Compulsion (Scott novel)

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Compulsion
Compulsion (Scott novel).jpg
AuthorKate Scott
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Penguin Random House
Publication date
10 January 2023
Publication placeAustralia
ISBN 1760146102
OCLC 1343946510

Compulsion is a novel written by Australian author Kate Scott. Her debut novel, it follows Lucy Lux, a young music journalist who leaves her life behind by escaping to the seaside town of Abergele, where she meets Robin, a photographer and the son of a prominent record producer. [1]

Reception

The Sydney Morning Herald stated: "The book captures with effortless lyricism the heady sense of decadence and doom suffusing youth culture in the early 2000s – and will appeal especially to those who lived through it." [2] Elaine Chennatt of the Aniko Magazine opined that while there is "vivid storytelling and plenty to thrill any diehard 80s music lovers", the plot "left a lot to be desired." [3] Mia Ferreira of ArtsHub gave the novel a 3/5 rating, criticised the "flowery language and retro 70s and 80s imagery" as "contrived" and "excessive". However, she wrote: "Compulsion may seem superficial and selfish in the face of all the disasters and serious issues of our world, and it may be a little hard to digest at first, but beneath the surface lies a deep existential yearning for love, meaning and purpose." [4]

References

  1. Bennett, Lisa (May 2023). "Fairy tales and fever dreams". Australian Book Review . Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  2. Woodhead, Cameron; Carroll, Steven (13 January 2023). "Dog lovers should lap up this brilliant and moving canine odyssey". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  3. Chennatt, Elaine (17 July 2023). "Compulsion by Kate Scott". Aniko Magazine. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  4. Ferreira, Mia (18 January 2023). "Book review: Compulsion, Kate Scott". ArtsHub. Retrieved 29 March 2025.