INCREDIBLE!!! Essentially the video I’ve been waiting for someone to make on TH-cam. So glad it exists now :))) Re Parade: I think it’s safe to say that the protagonist is the same throughout all the parts, though I don’t think it would necessarily matter if we end in the singular plural. We, in essence, includes us, sharing the pain and sharing the questions I think Cusk leaves us in the last part. If the I is not the same throughout all the parts, I did think then the book ends up being short stories in conversation with each other. In the end, I think Cusk has created an interesting play on the novel in this regard. Where character, literally, does not matter. It’s the clashing of character interaction and experience that creates the swirling nature and spirit of the book. I’m still thinking about this book!!!
thank you so much nathan 🥹 that’s such a good point about the book ending in singular plural. my brain kept wanting to look for the continuities and connections between the different sections and construct a character, but your take on it working either way is so insightful!!
I've been so excited to read Parade, and the closer we get to release day, the more intimidated I feel. However, your review and Nathan's have really helped me feel excited again. It definitely seems like a Cusk I will love as it seems to be centered around art and creativity. I think you would really enjoy The Last Supper it reminds me a lot of the first book in the Outline Trilogy and A Life's Work. Cusk has high expectations of how she has envisioned three months with her partner and two children in Italy, seeing art and having the "perfect" experience of being someplace new. Through all of that, we see her struggle with creativity, motherhood, and the people she meets along the way, which is very Outline coded. This video was great!!!
oh knowing how much you enjoy talking about art, i think you’ll really enjoy that aspect of parade!! i think it would be so cool to do a deep dive into all of the artists she uses as inspiration while you read the book. i’m really hoping to get my hands on a copy of the last supper soon, love the way you described it!!
Just bought a couple used copies of both Aftermath and A Life’s Work based on your recommendations here. Thank you kindly for compiling this! Super insightful. 😊
I have had parade sitting in my kindle for months! Maybe I have to get to itttttt ❤ also I have decided to become a Cass Krug completist this month… I am now going to binge every video on your channel 💌
Very pleased to have found you (here from bibliosophie's recommendation)! Parade was a very tough read for me and I'll be thinking about it for a long time. It's interesting to see that your picture of the front cover has "a novel" printed on the top right, while the copy that I bought doesn't have that. I don't think of it as a novel, and I wonder if the publisher couldn't decide either. I made a couple of videos about Parade, it actually brought me back to my channel after a long break because it was so tough and intriguing... I felt I needed to force myself to put some thoughts into words. It really got under my skin, I suppose hehe. Eleanor :-)
Great vídeo! I've been meaning to read her works from the near start (The Country Life on) to see how her style and themes evolve throughout her books. Never read her (except for a sample of the first chapter of Outline a long time ago, which I remember enjoying). Should be fun 😊
Loved the discussion of how your love for Cusk's work comes from having imperfect experiences with it and the re-readability of it and what it means to you. I really like your suggestion to start with her memoirs. There's definitely a lot to dissect about the idea of fiction and how much an author can and/or should self-insert into their fiction. Also shoutout to not trusting your own past star ratings haha!
she definitely feels like an author whose work i can grow into and evolve with other time, and i love that about her!! just goes to show how arbitrary rating systems can be hahaha 😵💫 thank you for watching!! 🫶🏻
This is so fun! Aftermath is one of my favorite Cusk books. I really like her non-fiction as much as the Outline trilogy. And Parade. In short, it was so enjoyable to me.
Thank you for sharing. I´ve never read Rachel Cusk. I want to read Arlington park sooooooo much and Life´s work too. p.s love your voice so smooth. Cheers, take care.
wooo what a project of a video! kudos! (see what i did there? eh?) i quite liked coventry when i read that collection a few years ago, so you're definitely making me want to pick up aftermath and a life's work
I've read the Outline Trilogy and Coventry. I agree that Transit was the best one. I really enjoyed Coventry, especially the first section of essays, but you've convinced me to buy A Life's work and Aftermath.
I am so glad I found this video. Thank you! I just joined NetGalley and I messed up by requesting Parade, because I wanted to try Cusk. I loved the writing and it was beautifully written, but I left confused, knowing there has to be some depth here I am not picking up on. And now I know….. I will take your recommendations and go to her backlist how you suggested, as well as the Parade reading companions you suggested.
I think I made a huge mistake starting with Parade, the writing was so dense and the message is very obscure. I will definitely do a reread after I read her other books.
i so appreciate your dedication to digging into an author and making sense of their life in relation to their literary work. this video is a testament to your thoughtfulness and care as a reader, and i personally find it so inspiring. as a cusk skeptic, i’m leaving this video with a whole new point of view, totally ready to tackle her entire catalogue. i’m going to hold off on hearing your thoughts on parade until i read it for myself, but trust that i will return!! and now i can raid your shelves and borrow alllll of the cusk 🤪🫶🏻
if you’re a seasoned cusk veteran and just want to hear about parade, full review begins at 25:27 🫡
INCREDIBLE!!! Essentially the video I’ve been waiting for someone to make on TH-cam. So glad it exists now :)))
Re Parade: I think it’s safe to say that the protagonist is the same throughout all the parts, though I don’t think it would necessarily matter if we end in the singular plural. We, in essence, includes us, sharing the pain and sharing the questions I think Cusk leaves us in the last part. If the I is not the same throughout all the parts, I did think then the book ends up being short stories in conversation with each other. In the end, I think Cusk has created an interesting play on the novel in this regard. Where character, literally, does not matter. It’s the clashing of character interaction and experience that creates the swirling nature and spirit of the book. I’m still thinking about this book!!!
thank you so much nathan 🥹 that’s such a good point about the book ending in singular plural. my brain kept wanting to look for the continuities and connections between the different sections and construct a character, but your take on it working either way is so insightful!!
