What I’d Rather Not Think About
by Jente Posthuma (trans. Sarah Timmer Harvey)
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Pub Date 8 Jun 2023 | Archive Date 31 May 2023
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Description
What if one half of a pair of twins no longer wants to live? What if the other can’t live without them?
This question lies at the heart of Jente Posthuma’s deceptively simple What I’d Rather Not Think About. The narrator is a twin whose brother has recently taken his own life. She looks back on their childhood, and tells of their adult lives: how her brother tried to find happiness, but lost himself in various men and the Bhagwan movement, though never completely.
In brief, precise vignettes, full of gentle melancholy and surprising humour, Posthuma tells the story of a depressive brother, viewed from the perspective of the sister who both loves and resents her twin, struggles to understand him, and misses him terribly.
Advance Praise
‘It is impossible to name everything that is beautiful about this novel. Posthuma needs few words to evoke a feeling or an atmosphere. She writes striking sentences that conjure up poignant images … this book deserves a large readership.’ – Literary Netherlands
‘A unique story of a twin brother and sister, wryly funny and heartbreakingly sad. Her characters desperately try to make sense of our ever more complex world. This is a rare book. And Jente Posthuma is a treasure and a hell of a writer.’ – Herman Koch, international bestselling author of The Dinner
‘From the opening pages of this novel I had no idea where it was going, but I trusted Posthuma completely. Tender, offbeat, and deftly drawn — I loved it.’ – Allee Richards, author of The Small Joys of Real Life
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9781914484711 |
| PRICE | £9.99 (GBP) |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Camille O, Librarian
What I’d Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma is one of the best novels I've read about the relationship you have with your sibling. It's sad, funny and insightful and reminded me of Jessie Cave's Sunset, Viola Di Grado's Blue Hunger and Miriam Toews' All My Puny Sorrows.
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