I pick up Writers & Lovers
by Lily King because I read her book Euphoria
and while I couldn’t tell you what it is about, due to my excessive book reading, I do remember really liking it. Writers & Lovers
is the story of Casey, a young woman still working on becoming a writer, while all her friends who were doing the same have given up and moved on to ‘real jobs’ with benefits and perks. Casey struggles with this yet plods along.
The best part of the book is how the first half describes Casey writing (or struggling to write) in the mornings, going to her job at a fancy restaurant in the afternoon and dating some dudes. (I obviously also see a bit of myself in this story…) What is so interesting is that King goes into a lot of detail about what happens at the restaurant, describing how many are at Casey’s tables, what they order, how Casey interacts with the other people who work at the restaurant, etc.
But it is actually interesting. At one point I realize I basically have learned a lot about how a restaurant works and am still quite intrigued by the story. King does an amazing job with the details of the mundane. And all the while it is building to a happy yet not cheesy ending. You really feel like Casey has earned her happy ending. Girl has been through a lot.
I appreciate the sections where Casey’s friend Muriel gives her advice on her novel. Feels like its stock-full of little tips and tricks. There is a part at the end where Casey attends a writing workshop and it is in so much detail, I do the exercise myself.
And the books referenced…I love nothing more than learning about new books from the book I’m reading. Here is a list of the books I added to my To-Be-Read list:
There Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Hunger by Knut Hamsun
Woodcutters by Thomas Bernhard
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
Independent People by Halldor Laxness
The Evening of the Holiday by Shirley Hazzard
I know I was rooting for Casey because I see some of myself in her story. I highly recommend this novel to any wannabe writers. Also…references to T.S. Eliot in this book remind me that so many writers reference Eliot. When will I learn to understand and appreciate Eliot?? Maybe I need to take a class.
And finally, a reference to Amiri Baraka aka LeRoi Jones, who I first read about in the beloved novel The Archivist. This is a reminder of another author whose work I need to delve more into.
My favorite books are the ones that give me homework. Writers & Lovers delivers.
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