookstagram #bookish #bookworm #read #reading #reader #booklover #bookwithme #books #bookcommunity #readersofinstagram #summerbooks #shell #beautifulcover #novel #coverart #photooftheday
I know this is the epitome of bookstagram-influencer-white-bedsheet-aesthetic-core, but I actually have something interesting to say about it. What does it mean for a book to feel “conversational”? More specifically, why does this book feel conversational despite lacking a traditionally dialogic interlocutor? The book recounts a series of interactions between the narrator Faye and several people she encounters as she attends a book launch, and so while it contains conversations, the author’s voice is still singular. The first element that works towards the creation of a conversational novel is its diction and prose structure; eschewing complex sentences or vocabularies is a disarming, deceptively sophisticated style that works to relax the reader. The book’s pacing also has the relaxed trajectory of a conversation. Information is doled out by a gradual opening up and lowering of guards; only after small talk has been laid as a foundation do they reveal deeper truths and observations. Cusk’s cleverest device, however, is to switch, at some points in the interaction, from first-person dialogue to third-person limited, where the person she is talking to is not just speaking to Faye, but, through Faye’s narration, becomes the main character of the sequence. This is what creates the truly conversational tone; everyone is given space to become a real person, the main character of their own lives, making the meeting of these lives feel so authentic. Our lives are infinitely complicated, our emotions all equally rich and nuanced. But, we’re just making small talk on a plane, and so we give our lives the dimensions of an anecdote in order to reach across the intangible gulf between ourselves and another. Cusk’s writing bridges this divide, elegantly and honestly.
In less capable hands, Cusk's work could easily fall apart. But her writing is so gently eloquent that it links her characters as if it's the air they all breathe. I've loved the Outline trilogy and very much want more. #rachelcusk #outlinetrilogy #bookreview #finishedreading #bookstagramuk #bookstagram #literaryfiction
Excellent haul from the salvos #arlingtonpark #rachelcusk @faberbooks #themaster #colmtoibin @picadorbooks #aroomcalledearth #madeleineryan @scribepub #runaway #alicemunro @chattobooks
Me encantó este hashtag pero cuando me senté a pensarlo ya no me encantó tanto, fue muy difícil elegir [like porque se logró jjj]. Quiera agregar unas autoras como bonus: Lisa Taddeo en autoras que amo. Vivian Gornick, Mieko Kawakami y Han Kang en autoras que sólo he leído una vez y quiero seguir leyendo. Sakaya Murata en autoras que tengo pendientes ¿Han leído alguna de mi lista? Etiqueto a varias a ver quién se anima 🩵 y gracias a @booksandglow por etiquetarme. #threeauthors #bookstagram #bookstagrammexico #bookworm #fernandamelchor #elenaferrante #rachelcusk #claricelispector #miekokawakami #olgaravn #nataliaginzburg
parade by rachel cusk i find myself at a loss for words to adequately express my admiration for her profound storytelling prowess. in her need novel, cusk masterfully deconstructs the traditional boundaries of narrative, leaving me entranced by the sheer depth and complexity of her vision. “parade” delves into the lives of various characters, each intricately connected through themes of art, family, identity, and the human experience. cusk’s exploration of these topics is nothing short of breathtaking, as she fearlessly navigates the nuances of existence with a rare blend of sensitivity and intellect. i found myself compelled to revisit passages, to ponder the profound questions cusk poses about the nature of reality, creation, and the self. this is not a book to be rushed through; rather, it demands to be savored, and cherished. cusk’s narrative style is nothing short of mesmerizing, weaving together threads of introspection, philosophy, and emotion - literary brilliance! her characters, though varied in their experiences, resonate with a universal authenticity that is both haunting and unforgettable. i understand that cusk’s work can be polarizing, evoking strong reactions from readers—some love it, others just can’t get into it. however, for me personally, experiencing cusk’s writing is a privilege, and i’m grateful to witness the brilliance of this writer in my lifetime. so, if you’re willing to embark on a journey of profound exploration and discovery, “parade” awaits. thank you to Hannah @faberbooks for being the best and kindly sending me a proof copy.
