Second Place

Reading “Second Place” I was reinforced in my view that Rachel Cusk’s fictions are not just meant to be read; they are meant to be experienced. Regardless of how purely relevant characters may be, what they are experiencing are deep, troubling, plausible, and worth wondering deeply about.

“Second Place” is Cusk’s first fictional effort after her prized “Outline/Transit/Kudos” trilogy. It is in several ways more approachable. It is a chamber piece with six/seven highly interesting characters who find themselves intimately engaged in remote physical isolation. It explores adults in various stages of inner life. Paths cross in predictable and unpredictable ways. As soon as you feel that you are on top of it and know what’s next to come, you are crossed up. It is best to let the prose just wash over you.

Cusk’s technical skills are always remarkable to behold. Sentences are a joy and demand frequent re-reading. Her approach to narration in “Second Place” is wonderful. The narration is First Person, but it is structured as a missive to a 3rd person. It is an unusual technique that is a wonderful fit.

And then it is centered on the nature of art, the artist, creativity, and the psyche in all its turbulence. It doesn’t get better than “Second Place”.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the dARC.