Outline by Rachel Cusk was a finalist for the Giller Prize, and named by many one of the best books of the year. In direct contrast to the last novel I read (Kasumakura by Natsume Soseki, which strived to eliminated the ins and outs of human entanglements), Outline is almost wholly comprised of the psychological workings of its characters.
On a plane trip from London to Athens, Faye strikes up a conversation with her neighbour. As is often the case, he does most of the talking, only pausing briefly to ask about herself before carrying on. Before the plane ends, we know the past and current history of his life. Once in Athens, she dines with an old friend, who brings along Angeliki, a self-centred writer who proceeds to reveal far more of her life story than you would ever thought comfortable. Faye herself is in Athens to teach a writing course in English, and each day her students open up with stories from not only their own lives, but those who intersect with them two or three steps removed.
Knowing nothing about this book, I was deeply impressed with the writing. Captivating and entirely real - so real I felt at times I was trapped in a monologue as someone revealed their inner most dreams, angers and losses. We learn about Faye through her participatory silence, encouraging people to reveal hidden parts of themselves. As characters, they stand entirely realized, though I sometimes felt it was implausible anyone would expose themselves so much, even to a stranger. I surprised myself near the end when I remembered a fact I had temporarily been blinded to: these characters I have been spending time with, that are so real to me, are actually a creation of the writer, they do not exist. That I can know them (and be happy with or frustrated by them) is a testament to a great writer whose other works should be sought out.
Seamless, intelligent, and impressive.
2014 / Tradeback / 249 pages
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