📖Transit - Rachel Cusk No one can craft a sentence quite like Cusk. Her sentences force you to step out of an established rhythm and makes a melody for itself, even with its many clauses and tangents, and here too it's the same. The second in the series, it chronicles our protagonist as she moves back to the city with her sons after getting a divorce from her husband. It read to me primarily as an exploration of change - the nature of it, of its inevitability, of those who cause it and those who challenge it. From those who aid it like the real estate agent and the builder to those who try and stop its effects like the hairdresser removing her greys and an ex stuck in the past, change as well as its consequent agents like stability, responsibility, and even fate was examined. Something that I enjoyed in this book was its acknowledgement and even slight challenge of the narrator’s passivity, which was a gripe many feel towards the first book and the series as a whole. Don’t get me wrong, the narrator is as absent as usual, but she does question this way of cruising through life only observing, and asks whether one can ever really attain that objectivity, that right of not participating in other’s stories, or even believe in the idea of a story itself, or the need for one. Many of Cusk’s regular grounds are covered too like motherhood and parenthood in general, the reliability of memory especially in terms of childhood, the question of fate as supposed to agency and whether all it came down to were the stories we tell ourselves, and of whether suffering has any inherent value or again, is it just the value we assign to it to make the pain easier to bear? She approaches these with such an attention to detail, not just to the miniscule facets of human existence itself but to the cadences of language to accompany it - just gosh, it is hard to not be in awe. Again, it's Cusk and I hope there's no need for convincing when it comes to her, but in case you find yourself on the fence, absolutely give it a try. Hers is the sort of writing that incites you to interrogate and examine and argue with the writing, and it always makes me a more observant peruser myself. 🤍
A Life’s Work by Rachel Cusk. Reading this, I’m reminded how much I like Rachel Cusk’s writing. There is something very raw and relatable in all her books. This is a claustrophobic post-partum memoir where Cusk explores her shifting reality and identity. It’s a very visceral exploration of how she’s adjusting to having a young baby. There’s also a bit on birth. She’s very open about voicing anxieties surrounding this huge shift in her life. As well as the personal, she looks at societal issues too: how perceptions change of women’s bodies and minds. It’s a feverish and sleep deprived book. My favourite bit was when they very briefly moved to a very Stepford Wives small town, and how she’s trying to navigate friendships with other mums. There’s a lot of dark humour here too. It’s a short but powerful book. Definitely intense and claustrophobic, I felt like writing it must have been therapeutic. #alifesworkonbecomingamother #alifeswork #rachelcusk #rachelcuskbooks #rachelcuskauthor #rachelcuskislife #motherhoodwriting #motherhoodliterature #memoir #bookreview #bookrecommendation #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #booksaboutwomen #booklover #booksta
PARADE AND ROLE PLAY REVIEWS @fsgbooks @fsgoriginals #partner ⠀ hey, friends! i’m here today to talk about two excellent books that are out in june with fsg. ⠀ PARADE by rachel cusk (out 6/18) ⠀ PARADE is a challenging, kaleidoscope-like narrative that is almost impossible to summarize. it requires very close reading and benefits significantly from discussion (i read it alongside @anniesmanybooks @_lia_reads_ @nellreadsbooks @time4reading and @welldonebooks and took away so much from the experience). despite its difficulty, though—or maybe because of it—i ended up loving it. ⠀ in PARADE, cusk seems to be interested in the relationship between freedom and power, especially as it relates to gender and the body, and uses a circular structure and ambiguous narrative voice(s) to allude to their inseparability. can one reach towards freedom, and away from oppression, without simultaneously recreating power structures? do attempts at relinquishing power simply recreate new power relations? these questions are at the heart of PARADE, though cusk leaves them mostly unanswered in order to highlight the ambiguous nature of being. ⠀ the artist and the female, child-bearing body are vessels through which cusk explores these questions. she considers the artist’s gaze and authorial voice, gender, the commodification of bodies and art, and the relationships between husbands and wives and mothers and children to illustrate how power dynamics can be broken down and restructured. ⠀ if you like to be challenged and enjoy philosophical explorations of art and humanity this books is for you. ⠀ ROLE PLAY by clara drummond and translated by daniel hahn (out 6/4) ⠀ (continued in comments)
