Caleb Azumah Nelson: Open Water (2021, Grove Press, Black Cat)
paperback, 160 pages
Published April 13, 2021 by Grove Press, Black Cat.
This is the book that has recalibrated what 5* is this year. Poetic, heavy, joyful - it is a true leap into the meaning of masculinity, of the black experience in London for those growing up in the 90s and 2000s, and it is a story of love - not saccharine, but real, broken and healing. The only other book that has brought me this close to devastation and rebirth is Pity by Andrew McMillan. Unbelievably good.
The writing style is poetic, gripping, and utterly captivating. Each sentence feels like a work of art, drawing you deeper into the story with every page turned. A must-read for anyone who appreciates exquisite prose.
I thought it was good writing until I realised the entire book sounds like the most pretentious, annoying, overly serious 20 year old arts student, the kind who can't get a haircut without finding all these "deep meanings". As soon as I made that connection it was a bit of a slog.
Having said that, you can still find interesting things in a melodramatic 20 year old's diary. He has writing talent, some of the themes he touches on are interesting, and we can all admit to being overly dramatic sometimes.
Apparently this book is also about masculinity but it's not really - apart from the fact that everything is about everything if you squint hard enough.
