In 'Dept. of Speculation,' Jenny Offill weaves a poignant narrative centered on a marriage unraveling amidst the chaos of life and the passage of time. The protagonist reflects on love, infidelity, and the weight of her domestic responsibilities, exploring the tension between desire and reality. Fragmented yet profound, the prose mirrors her scattered thoughts, capturing the complexities of modern relationships. Offill's sharp observations invite readers to ponder the nature of commitment and the layers of intimacy. With its blend of wit and melancholy, this novel will leave you questioning what truly binds us to one another.
By Jenny Offill
Published: 2014
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
From the acclaimed author of Weather comes a slim, stunning portrait of a marriage--a beguiling rumination on the mysteries of intimacy, trust, faith, knowledge, and the condition of universal shipwreck that unites us all. ONE OF THE 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW A Best Book of the Year: The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Vogue.com, Electric Literature, Buzzfeed In the beginning, it was easy to imagine their future. They were young and giddy, sure of themselves and of their love for each other. “Dept. of Speculation” was their code name for all the thrilling uncertainties that lay ahead. Then they got married, had a child and navigated the familiar calamities of family life—a colicky baby, a faltering relationship, stalled ambitions. When their marriage reaches a sudden breaking point, the wife tries to retrace the steps that have led them to this place, invoking everything from Kafka to the Stoics to doomed Russian cosmonauts as she analyzes what is lost and what remains. In language that shimmers with rage and longing and wit, Offill has created a brilliantly suspenseful love story—a novel to read in one sitting, even as its piercing meditations linger long after the last page.
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“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
Dept. of Speculation
By Jenny Offill
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Jenny Offill is a critically acclaimed American author known for her innovative narrative style and sharp, insightful prose. She gained widespread recognition for her novel 'Dept. of Speculation', which explores the complexities of marriage, motherhood, and the intricacies of human relationships through a fragmented narrative structure. Offill's other notable works include 'Weather', a timely exploration of anxiety and existential dread in the face of climate change, and 'Last Things', which addresses themes of loss and memory. Her writing often blends humor with poignant observations, employing a distinctive voice that is both intimate and cerebral.
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