@cipollabooks @fitzroymarket @thefitzroymillsmarket @camberwell_sunday_market #rachelcusk #secondplace
Удзельнічаю ў чэленджы @taja_kacia “Сем дзён - сем водгукаў” 2/7 Трылогія Рэйчэл Каск “Накід”, “Транзіт” і “Пахвала” (Rachel Cusk, Outline, Transit, Kudos) - гэта ўзорны аўтафікшн. Нарысы пра свае жыццё, пра жыццё сяброў, знаёмых, спадарожнікаў. Нагадвае дзённікавые нататкі і разважанні ці ўспаміны, якія можа выклікаць нешта заўважанае ў вітрыне па дарозе на працу, пах мора, сварка з суседзямі. Мова аўтаркі не зусім простая (оксфардская адукацыя), але чытанне прыемнае, няспешнае, з перапынкамі. Тэкст лёгка адпускае жыць сваё жыццё, а праз нейкі час упускае назад. Напрыклад, я чытала другую частку амаль праз год пасля першай. Раю ўсім, хто цікавіцца інтэлектуальнай жаночай прозай, каго цікавіць сам жанр, хто гатовы да “дарослай прозы” - не ў сэнсе 18+, а ў сэнсе поглядаў на жыццё, сям’ю, соцыум. Аўтарка амаль нічога не піша пра сябе, але праз яе размовы, меркаванні, рэакцыі складаецца дакладны партрэт, да таго ж, не знешні, а ўнутраны. #rachelcusk #няманабеларускай #аўтафікшн #чытаемпаангельску
Un bebé desmpeña un curioso papel en la cultura del embarazo. Es a la vez víctima y autócrata. Es un ser destinado a vivir únicamente en el momento de perfección de su nacimiento, para a continuación degenerar e iniciar su decadencia, volverse humano y pecaminoso, llorar y regresar al reino de lo real. #rachelcusk #untrabajoparatodalavida #catalinamartínezmuñoz
Message me for help #preorder #prideandprejudice #promptwriting #punebookstagram #punkrockeditor #purecolour #purpleera #qotd #queenofcrime #queerlove #rachelcusk #rachelsbutterflies #readchristie2024 #readerofig #readersgonnaread #readersofig #reading #readinglist #readingmyshelf #readingrecommendations #readingtime #readomania #readreadread #readtheclassics #recommendedreading #recommendedreads #reeses #reesesbookclub #rejection #rejectionletters
Message me for help @dave__youn123 #preorder #prideandprejudice #promptwriting #punebookstagram #punkrockeditor #purecolour #purpleera #qotd #queenofcrime #queerlove #rachelcusk #rachelsbutterflies #readchristie2024 #readerofig #readersgonnaread #readersofig #reading #readinglist #readingmyshelf #readingrecommendations #readingtime #readomania #readreadread #readtheclassics #recommendedreading #recommendedreads #reeses #reesesbookclub #rejection #rejectionletters
Dal mese di aprile ho iniziato una collaborazione di cui sono molto felice con @rsionline recensendo libri per la rubrica Mirador, su Rete Due. E non potevo che cominciare anche qui con la mia adorata Rachel Cusk (link nelle storie) 🗝️ • • • #rachelcusk #coventry #rsi #mirador #giulianaaltamura #recensioni #scrittore #scrittriciitaliane
Entrando in una casa, ho spesso la sensazione di entrare nel corpo di una donna, e che ogni mio gesto sarà sentito piú intimamente da lei che da chiunque altro. Ma in quella casa ci si può completamente dimenticare – come i passeggeri sul ponte di un transatlantico possono dimenticare il buio mugghiante della sala motori che c'è sotto – di ciò che resta comunque vero: che una casa è azionata dalla volontà e dal lavoro di una donna, e che nella capacità di far supporre il contrario si può ravvisare una curiosa forma di successo. Io non vedo differenza, nella casa adottata da mia figlia, fra ciò che è e ciò che sembra essere – la casa di una donna gentile, creativa e colta – eppure non riesco a credere che tale differenza non esista. Rachel Cusk Coventry Sulla vita, l’arte e la letteratura @einaudieditore #stilelibero #rachelcusk #cusk #coventry #consigliatodaluccone #appenauscito ⭐️ raccolta di saggi (Einaudi ne ha aggiunti alcuni letterari, articoli più che altro, non presenti nell’originale) di una delle migliori scrittrici che abbiamo
📖 // BOOK REVIEW PARADE by RACHEL CUSK ✍🏼 *Thank you to the lovely Hannah at @faberbooks for the proof copy! Cusk’s next offering is a ‘parade’ of characters, enigmatic and fractured - loosely named ‘G’ - who take on various guises - including an artist who begins to paint upside down, revealing an inner ‘inherited darkness’ and a woman, inexplicably assaulted on the streets of Paris. Cusk clearly comes across as an accomplished author, subtly changing the nuances of her narration with each character as they navigate art, womanhood and violence. PARADE is published on 6th June 2024 ✨ #rachelcusk #faberandfaber #faberbooks #currentlyreading #booksofinstagram #booksofig #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #ukbookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookish #bibliophile #bookworm #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookphotography #bookaholic #bookblogger #bookblog #fiction