I've been so excited to read Parade, and the closer we get to release day, the more intimidated I feel. However, your review and Nathan's have really helped me feel excited again. It definitely seems like a Cusk I will love as it seems to be centered around art and creativity. I think you would really enjoy The Last Supper it reminds me a lot of the first book in the Outline Trilogy and A Life's Work. Cusk has high expectations of how she has envisioned three months with her partner and two children in Italy, seeing art and having the "perfect" experience of being someplace new. Through all of that, we see her struggle with creativity, motherhood, and the people she meets along the way, which is very Outline coded. This video was great!!!
oh knowing how much you enjoy talking about art, i think you’ll really enjoy that aspect of parade!! i think it would be so cool to do a deep dive into all of the artists she uses as inspiration while you read the book. i’m really hoping to get my hands on a copy of the last supper soon, love the way you described it!!
Just bought a couple used copies of both Aftermath and A Life’s Work based on your recommendations here. Thank you kindly for compiling this! Super insightful. 😊
this makes me so happy to hear - would love for you to let me know your thoughts when you read them!!
Ironically you have thoroughly convinced me to start with Parade.
hahahaha i love this journey for you!!
I have had parade sitting in my kindle for months! Maybe I have to get to itttttt ❤ also I have decided to become a Cass Krug completist this month… I am now going to binge every video on your channel 💌
if you’re familiar with her work already i say go for it!! just subscribed to you as well!! 🫶🏻
Very pleased to have found you (here from bibliosophie's recommendation)! Parade was a very tough read for me and I'll be thinking about it for a long time. It's interesting to see that your picture of the front cover has "a novel" printed on the top right, while the copy that I bought doesn't have that. I don't think of it as a novel, and I wonder if the publisher couldn't decide either. I made a couple of videos about Parade, it actually brought me back to my channel after a long break because it was so tough and intriguing... I felt I needed to force myself to put some thoughts into words. It really got under my skin, I suppose hehe. Eleanor :-)
we are bibliosophie stans here, welcome!! definitely agree that parade isn’t a novel in the traditional sense. it was definitely a challenging one!!
Rachel Cusk has written more books than I thought!
right?! have you read any?
Great vídeo! I've been meaning to read her works from the near start (The Country Life on) to see how her style and themes evolve throughout her books. Never read her (except for a sample of the first chapter of Outline a long time ago, which I remember enjoying). Should be fun 😊
reading cusk chronologically would be so cool to do!! hope you have a great time with it!!
Loved the discussion of how your love for Cusk's work comes from having imperfect experiences with it and the re-readability of it and what it means to you. I really like your suggestion to start with her memoirs. There's definitely a lot to dissect about the idea of fiction and how much an author can and/or should self-insert into their fiction. Also shoutout to not trusting your own past star ratings haha!
she definitely feels like an author whose work i can grow into and evolve with other time, and i love that about her!! just goes to show how arbitrary rating systems can be hahaha 😵💫 thank you for watching!! 🫶🏻
This is so fun! Aftermath is one of my favorite Cusk books. I really like her non-fiction as much as the Outline trilogy. And Parade. In short, it was so enjoyable to me.
it’s made me so happy to see how much you loved parade!!
Thanks so much for this. I always love discovering new authors. Just ordered Aftermath and Life's work to give a try.
glad to hear this - hope you love them!!
Thank you for sharing. I´ve never read Rachel Cusk. I want to read Arlington park sooooooo much and Life´s work too. p.s love your voice so smooth. Cheers, take care.
thank you for watching!! those two are incredible, hope you love them when you pick them up!!
wooo what a project of a video! kudos! (see what i did there? eh?)
i quite liked coventry when i read that collection a few years ago, so you're definitely making me want to pick up aftermath and a life's work
you’d enjoy those two even more than coventry i bet!! they feel much more complete and thought out
I've read the Outline Trilogy and Coventry. I agree that Transit was the best one. I really enjoyed Coventry, especially the first section of essays, but you've convinced me to buy A Life's work and Aftermath.
hope you love them!!
I am so glad I found this video. Thank you! I just joined NetGalley and I messed up by requesting Parade, because I wanted to try Cusk. I loved the writing and it was beautifully written, but I left confused, knowing there has to be some depth here I am not picking up on. And now I know….. I will take your recommendations and go to her backlist how you suggested, as well as the Parade reading companions you suggested.
i’m glad i could help ya out a bit!! hope you love her backlist 🫶🏻
@@casskrug I ordered the trilogy today and will start there. Thanks!
Yeeeiii! I was just looking for review of a life’s work
such a great one!! i talk about it a lot more in depth in my “the best books of 2023” video!!
I think I made a huge mistake starting with Parade, the writing was so dense and the message is very obscure. I will definitely do a reread after I read her other books.
it’s definitely a tough one to start with - i hope you find a cusk you love!!
Why does TH-cam know me? I’ve heard Rachel Cusk for the first time last month and been wanting to read her but don’t know where to start!
the algorithm works in mysterious ways!! 😲 i hope this helped you out!!
Was eagerly waiting for this one
i hope you find it helpful!!
i so appreciate your dedication to digging into an author and making sense of their life in relation to their literary work. this video is a testament to your thoughtfulness and care as a reader, and i personally find it so inspiring. as a cusk skeptic, i’m leaving this video with a whole new point of view, totally ready to tackle her entire catalogue. i’m going to hold off on hearing your thoughts on parade until i read it for myself, but trust that i will return!! and now i can raid your shelves and borrow alllll of the cusk 🤪🫶🏻
thank you bestie 🥺 the cusk stack awaits you!!