The Motion of the Body Through Space

This is the first of Lionel Shriver’s books I have read, though I have been aware of her and her writing for some time. I have been missing out! 
Let me say right away that the quality, clarity and exquisite use of language I discovered when I began reading “The Motion of the Body Through Space” made me gasp with admiration; the vocabulary, the flow, the alliteration and other figures of speech, the brilliant descriptions and succinct expression are all genuine ‘wow’ factors of relish for me. 
The cleverly counterbalanced stories tell of long-married Serenata and Remington, a self-sufficient, perhaps even insular, couple with their jealousies and obsessions. We learn of the loss of fitness and movement due to overuse and ageing knees in the case of Serenata, juxtaposed with recently redundant Remington’s newfound passions for endurance sports, mingled with family history and more, which all create an engrossing novel (mostly) moving fast enough to keep the pages turning.
The political and social commentary which is also nicely interwoven, related to careers, relationships, religion and ‘correctness’ – that term ‘cultural misappropriation’ rearing its head – adds a note of the challenges of age, of having lived a long life in changing circumstances, and it is well documented here, as it has been in Shriver’s own life. 
Highly recommended, superb writing and full of feisty flair.

This is the first book I have read from this author but it will definitely not be my last. The writing style and use of language is simply superb. This is brilliantly written book and I would definitely recommend it

On one level this book is about running. Marathon, triathlon and obsessed runners in particular, and how it’s easy to get sucked into some of the cults that spring up around it.

Poor runners.

On another it’s about marriage in its later years (depending when married of course), or maybe marriage in your later years, and coming to terms with the fact that what you were physically capable of once eventually and inevitably fades.

Fine, I can be specific. Serenata is married to Remington. Someone who exercised her whole life (discreetly and alone), she now needs a knee replacement. At the same time, her newly retired husband announces he’s going to run a marathon. It’s almost a slap in the face, to throw himself into the one hobby she can’t do any more, especially when he’s so vastly unprepared for it. But he wants to better himself - how can she argue with that? Nevertheless she tries, especially when he finds a young, attractive (annoying) fitness instructor who persuades him into a triathlon.

What makes this book sing is the writing and the banter between Serenata and Remington. You may not agree with all she says and thinks, but she’s good at getting her point across. Sometimes so well she upsets her entire family, nearly-estranged children included.

I hadn’t read any Shriver since ‘Kevin’ but I’ll certainly read more now.

As usual, Lionel Shriver’s writing is fiercely intelligent and the fashion for triathlons and uber-sporting challenges are cuttingly observed in this novel.  She cleverly allows her protagonists to argue from both sides and leads her readers down a number of byways on the journey through the story.  Convincing characters and believable situations make for yet another novel which is dense with discussion on a range of issues.  Shriver’s writing is articulate, accessible and relevant.  This is a meaty read with lots of food for thought.

Shriver has produced an extremely clever kick on excessive exercise and 'personal denial'. She examines, with brilliant acuity, through characters Remington and Serenata, obsessiveness and the breaking down of a marriage, as well as the way in which human nature can be persuaded and manipulated. There is a bizarre 'Cult of Bambi’ who's followers eventually see all of that for what it is. 

In a clever, thought-provoking style, Shriver examines the notion of joy, really, of happiness, and of a generation programmed to believe that enough is never enough. In this target-driven world in which we live, it is a novel which inspires readers to consider how effective continual striving to be 'better' 'stronger' etc. is worth.

This, to me is a timely novel, one that will make you challenge your own ideas about what happiness is, and whether, as the character Serenata begins to think, any of it is worth it, and that we're maybe missing a very important trick here.

Loved it.

Lionel Shriver captures the zeitgeist in her usual immaculate prose style, skewering the fads and foibles of modern society with her unerringly acute social commentary.
The targets for her scathing  indictment are ripe for satire – but only a brave novelist like Shriver would dare to tackle them in this age of ‘wokeness’ and ultra sensitivity to offence – intended or not. 
She zones in on all the various scourges of the modern age – such as PC groupthink,  ‘cultural misappropriation’, identity politics, self-righteous virtue signalling, victimhood culture – and the main target of this novel – the obsession with the cult of exercise.
Along with the satire, Shriver's talent for observational comedy is displayed in the exchange of teasing repartee between the husband and wife  - the sort of sniping and bickering that a couple can only get away with in a secure relationship, but which can be disastrous if the underlying fondness isn't there – and which is soon put to the test,  as obsession turns into full-blown OCD.
 ... Wonderfully entertaining!

This book was refreshing.

I have liked Lionel Shriver’s previous offerings and was excited to read this because the way she writes is beautiful to me.  The flow and word selection is very clever.

I love books about people and this is a great example where we get an insight in to a couple growing old and the challenges they face.

My only criticism is I wanted more! More information about characters and at least another chapter!

Wonderfully descriptive, empathetic writing and an engrossing story again from this author. She takes themes common to all of us we age and explores them with such depth and understanding that everyone who reads this book will be able to find so much that relates to themselves, what ever their age. Our ageing bodies and minds do such bizarre things to us and to our relationships and Shriver explores this concept with breathtaking use of language, and with sympathy and understanding, drawing her characters with such skill that the reader can’t help but form relationships with the two main protagonists, and can’t help but be irritated and despairing of the oddballs and obsessives who populate the outer layers of the story. A truly remarkable book and a real joy to read on so many different levels - I am in awe of an author who can produce such writing.

First of all, thank you to the publisher for having allowed me to read this in return for an honest review. Thank you, also, to the author for having written this touching exploration of a body, its ‘inhabitant’, and said inhabitant’s experience of her body moving through space - and time.

I thought this novel was exquisitely written and moving. I loved Serenata’s personality, I felt like I knew her and absolutely adored her sense of humor and way of seeing the world; the way her character ‘evolved’ through the years too and, of course, her relationship with Remington - himself a fascinating (thought also exasperating!) character. As people, they both seemed to be contending with their own limits, in different though also similar ways. 

I read this novel slowly (for me, at least) and savored every page. The story is one I think I will long remember. It opened my eyes to new feelings, new ways of seeing the world, new ways to appreciate the very real (though never guaranteed!) fact of aging, while basking in the temporary nature of our shared though at the same time profoundly lonely existence.

It was a wonderful read. Thank you again.

Have you reached that age yet when all of the men around you take up running, cycling or even worse triathlons? Men, who up til this point, have been interesting, a laugh and good for a glass of wine suddenly become lycra clad bores.  They stop drinking, they disappear for hours on end and absolve themselves of familial responsibility. Marriages are discarded at the wayside along with gel energy wrappers. 

I love Lionel Shriver's dry observations on society. The wife's desperate attempts to not completely talk down her husband's new enthusiasm, the daughter's fervent religious beliefs and the awful personal trainer are all perfect.  I adored this book; it made me laugh, think and almost feel sad for all those triathletes who are just looking for meaning in their lives.