New Cusk ✨ Parade, out 6 June. #rachelcusk #bookstagram #faberbooks
Tiniest April wrap-up 📚 The sun came out in April and I was constantly on the go. I had friends and family visit every weekend, celebrated my birthday with a fabulous brunch and had a ton of work to do. So I fell a little short on the reading front. But that was more than ok, because what I lacked in quantity these two lovely books made up in quality. Recommend both highly: Rachel Cusk: Coventry Theresa Enzensberger: Auf See #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #buchbloggerin #bookblogger #buchblog #feministbooks #feministliterature #feministischebücher #feministischeliteratur #frauenlesen #rachelcusk #rachelcuskcoventry #essays #feministessays #theresaenzensberger #theresaenzensbergeraufsee
Anyone else can’t stop buying these editions? Which do I read first? #bookreels #rachelcusk #litfic
«Cuando abrimos la puerta de la segunda casa y entramos y encendimos las luces, de repente todo me pareció pobre y sórdido, como si con su equipaje elegante, su ropa cara y su aire de estar acostumbrados al lujo L y Brett hubieran traído un criterio nuevo, un modo nuevo de mirar las cosas, y estas ya no pudieron conservar su forma.» Traje a Rachel Cusk por aquí hace menos de un año con Despojos, diciendo que cualquier cosa que escribiese merecería la pena, y puedo decir que esto merece mucho la pena, y también que no es cualquier cosa. Es una combinación de escritura impecable, una profundidad en el análisis del alma humana por encima de cualquier expectativa y una historia que te atrapa con una sordidez que no veía desde Un amor, de Sara Mesa. A pesar de que afortunadamente, por muchas cosas raras que puedan ocurrírseme, estoy lejos de invitar a mi casa a un pintor que me trate fatal y obsesionarme con él hasta el punto de lanzarme de cabeza a la destrucción que me ofrece, me he sentido toda la novela identificadísima con la protagonista, pero en la relación con su marido, que aquí se podría decir secundaria (de hecho, los pasajes que he escogido tratan más de eso que de la trama principal). Al acabar, vi que la autora se basó en el relato de otra mujer acerca de una experiencia similar, e investigando un poco sobre ella (o sea, abriendo la Wikipedia que fue el primer enlace que me apareció) vi que ese marido, que era el segundo, era un indio que se instaló con su tipi en las proximidades de su casa para conseguir que ella le hiciera caso. Su primer marido se agenció una escopeta para echarlo y gracias a que no sabía usarla acabó reemplazado por este otro que, si en algo se parece la novela a la realidad, seguro que trajo un cambio a mejor. Recomendadísima novela que podría tratar sobre la vida, la libertad, o sobre cualquier cosa. Leed todas a Rachel Cusk.
Arlington Park // Rachel Cusk I will forever and always love Cusk. Arlington Park was weirdly nostalgic to me ?? I think being published in 2006, it reminded me of all the mums I’d see in the school playground and imagine what they might do in the 6 hours freedom they have while their kids were at school. It’s about all the complex intimacies and interactions people perform just to seem as though they’re ‘doing it right’. It’s quite a slow novel, and none of the characters are particularly likeable, but it’s clever and it’s Cusk soooo… Thinking about identity, motherhood, marriage, gender roles, family, suburbia.
Pregnant me = spoiled brat. Love it. • #rachelcusk #alifeswork #alifesworkonbecomingamother #bookstagram #booksandbreakfast #booksbooksbooks
Rachel Cusk serves me a feast of stories in Outline. There are some that I enjoy and some I can barely recall the taste of. The ones that I devour, I think I already know them and have a taste of them here and there, and now, on the Outline table, they are cooked more deliciously and are presented more exquisitely. But this doesn’t happen to the other half: I hardly feel interested in the other stories even though they are similarly meticulously cared for, and after reading them they find their way to drift out of my mind, no matter how hard I try to be open to take them in (or do I?) So, I would say Outline leaves an uneven impression on me. I wish this was not a feast but some intimate dinner with a narrow-down menu. I would have been more convinced. I think I will need to do a lot of reflections and search for people’s perspectives on Outline to see whether I missed something. For now, I can’t say I’m interested enough to get through the other two of the trilogy. Do I miss something? Please tell me!
