Chrysalis

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While the text suffers from some flaws, especially the transparent construction of the plot, it's also an absorbing and smart read and blossoms in its ambivalence. They all watch as she strengthens her body and mind and begins to post viral videos that advocate for her viewers to take drastic measures to acquire true self-sufficiency. The author did a spectacular job showcasing how society views the body of women in such a layered way. Early on, we’re given full details into how horrific and nefarious the abuse she had experienced with her male partner was and I think this was a good choice. Elliot’s self-obsessed, socially-awkward and reclusive yet prepared to disrupt his everyday rituals for a chance to be close to the woman.

They’re creepy and cheerful, like cheap actors in advertisements, ones for laundry detergent maybe, or pasta sauce in a jar. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and consider to be richly deserving of the accolade, and I look forward to seeing what else she will produce in future. When I first read the blurb, it reminded me of The Vegetarian: the outside POVs and a woman who doesn’t conform to society.

We don’t have to go back to primal or very nomadic ways but it’s okay for adults at a certain point to give or take how much they want to interact with society.

Utterly original and with shades of Ottessa Moshfegh, Patricia Lockwood, Yoko Ogawa, and Alexandra Kleeman, this brilliant portrayal of desire and transcendence had me totally entranced. Chrysalis is a compelling and at times unsettling novel tracking the metamorphosis of a young woman in the wake of the dissolution of an abusive relationship. This might sound like a hard sell, but Metcalfe really pulls it off - the characters are believable, their interactions are engaging and you really do find yourself caring about the little moments of intrigue.Small pieces of information are drip fed to the reader, each moment viewed and reviewed across the different narratives. Facebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin. Some of the PT and gym training descriptions were unrealistic - a PT who doesn’t even ask his client what their goals are, would never be successful, yet Simon is portrayed as some kind of fitness god. Photograph: Alice Zoo View image in fullscreen Anna Metcalfe’s nameless protagonist becomes ‘a cult figure who embraces solitude’.

This provocative, fiercely imaginative debut follows a woman trying to slip the shackles of society by controlling her body and mind in extreme ways , by one of Granta ’s Best of Young British Novelists.The novel focuses on a period of transition as this young woman emerges from a difficult childhood and an abusive relationship.