Exquisite Cadavers by Meena Kandasamy
Published by Atlantic Books, 2019
My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
This experimental novella takes the concept of meta fiction to a whole new level. Throughout its entirety, two separate narratives run in parallel. One is the fictional account of a young couple living in London, attempting to navigate growing tensions within their home and across the globe. The second, written within the margins, is a series of musings on Kandasamy’s own life, giving us an insight into the wider context of the book’s creation, as well as the thoughts and inspirations behind certain key moments.
The book feels incredibly fragmented, and not just because we’re constantly moving back and forth between fiction and reality. Both accounts are sparse, choppy, and non-linear. Though fascinating ideas repeatedly crop up, and Kandasamy’s use of language is stunning (her experience as a poet shines from the page), I found the reading experience itself so jarring that I could never quite find my footing. With the disparate halves rarely aligning as convincingly as I’d hoped, the effort required to try and make them do so meant neither section impacted me as strongly as it could have.
Thus, from a narrative standpoint, I can’t say it enthralled or enlightened me. When looking at the quality of the craftsmanship, however, it is certainly an impressive feat. Kandasamy explains in the preface that she set out to write characters and stories as far removed from her own experience as possible, but ultimately proves that, no matter how hard we try to prevent it, the fears, pressures, and injustices of the real world will always bleed into the worlds we put down on the page. Beyond this, it also offers a unique take on the notions of love, loyalty, and revolution.
Sometimes gorgeous, sometimes alienating; always intellectually stimulating. This is certainly worth a read for those intrigued by the book’s singular concept.
You can pick up a copy of Exquisite Cadavers from Book Depository by clicking here. If you’ve already read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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