Rachel Cusk - Kudos Ich mag die Bücher von Rachel Cusk - und so auch dieses. Wir begleiten eine Autorin auf eine Veranstaltung. Auf der Reise trifft sie immer wieder auf Personen, die ihr ihr ganzes Leben offenbaren. Ihr Redeanteil in den Gesprächen ist immer sehr gering. Auch in anderen Situationen wird ihr nicht zugehört. Es ist wahnsinnig interessant, wie durch die Erzählungen anderer Perspektiven auf die Protagonistin deutlich werden. An dem Buch hat mich besonders die spezielle Art, diese Geschichte zu erzählen, fasziniert. Gleichzeitig fand ich es nahezu belastend, dass die Protagonistin fast gar nicht zu Wort kam, alle anderen aber umso mehr auf die eingeredet haben. Ein interessantes Leseerlebnis. #rachelcusk #kudos #rabeasleseliste #buchliste2024
Chaaaato 🤦♀️ #livrosescrap #livrosabandonados #esboco #rachelcusk
Book Review: Parade by Rachel Cusk Thank you @fsgbooks for the early review copy! #fsgpartner Told in four nonlinear sections, Cusk’s latest novel stretches what the form and function of a novel is and can be. We move between various artists all referred to simply as ‘G’, while sifting between first and third person narratives. While exploring themes of art/artistry, creation, motherhood, family, gender, bodies, space, and much, much more, Cusk seems to be asking more questions than answering them. Why do we make art? How does parenthood inflict upon or uplift the act of creation? Is it better to be the seer or the seen? Is reality something we observe, experience, or create? The joy in this book is the attention it demands. I have just finished reading it, and I will need to sit with this one for a while. Along my reading journey I would constantly flip back and forth between sections, rereading chunks to try and process what she was saying, and finding the many parallels between the various sections. I underlined, I notated, I struggled but I enjoyed it. I think a quick reading of this would do it a disservice, and yet you may need one quick pass to capture the whole, then a more meditative return to it to glean what’s below the surface. Like passing through an art gallery and stopping occasionally to ponder what catches your eye. Next visit, you might find something else to ruminate on. I’m sure I’ll revisit this again in the future. Cusk is one I respect, admire and in awe of while being confounded by and encouraged to go deeper.
Silvia ha vissuto un'esperienza intensa e inaspettatamente rischiosa durante la nascita di sua figlia Greta. Ma nel miracolo della vita, c'è sempre spazio per l'amore e la speranza. Scopri di più, ascolta Matteo Caccia racconta cliccando sul link in bio. #Maternità #Vita #Libro #RachelCusk #Radio24
This is one of those reviews, he told me, that took you forever to even begin to write. It was such a tortuous process, he said, to agonize over one silly caption for so long, for days on end after you’ve turned the book’s final page. It wasn’t so much as him having no idea where to begin, but rather, it was the paralyzing awareness that whatever he would write will be meaningless and inconsequential in the face of the perfectly shaped and polished polygon of discourse that Rachel Cusk had created. He confessed that though he wouldn’t deny that all his life he’d been nursing feelings of profound inadequacy that has invariably resulted in insurmountable, crippling anxiety, it was clear that all this apprehension surrounding this particular Instagram post was attributable to his startling discovery and resigned acceptance that there was absolutely nothing that could ever still be said about Kudos that might serve to either intensify or diminish the Outline Trilogy’s brilliance. Nothing more is needed, he concluded. It is already there, complete and perfect. As Nietzsche commanded, he quipped, ‘whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.’ That was Bertrand Russel, I told him with an air of mock superiority, though I myself wasn’t sure. But I was certain it couldn’t have been Simone de Beauvoir, because a philosopher of her caliber knew better than to succumb to the pitfall of that sort of affectation, readily observable with bearded men, of making grandiose declarations, speaking definitively, oppressively, as if granted with a monopoly on the prerogative to deliver the final word, having the unquestionable authority to give the final say, and the platform (complete with spotlights and sound effects) to perform the crowd-silencing mic drop, with the license issued by the emperor of conversation enders himself. Interestingly, my friend pointed out to me as he stood up to leave, that Cusk herself described what the Outline Trilogy is: “my characters were often provoked into feats of self-revelation by means of a simple question.” And in addition, they end all too unceremoniously, these conversations, these stories. That’s what it’s all about.
April was a good reading month. 👌🏻 But now I have no more Sally Rooney to read and have to wait for her new book to come out. #books #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #womenwriters #rachelkushner #themarsroom #joandidion #rachelcusk #salleyrooney #bookstack #aprilwrapup #evebabitz #annieernaux #women #feminism #femalewriters
first post! #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #fyp #explore #book #sallyrooney #normalpeople #conversationswithfriends #beautifulworldwhereareyou #monawad #bunny #allswellmonaawad #rougemonaawad #olivieblake #theatlassix #theatlasparadox #theatlascomplex #mastersofdeath #oneformyenemy #alonewithyouintheether #rachelcusk #secondplacerachelcusk #outlinerachelcusk
April Reading Wrap Up ✨📚🪻 The reading slump I’ve been in since January seems to finally be at an end. As the weather improves (though this is the UK we’re talking about, so improvement means slightly warm and not quite so wet) and the days get longer, my temperament for reading seems to improve with it. I treasure the evenings I read on my bed, window open and soft breeze whistling through the house, the light slowly gloaming from gold to blue to night. I’ve always joked to my fiance that I’m like a plant, leaning towards sunlight and flourishing when the days are warm and endless. What I read in April: •Go As A River by Shelley Read ( #gifted) •Transit by Rachel Cusk •The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo •Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton ( #gifted) •A Man’s Place by Annie Ernaux I loved each of these books. The Familiar & Go As a River were different to the genres that I would normally read, but I think that that is just what I needed to refresh myself and fall back in love with reading. Cusk and Ernaux were immaculate as ever, as you’ll know from my previous post they are dear, dear favourites of mine. Reading Lessons was really enjoyable, it gave a new, affirming perspective to the importance of English Literature and by proxy, humanities as whole, and what we can learn from the books we read at school that go beyond essay writing. How many books did you read in April? What was your favourite? Least favourite? What are you hoping to read in May? #readingwrapup #monthlywrapup #whatiread #annieernaux #rachelcusk #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #book #books #booksbooksbooks #booklover #bookgeek #booknerd #bookinsta #bookinstagram #bookrecommendations #reader #coffeeandbooks #booksandcoffee #avidreader #readersofinstagram
April ❣️ Two brilliant books. Absolutely loved loved loved The Details especially. Massive work month, Peaches learnt to *in general* sleep til 5am, first ever book swap with @clubsup_ and @heystephy, Titanic exhibition, my dad organised for the boys to run onto the mcg (my dad arguably most excited), and Vanderpump Rules officially became my pregame for the Valley.
