160 pages
English language
Published 2024 by Graywolf Press.
A novel that celebrates radical queer survival and gleefully takes a hammer to false notions of success
This is the story of Corey Fah, a writer who has hit the literary their novel has just won the prize for the Fictionalization of Social Evils. But the actual trophy, and with it the funds, hovers peskily out of reach.
Neon-beige, with UFO-like qualities, the elusive trophy leads Corey, with their partner Drew and eight-legged companion Bambi Pavok, on a spectacular quest through their childhood in the Forest and an unlikely stint on reality TV. Navigating those twin horrors, along with wormholes and time loops, Corey learns―the hard way―the difference between a prize and a gift.
Following the Goldsmiths Prize–winning Sterling Karat Gold , Isabel Waidner’s bold and buoyant new novel is about coming into one’s own, the labor of love, the tendency of history to repeat itself, and what ensues when …
A novel that celebrates radical queer survival and gleefully takes a hammer to false notions of success
This is the story of Corey Fah, a writer who has hit the literary their novel has just won the prize for the Fictionalization of Social Evils. But the actual trophy, and with it the funds, hovers peskily out of reach.
Neon-beige, with UFO-like qualities, the elusive trophy leads Corey, with their partner Drew and eight-legged companion Bambi Pavok, on a spectacular quest through their childhood in the Forest and an unlikely stint on reality TV. Navigating those twin horrors, along with wormholes and time loops, Corey learns―the hard way―the difference between a prize and a gift.
Following the Goldsmiths Prize–winning Sterling Karat Gold , Isabel Waidner’s bold and buoyant new novel is about coming into one’s own, the labor of love, the tendency of history to repeat itself, and what ensues when a large amount of cultural capital is suddenly deposited in a place it has never been before.
I’m not sure how to describe this short book, the symbolism is a bit on the nose at times but I think in a good way that fits the dreamlike quality. I was cringe-laughing out loud at some of the utterly bizarre over the top scenes. Which feel like stress dreams I could have had. This story is experimental, but it works imho. I’ll be checking out the author’s other work.
I loved it. There's a lot to love about it. Of course, the theme about social mobility as the title says. The plot was really off-the-walls in a lot of ways and everything the book was building up came together beautifully in the final 20 or so pages. Loved it!!!! I thought the prose, as well as how the story and character interactions is explained and told was done really uniquely here. It bends traditional writing styles, sentences tend to be more blunt and streamlined, but still rich with meaning. Will I write like Corey Fah's style? Maybe not, but I have learned that I have a craving for books with unique writing styles. This book is also queer, and it's written by a queer author, and I had no idea about that going in but it was pretty swag to discover :^) and it definitely gave the book extra …
I loved it. There's a lot to love about it. Of course, the theme about social mobility as the title says. The plot was really off-the-walls in a lot of ways and everything the book was building up came together beautifully in the final 20 or so pages. Loved it!!!! I thought the prose, as well as how the story and character interactions is explained and told was done really uniquely here. It bends traditional writing styles, sentences tend to be more blunt and streamlined, but still rich with meaning. Will I write like Corey Fah's style? Maybe not, but I have learned that I have a craving for books with unique writing styles. This book is also queer, and it's written by a queer author, and I had no idea about that going in but it was pretty swag to discover :^) and it definitely gave the book extra depth, a supplemental flavor, because those emotions and what not were evident in all sorts of choice of wording, characterization, and off-handed lines.
Y'know, I opened Bookwyrm and I thought I wouldn't write a review for this book. I'm not good at writing reviews. But when I sat down and set the rating to 5 stars, I couldn't click post. I couldn't accept keeping my thoughts in my head!! So here you are, and you got to read them. :-)
With that said, I'll definitely come back to this book sometime, it's easily one of my favorite books I've read... well, maybe ever?
