Creation Lake

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Creation Lake
Author Rachel Kushner
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Scribner
Publication date
2024
Publication placeUnited States
Pages416
ISBN 9781982116521

Creation Lake is a 2024 novel by Rachel Kushner. It was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

"Sadie Smith," a pseudonymous freelance spy, works to undermine environmental activists. After being hired to disrupt a farming cooperative in France, she begins to suspect that her mission risks undermining her own humanity.

Development history

Creation Lake is Kushner's fourth novel. [2] She has cited Jean-Patrick Manchette and John le Carré as inspirations for the book, along with time spent with performance artists in the 1980s. [3]

Publication history

The novel was published in the United States by Scribner on September 3, 2024. [2] It was published in the United Kingdom by Jonathan Cape. [4]

Reception

According to review aggregator Book Marks, Creation Lake received a generally positive response from critics. [5] Kirkus Reviews positively described the book as being a "deft, brainy take on the espionage novel." [2] Publishers Weekly praised the novel's themes and Kushner's integration of philosophical discussion into the narrative. [6] NPR noted that Kushner's writing used clear language and did not lean into realism, with Kushner instead crafting a disturbing, threatening world, while The Guardian's Anthony Cummings described the book as being "hugely enjoyable," praising the characters and worldview of the novel. [7] [4] M. John Harrison, also writing in The Guardian, praised Kushner's characterization of Sadie, describing the character as "complex and fascinating." [8]

Dwight Garner, writing in The New York Times , described the novel as an improvement over Kushner's previous works and noted the integration of philosophy and historical flashbacks into the story. [9] The Atlantic noted that the book built on themes from Kushner's previous novels, singling out "failures of self-liberation" as a key theme in her work. [10] Slate and The New Republic were similarly positive, with the former noting that the novel explored "universal" ideas and the latter praising the novel's plot. [11] [12]

The Wall Street Journal was more negative, criticizing the book's pacing and what the reviewer described as a lack of suspense. [13] Brandon Taylor, writing in The London Review of Books , described the novel as being "sloppy" and Sadie's characterization as being unbelievable. [14] The Financial Times criticized the book's reliance on email monologues for exposition. [15]

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References

  1. ↑ "The Booker Prize 2024". The Booker Prizes. September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Creation Lake". Kirkus Reviews . May 31, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  3. ↑ Dwyer, Kate (August 31, 2024). "Is a Writer a Kind of Spy?". The New York Times . Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Cummings, Anthony (August 25, 2024). "Rachel Kushner's new espionage thriller may be her coolest book yet". The Guardian . Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Creation Lake". Book Marks. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Creation Lake". Publishers Weekly . June 3, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  7. ↑ Corrigan, Maureen (September 10, 2024). "Rachel Kushner's new espionage thriller may be her coolest book yet". NPR . Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  8. ↑ Harrison, M. John (September 4, 2024). "Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner review – a thrilling novel of ideas". The Guardian . Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  9. ↑ Garner, Dwight (October 7, 2024). "A Smart, Sinuous Espionage Thriller Brimming With Heat". The New York Times . Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  10. ↑ Meyer, Lily (September 3, 2024). "Rachel Kushner's Surprising Swerve". The Atlantic . Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  11. ↑ Miller, Laura (September 10, 2024). "The Secret Agent". Slate. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  12. ↑ Marsh, Laura (August 28, 2024). "Rachel Kushner's Spy Games". The New Republic . Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  13. ↑ Sacks, Sam (August 28, 2024). "Fiction: Rachel Kushner's 'Creation Lake'" . The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  14. ↑ Taylor, Brandon (September 12, 2024). "Use your human mind!" . London Review of Books . Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  15. ↑ Levitin, Mia (September 22, 2024). "Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner — eco-philosophy and dirty tricks". Financial Times . Retrieved October 22, 2024.
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