My current read and my next read 🩷 I am loving Outline so far. It is a compilation of 10 conversations while the author is travelling in Greece. This is my first Rachel Cusk book and I find myself being totally immersed in the way she writes. Only 3 chapters in and I already know I’m going to read the other 2 books in this trilogy. —————————- #bookstagram #booksta #mycurrentread #outlinerachelcusk #rachelcusktrilogy #rachelcusk #bookstagrammer #mynextread #tbr #physicaltbr
Curiosas coincidencias. Ayer terminaba el último libro de Paul Auster y hoy he comenzado este libro #untrabajoparatodalavida de #rachelcusk El primer miércoles de mayo es el #diamundialdelasaludmentalmaterna La salud mental materna me parece muy importante y algo sobre lo que no se habla o no se le da el lugar que necesita ocupar. Ojalá yo hubiera leído un libro como este mucho antes. Pero es que, normalmente, hasta que tú no tienes la experiencia, parece no existir. “Dar a luz no es solo lo que separa a las mujeres de los hombres: también separa a las mujeres de sí mismas y transforma profundamente la idea que una mujer tiene de la existencia. Otra persona ha existido dentro de ella y, después de dar a luz, ambas viven bajo la jurisdicción de su conciencia. Cuando la madre está con esa otra persona no es ella misma; cuando está sin esa otra persona no es ella misma; por eso es tan difícil separarse de los hijos como quedarse con ellos (…)”
la novità inquieta e turba 🫦 #rachelcusk #coventry #feminism #femminismo #femalegaze #art #libri #books
-ˋˏ༻ 𝑴𝒂𝒚 𝑷𝒊𝒄𝒌 ‘𝒏’ 𝑴𝒊𝒙 ༺ ˎˊ- Part 2 - 𝓛𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓻𝔂 𝓕𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷🖋️☕️ Continuing on from my ‘not a TBR but a 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 ‘𝗻’ 𝗠𝗶𝘅’ book selection for the month of May, here are the following 𝕃𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝔽𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 books I wish to dive into: ✎ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲 (Book 1&2 of Septology) ✎ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝘆𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗝.𝗗. 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 ✎ 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝗸 ✎𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰 𝗠𝗰𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘆 (Book 2 in The Border Trilogy) ✎ 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 ✎ 𝗗𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗼𝘆𝗲𝘃𝘀𝗸𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 ♔♕ With my mood flaunting its sovereignty this month, it shall be interesting to see which books I gravitate towards. 💕
Arlington Park by Rachel Cusk, 2006. ৳ 649 Faber & Faber, Paperback (UK) Edition, 2006, 2nd Reprint. Condition: Used, Very Good. Spine unbroken. Pages unbent, unmarked, crisp, and tight binding. #rachelcusk #arlingtonpark #secondplace #savingagnes #alifeswork #faberbooks #faberandfaber #modernliterature #britishliterature #modernnovel
A little late previous, current, and next read… I have already finished Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and I’m about to start Second Place. I can’t wait to get into it as it’s one of my 5 star predictions. I hope to fall in love with Rachel Cusk’s writing. QOTD: what are you currently reading and how are you liking it? #currentlyreading #previousread #nextread #secondplace #rachelcusk #daysatthemorisakibookshop #iwannadiebutiwanttoeattteokbokki #bookstagram #bookworm #booklover #bookblogger #booktok #booksandcoffee #booksandtea #bookstack
"La forma e la struttura del romanzo, il suo impianto percettivo, persino la dimensione e la tipologia della frase erano strumenti forgiati dagli uomini a loro uso e consumo. La donna del futuro, dice Woolf, concepirà un proprio tipo di frase, di forma, e la userà per scrivere della propria realtà. E per giunta, quella realtà avrà i propri valori." Rachel Cusk, "Le sorelle di Shakespeare", in "Coventry" (2019), Einaudi, 2024, pp. 145-146. #rachelcusk #lesorelledishakespeare #coventry #einaudi #saggisticaletteraria #scrittura #scritturafemminile #virginiawoolf #libri #books #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #booktok #instabook
A Rachel Cusk masterclass: 250 words where nothing happens. You read it thinking it’s slow and perhaps at times ‘boring’. You fret about the friend who is reading this at the same time, it being her first Rachel Cusk, and worry if she’s finding it a slog. You finish it thinking, what a fkn masterpiece. Ten chapters of a woman who travels to Athens to teach a writing course. You read this and realise few others could write about barely anything, and everything, like this. Swipe for the usual Cusk-gems. This didn’t replace Aftermath as my favourite Rachel Cusk book, but it did make me stop and wonder, why are we all running so fast? Why don’t we look more at the detail in our life? In our day? There’s a story everywhere we look. Only few can tell it as well as the queen.
