In Concrete
A feminist exploration of family, communication, and modernity
Anne Garreta author Emma Ramadan translator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Deep Vellum Publishing
Published:24th Jun '21
Should be back in stock very soon
Anne Garréta's In Concrete intricately weaves a feminist narrative around a family's turmoil, revealing the consequences of modernization and communication through inventive language.
In her latest work, In Concrete, Anne Garréta, a Prix Medicis laureate, delivers a unique feminist twist on the traditional domestic drama, blending it with elements reminiscent of Oulipian nursery rhymes. This marks Garréta's first novel in ten years, and it explores the chaotic impact that a concrete mixer has on a family. The narrative unfolds as the father, driven by a desire to modernize their home and lives, inadvertently sets off a series of events that culminate in tragedy when the younger sister becomes trapped in concrete.
The novel is rich with puns, inventive wordplay, and a vibrant verbal style that challenges conventional storytelling. Garréta's innovative approach not only reinvents the form of the novel but also blurs the boundaries between spoken and written language. Through this exploration, In Concrete delves into the complexities and nuances of communication, highlighting how language can stretch and shift in meaning.
As the story progresses, readers are invited to reflect on the nature of family dynamics, the weight of expectations, and the unforeseen consequences of ambition. With its playful yet poignant tone, In Concrete promises to captivate audiences while offering a fresh perspective on familiar themes.
Recipient of the 2020 Hemingway Grant by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy "Oulipo member Garréta’s wonderfully strange latest (after Not One Day) chronicles the misfortunes that befall a family after the father receives a concrete mixer for his birthday... Ramadan, winner of the PEN Translation Prize, makes each of the pages sing. Fans of experimental fiction will find this delightful." –Publishers Weekly "Through a unique writing style where spelling mistakes coexist with onomatopoeias and saucy allusions, the border between spoken and written language gradually ceases to exist." —The Cultural Services of the French Embassy Praise for SphinxOne of Flavorwire’s Top 50 Independent Books of 2015 One of Entropy Magazine‘s Best Fiction Books of 2015 One of Bookriot‘s 100 Must-Read Books Translated From French One of FSG editor Jackson Howard’s favorite books of 2018 on FSG's blog Work in Progress “The set-up is such a classic, relatable tale of falling in — and out — of love that one wonders why gender has always been such a huge factor in how we discuss relationships, in fiction and otherwise. . . . So, the author, and the translator, created their own language, championing love and desire over power and difference.” — Maddie Crum, Huffington Post “Garréta’s aim was to overthrow gender binaries carried by language, and in light of recent demands by transgender groups to use gender neutral pronouns, Sphinx seems curiously prescient.” — Catherine Humble, The Times Literary Supplement (TLS) “…Sphinx highlights the already limiting nature of language when it comes to matters of gender, and of love.” — Stephanie Hayes, The Atlantic “The strength of [Sphinx] lies in its philosophical eloquence . . . Take away gender and race from the book, and what’s left? Love, viewed as a nihilistic transcendence . . . considerably more than a language game.” — Adam Mars-Jones, London Review of Books
ISBN: 9781646050550
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
152 pages