It was its structure that attracted me to Miranda Popkey’s Topics of Conversation. That and its cover image of two women alongside each other rather than face to face intrigued me. Popkey’s debut tells the story of an unnamed woman through the conversations she has with other women at various points in her life beginning when she’s twenty and ending seventeen years later.
Our narrator’s first conversation is with the mother of the twins she’s looking after on holiday in Italy. She’s there both as a nanny and as the friend of her charges’ sister but her most intimate connection proves to be with their mother. From there, our narrator takes us to a messy, post-party apartment with her grad student friends, listening to a story of seduction and abandonment. Almost a decade later she’s consoling a friend about her break-up, surrounded by images of female subjugation by a Swedish artist. The last five years see her angry at the friend who’s moved in with her parents when her marriage breaks down, recalling a one-night stand, listening to a woman recount her memories of Norman Mailer’s wife covered in blood at a party, drunkenly exchanging stories with other single mothers, listening to a stranger’s tale of giving up her child, cringing at her mother’s exhortation to start dating and, finally, exchanging news with her babysitter. By the end of her conversations, our narrator has taken us from young adulthood to early middle-age by way of marriage, divorce and motherhood.
I am often thinking of the better story because the actual story is so boring.
The narrator of Popkey’s episodic novel constructs her own story from her exchanges with other women, revealing herself to be much more attracted to the immediacy of intimacy with a stranger than to the slow maturing of a long friendship. She is, as she frequently reminds us, a supremely unreliable narrator, constantly shifting perspective, not knowing what she wants to be or how to be it. She’s one paper away from finishing her PhD, unsure whether she wants a child, would much rather be told what to do than live with a man who expects her to be and do what she wants. At the end of her book, Popkey includes a long list of ‘Works (Not Cited)’ which is almost as fascinating as her novel, ranging from specific episodes of Mad Men to novels such as Sheila Heti’s How Should a Person Be to Antony Minghella’s screen adaptation of The English Patient. It’s an impressive debut, clear-eyed in its depiction of life’s messy confusion and indecision, which leaves you with a great deal to think about. Definitely a book to revisit.
Serpent’s Tail: London 2020 9781788164047 240 pages Paperback
Looks like the same swimming pool as on the Lydia Yuknavitch book! Like the sound of this one.
Ah, I’m reading the Yuknavitch one tiny piece at a time! Topics is refreshingly original. I think you’d like it, Annabel.
This sounds SO good! I like the idea of the structure and I’m always fond of an unreliable narrator.
Unreliable is my absolute favourite kind of narrator! It’s such an interesting structure, isn’t it, and Popkey does it very well. The Works (Not Cited) section at the end is fascinating.
I’ve been sceptical about this one, wondering if it was all going to be a bit Fleabag and too young for me, but your review has convinced me otherwise.
Glad to hear that, Naomi.
Sounds akin to Cusk and Rooney. I’d definitely give it a go!
I’m not a Cusk fan but definitely comparable to Rooney.
Like Rebecca, I couldn’t help but think of Sally Rooney as I was reading your review – particularly as book’s title suggests something along the lines of Conversations with Friends. Based on your commentary, it sounds very impressive indeed – nicely done!
It’s refeshingly original. I think you’d appreciate the Works (Not Cited)section, Jacqui.
I’m really interested in this narrative style – not sure I’ve come across anything quite like it before. I’ll definitely be looking out for it after reading such a thoughtful review!
Very pleased to hear that and I hope you enjoy it. It’s an ambitious device for a debut but Popkey handles it deftly. It’ll be interesting to see what she comes up with next.
Well, ditto — I’ve only ever made it through one Cusk book and have abandoned several more. But you can’t escape her in book comparisons these days!
I know, but I wouldn’t want to put potential Popkey readers off!
Popkey is a new author to me. Thanks for sharing her work.
You’re welcome. I’ll looking forward to seeing what she comes up with for her second novel.
For some reason the ‘Works (Not Cited)’ section really appeals to me! Gorgeous cover too.
Lovely, isn’t it. Works (Not Cited) is perfect booky anorak material, and I count myself one of those. Happy for you to join me!
I love the sound of this. And that cover, too! It’s interesting that she would rather be with someone who tells her what to do. I was just thinking about this yesterday after a conversation I had with my sister… Wondering if some women actually prefer it.
It would be a recipe for diaster in my relationship! It was an interesting stance to have her take given that she’s not portrayed as an unassertive character.
I wasn’t sure about this one, but I’ll be giving it a shot now. Thanks for sharing!
That’s great to hear. I hope you enjoy it