Palimpsest
Valente's books are like gorgeous puzzles. In the beginning it's all a jumble, and I'm wondering what I've gotten myself into. The prose is lovely, but the story is elusive. The more I read, the more the picture comes into focus. But it always seems to be a bit backwards. Mood, then themes, then plot. I understand what her books are about long before I really understand what's happening in them. As pieces click into place, previous passages make more sense, and I find myself flipping back to re-read bits and pick up clues and just plain marvel at what a master of the form she is.
So. Palimpsest. This is a book about a sexually-transmitted city. It's about loneliness and obsession. It's about sacrifice and change. It's about making connections and remaking yourself and finding love.
Palimpsest is a fantastical city. It's filled with wonders, a new one around every corner. The only way to get there is to have sex with someone who's already been there. Once you've been, a piece of a map of the city is tattooed somewhere on your body. Most people who've been become obsessed with getting back. Some are horrified and do what they can to avoid it. Many people view it as a sacred sort of secret, something that can't be shared with just anyone. A few want to spread the good word.
The story follows four people who find their way to the city. Each of them has gotten stuck in the routine of their life until a casual encounter jolts them out of their comfort zones. Each of them has lost something profound, and will do nearly anything to get it back. And each of them is about to get in way over their heads.
Valente has created an incredibly rich world, defined by shadowy hints and clues. I'm going to be re-reading this book for years to come, looking for more details to further illuminate this story and world. Like all of her books, I need to sit with this one for a while, turn it over in my head, come back to it again and again. I need to tease out all the various and variable meanings - the chimera wife, the grace of bees. I need to read this again.
And I need to read the rest of Valente's books, too.
So. Palimpsest. This is a book about a sexually-transmitted city. It's about loneliness and obsession. It's about sacrifice and change. It's about making connections and remaking yourself and finding love.
Palimpsest is a fantastical city. It's filled with wonders, a new one around every corner. The only way to get there is to have sex with someone who's already been there. Once you've been, a piece of a map of the city is tattooed somewhere on your body. Most people who've been become obsessed with getting back. Some are horrified and do what they can to avoid it. Many people view it as a sacred sort of secret, something that can't be shared with just anyone. A few want to spread the good word.
The story follows four people who find their way to the city. Each of them has gotten stuck in the routine of their life until a casual encounter jolts them out of their comfort zones. Each of them has lost something profound, and will do nearly anything to get it back. And each of them is about to get in way over their heads.
Valente has created an incredibly rich world, defined by shadowy hints and clues. I'm going to be re-reading this book for years to come, looking for more details to further illuminate this story and world. Like all of her books, I need to sit with this one for a while, turn it over in my head, come back to it again and again. I need to tease out all the various and variable meanings - the chimera wife, the grace of bees. I need to read this again.
And I need to read the rest of Valente's books, too.
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