It's time for #MoodReaderMay (thank you @the_bookdragons_den and @bmichie31 for the heads up!) or Mashed Potato May as @books_unbound call it. 📚 What's it all about you may ask.. you know those books that you've been meaning to read for ages but kept putting off? Well, it's time to give them some attention! 📚 This book has been on my tbr ever since Rachel Cusk landed on my radar a couple of years ago so it was time to pick it up. 60 pages in, feeling a bit underwhelmed though but we'll see! 📚 #HungryBookworm #SecondHandBooks #RachelCusk
tiny book haul coming up! 📖 • Eve’s Hollywood by Eve Babitz - I’ve really been into memoirs lately. At the same time, I love the vibe of hollywood in the 60-70s. This book seems to be a perfect concoction of both, and I can’t wait to gulp it down. • Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter - As a corporate girlie that has already read one-fifth of this book, I can’t comprehend how perfectly the author has captured the glamorization of overworking. What are you willing to give up to climb the corporate ladder (asks self)? • Severance by Ling Ma - Yet another novel told in the perspective of corporate life. There seems to be a theme here? Also, I’ve only seen good reviews about this, and the “Notable book of the year” stamp holds promise. • Drive Your Plow Over the Bones Of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk - I had to type out the title in full because, oh my gosh, isn’t it so incredibly jarring and violent? Apart from seeing the book cover, I’m going into this book blind. But I have always been into true crime/murder mysteries, and this novel seems like it’s up my alley. • Saving Agnes & Coventry by Rachel Cusk - I honestly only picked these up because I follow @ellereadsomebooks and she mentioned them. Her taste in books is exquisite and her recommendations are absolute law. I’m looking forward to reading these! happy reading! 🤍
the spring time essentials 🌞🌻 #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookaesthetic #bookaddict #readmorebooks #christinalauren #rachelcusk #evebabitz #fantasybooks #romancebooks #bookstagrammer #springreading
challenging growth #dondelillo #whitenoise #rachelcusk #outline #johnberger #g #literaryquotes
📖 Transit - Rachel Cusk 🌙 1, 2, 3 or 4? 🌸 Spring vibes with this author that never ceases to amaze me 💐 This is just the second book by Rachel Cusk that I have read but I can already sense that she is a genius when it comes to storytelling. The definition of no plot just vibes, she has a distinct writing style that engulfs you and makes it an unputdownable read. In this sequel of «Outline» (although it could be read as a standalone), we follow our main character Faye, a writer, as she starts renovating her new home (a situation I could relate to since I am renovating my home as well) and meets different people along the way. Through conversation, we find ourselves immersed in deep topics and interesting reflections that somehow act as a mirror -reflecting her own self when listening to other people’s thoughts and life experiences. The fact that I have underlined and annotated almost every single page is quite revealing. Do you prefer plot-driven books or character-driven books? -P🌹 —- Sintiendo la primavera con una autora que no deja de sorprenderme 💐 Aunque es solo el segundo libro que leo de esta autora, ya puedo notar que es una narradora de inmenso talento. Aunque no tenga una trama compleja, su lectura tiene un estilo característico que te envuelve y hace que no puedas parar de leer. En esta secuela de «A contraluz» (aunque podría leerse independientemente), seguimos a nuestra protagonista Faye, una escritora que está renovando su nueva casa (algo con lo que me sentí identificada ya que también estoy de reformas en casa, especialmente la necesidad de sacudirme el polvo de la ropa cada vez que salgo como si fuera la integrante secreta de un grupo de percusión corporal) y va conociendo o quedando con diferentes personas. Mediante la conversación, nos vemos inmersos en temas profundos y reflexiones fascinantes que de alguna forma actúan como espejos -reflejando a nuestra protagonista (incluso a nosotros mismos) cuando escuchamos los pensamientos y las experiencias de los demás. El hecho de que haya subrayado y anotado casi cada página es testigo de lo mucho que he disfrutado su lectura. ¿Qué libro os ha hecho reflexionar? -P🌹
