Indelicacy is a 2020 novel by American writer Amina Cain. The novel follows the life of its narrator, Vitória, from shortly before her marriage until shortly after its dissolution.
.jpg) Hardcover First Edition | |
| Author | Amina Cain |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
Publication date | February 11, 2020 |
| Pages | 161 |
| ISBN | 9780374148379 Hardcover First Edition |
| OCLC | 1102103985 |
| 813/.6 | |
| LC Class | PS3603.A377 I53 2020 lccn.loc.gov/2019024885 |
Writing, composition, and background edit
The novel took Cain four years to write.[1] The novel is partially set in an unnamed museum and for inspiration, Cain visited the National Gallery in London and the Frick Collection in New York City.[1][2] The city in which the novel takes place also never receives a name,[3] and Cain has referred to it as "a combination of Chicago, London, and then some imagined place".[4]
Cain had several drafts for the novel, and has referred to earlier versions of the book as "terrible".[2]
Reception edit
Critical reception edit
Isabel Berwick, writing in a review for the Financial Times, referred to the novel as "[...] a strange, short, beguiling book."[5] This sentiment was echoed in The New Yorker, which called the book "sparse" and "elliptical".[3]
Berwick grouped Cain's work with that of Jenny Offill and Ottessa Moshfegh, calling their styles "modern flat".[5]
According to literary review aggregator Book Marks, the novel received mostly "Rave" and "Positive" reviews.[6]
Honors edit
The book was shortlisted for the 2020 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.[7][8]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Center for Fiction First Novel Prize | — | Shortlisted | [7][8] |
| 2021 | Rathbones Folio Prize | — | Shortlisted | [9] |
References edit
- ^ a b Cain, Kate Durbin interviews Amina (11 February 2020). "Eternal Present: An Interview with Amina Cain". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ a b Samatar, Sofia (12 March 2020). "The Space of Writing: A Conversation with Amina Cain". Music & Literature. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Briefly Noted Book Reviews". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. 13 April 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ Skwarna, Naomi (16 April 2020). "'A Trace of That Darker History': An Interview with Amina Cain". Hazlitt. Random House. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ a b Berwick, Isabel (17 September 2020). "Indelicacy by Amina Cain — a strange, short, beguiling book". www.ft.com. The Financial Times. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ "Indelicacy". Book Marks. Literary Hub. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ a b Saka, Rasheeda (1 October 2020). "Here's the shortlist for the Center for Fiction's 2020 First Novel Prize". Literary Hub. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Indelicacy". Publishers Weekly. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ Flood, Alison (2021-02-11). "Monique Roffey leads strong showing for indies on Rathbones Folio shortlist". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
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