Title: Topics of Conversation*
Author: Miranda Popkey
Rating: 3.5 stars / 5 stars
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Favorite Quote: “Now I know that I am never more covetous than when someone tells me a story, a secret, the sharing of a confidence stoking in me the hunger for intimacy of a more proximate kind.” Popkey, Miranda. Topics of Conversation. Borzoi, 2020, p. 28.
Review: Popkey’s debut novel, Topics of Conversation, follows the life of an unnamed protagonist through various experiences of her life, including explorations of her sexual identity, marriage, infidelity, motherhood, and alcoholism.
I split my time between reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook while I took walks or got ready for work in the morning. Popkey’s mastery of language to create sensual, sometimes uncomfortable, scenes is impeccable. It’s honestly surprising that this is her debut.
Her use of time is also a fascinating aspect of the book that deserves attention. Each chapter is designated by a place and time that corresponds with where the character is during that particular vignette. But she gives insights into what has happened in the past or what will happen in the future so that the character is never fully anchored in the setting being explored. This lends itself to the ethereal feel of the book that persists throughout. (For instance, even in chapters before she has a child, she makes references to what happens when she ultimately becomes a mother, and even before she becomes sober, she makes references to when she has stopped drinking.)
Candidly, this rating would be a lot higher (the writing is absolutely incredible), but the chapter about the Norman Mailer documentary addressed issues of domestic violence and race in a really clunky, insensitive way. Popkey is a white author who is attempting to explore the intersection of gender violence and racism, and this chapter falls flat.
About that Quote: This quote perfectly embodies the vibe of this entire book. It seems less like a novel and more like a collection of linked short stories, that at times interact heavily with one another, and at other times seem only connected by the single character whose life plays out on the page.
Have you read Topics of Conversation? Share your thoughts below!
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