. Ben onunla aynı fikirde değildim ve en baştan ona karşı çıktım. Çünkü bir evin her şeyden önce insana huzur veren bir kuytuluğu olması ve içine girdin mi dışarısını unutmana izin vermesi gerektiğine inanırım. (Diğer Ev-Rachel Cusk kitabından alıntı) (📷 Fotoğraf dün öğlenden) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. #nature #doğa #sky #gökyüzü #clouds #blue #green #sun #sunrise #sunset #skylovers #sunlovers #life #instagood #trees #instagram #diğerev #rachelcusk
Nunca me había planteado el concepto de maternidad hasta que fui madre. Orbitaba en torno a él como quien fantasea con la idea de viajar al otro lado del mundo, ingenuamente decidida a subirme al avión que me llevara allí, absurdamente inconsciente de la forma de vida y los detalles del día a día de aquel lugar al que, una vez llegara, me quedaría a vivir siempre. . Tomamos la decisión de ser madres cogidas de la mano de una idea a la que le falta concreción para entender la magnitud de lo que deseamos. Cuando una mujer decide ser madre, firma una hoja en blanco que más tarde va escribiendo sobre la marcha, negociando con su pasado y su futuro para poder comprometerse con su nueva realidad mientras intenta mantenerse lo más fiel posible a sí misma no perderse en el proceso. . Casi ninguna de nosotras sabemos en qué consiste esa realidad. Cuando nos convertimos en madres nos asomamos a la verdad desnuda y cotidiana de una palabra en la que, aunque nos ha acompañado desde niñas, nunca hemos reparado del todo. Dice Rachel Cusk en ‘Un trabajo para toda la vida’ que “en la maternidad, una mujer intercambia su importancia pública por una serie de significados privados”. No es sencillo saber qué esperar cuando la mayor parte de la maternidad sucede tras una puerta cerrada y la mayoría de las dudas que enfrentamos se responden en casa. . Una de las primeras cosas que hice cuando me quedé embarazada fue buscar la palabra madre en el diccionario. De todas las acepciones que encontré, la última fue mi favorita: ‘causa u origen de algo’. Antes de tener niños creía que la madre era la causa y origen del hijo. Al tiempo de tenerlos caí en la cuenta de que la maternidad, en muchos casos, puede ser también la causa del nacimiento de una nueva versión de nosotras mismas, el origen de un camino de nuestro propio descubrimiento. *** En la imagen, Joan Didion y su hija Quintana que, años más tarde, se convertiría en la protagonista inesperada de ‘El año del pensamiento mágico’ y ‘Noches azules’. #gestarte #gestar #maternidad #madre #maternidad #maternidadreal #maternidadconsciente #bookmum #bookstagram #lectura #literatura #rachelcusk #saludmental #saludperinatal
A little 'Cusk Corner' on my bookshelf. 😍🥰 Cocooned between two other favourite women writers: Sarah Bakewell & Hilary Mantel. #rachelcusk #thecountrylife #alifeswork #secondplace #thelastsupper #womenwriterswomensbooks #womenwritingfiction #womenwhoread #womenauthorsrock #womenauthorsyoushouldknow #womenwriters #delhibookstagrammer #delhibookstagram #delhibookstafam #bookstagramindiafeature #bookshelfies #bookaesthetic #loveforreading #nevernotreading #addictedtobooks #readingrecommendations #readingmyshelf #recommendedreads #recommendedreading #goodreadsreadingchallenge #2024readingchallenge #wereadbooks #kolkatabookstagram #punebookstagram #bangalorebookstagram
It’s safe to say that after devouring Second Place over the weekend, I am officially in my Cusk era. The hype is real and Cusk is certainly here for the interior narrative girlies. Second Place is a creative deep dive into themes of gender roles, motherhood, art, and the authority we place on other’s opinions of us. This book felt like a long meditation and I gave up trying to annotate it early on, knowing I would just end up underlining every sentence. Currently adding the full library of Cusk’s work to my summer tbr.
Ler-em-Coimbra ao ar livre #leremcoimbra 📖 📖 📖 #bookworm #bookstagram #bookgram #lermais #livroseleituras #leituras #reading #bookish #leitores #leitorescompulsivos #amoler #rachelcusk #rachelcusktrilogy #bookstagramportugal #coimbra #portugal #coimbralovers #on_centro #jardins #gardens #universidadedecoimbra #booksinnature #naturelovers #booklovers