Overview
* An October 2023 ABA "Indie Next List" Pick.
* AĀ Publishers Weekly'sĀ "Writers to Watch" (Fall 2023)
An entrancing and prismatic debut novel by Christine Lai, set in a near future fraught with ecological collapse, Landscapes brilliantly explores memory, empathy, preservation, and art as an instrument for recollection and renewal.
In the English countrysideādecimated by heat and droughtāPenelope archives what remains of an estateās once notable collection. As she catalogues the libraryās contents, she keeps a diary of her final months in the dilapidated country house that has been her home for two decades and a refuge for those who have been displaced by disasters. Out of necessity, Penelope and her partner, Aidan, have sold the house and its scheduled demolition marks the pressing deadline for completing the archive. But with it also comes the impending return of Aidanās brother, Julian, at whose hands Penelope suffered during a brief but violent relationship twenty-two years before. As Julianās visit looms, Penelope finds herself unable to suppress the past, and she clings to art as a means of understanding, of survival, and of reckoning.
Recalling the works of Rachel Cusk and Kazuo Ishiguro, Landscapes is an elegiac and spellbinding blend of narrative, essay, and diary that reinvents the pastoral and the country house novel for our age of catastrophe, and announces the arrival of an extraordinarily gifted newĀ writer.
Additional reading:
Necessary FictionĀ presentsĀ "Research Notes" byĀ LandscapesĀ authorĀ Christine Lai (September 15, 2023):Ā The Research Notes series invites authors to describe their process for a recent book, with āresearchā defined as broadly as they like.
Read anĀ excerpt:
Electric Literature presentsĀ "An Archivist for the End of the World," an excerpt fromĀ LandscapesĀ by Christine Lai, recommended by AyÅegĆ¼l SavaÅ.
Interviews:Ā
Across the PondĀ podcast:Ā Christine Lai, "Landscapes"Ā | Nov 28, 2023
Christine Lai reads from her debut novel,Ā Landscapes, and speaks withĀ Across the PondĀ hosts Lori Feathers and Sam Jordison about the inspiration behind the various elements infused in the novel, from personal trauma, Turner's artwork, ownership, colonization, refugees, climate devastation, healing through art, and so much more!Ā
Origin StoryĀ Podcast: Christine LaiĀ | Oct 3, 2023
In the episode "Christine Lai on How Art Endures Even After Apocalypse,"Ā Origin StoryĀ hostsĀ Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp speak with the novelist about the release of her debut novel,Ā Landscapes, our enduring relationship to art, the book's editing process, the experience of publishing, what she is working on next, and so much more!
Bookinā Podcast: Christine LaiĀ | Sep 24, 2023
"This week, host Jason Jefferies is joined by Christine Lai, who discusses her new novelĀ Landscapes, which is published by our friends at Two Dollar Radio. Ā Topics of discussion include novels about art, what you can learn about a character based on their attitude towards another character's art (through the lens of Nabokov'sĀ Pale Fire), whether a critic can ever become a part of the art they are criticizing, Penelope as a name in literature, documentation, climate fiction, capitalism and possession, and much more. Ā Copies ofĀ LandscapesĀ can be purchasedĀ hereĀ with FREE SHIPPING for members ofĀ Explore More+."
Interview Magazine: Christine LaiĀ | Sep 13, 2023
Amanda Paige Inman, forĀ Interview Magazine, spoke with author Christine Lai about her debut novel,Ā Landscapes, the challenges of writing certain characters, ruins, diaries, missed connections, the joys of collecting, Lai's enduring fascination with country houses, and so much more.
Write or Die Magazine: Christine LaiĀ | Sep 12, 2023
ForĀ Write or Die Magazine,Ā Nirica Srinivasan spoke with author Christine Lai about the seed for the story of her debut novel,Ā Landscapes, how she settled on the unique structure of the book, background behind the novel's many references, art, objects, violence, the ruinous, future setting, and much, much more.
Publishers Weekly:Ā Writers to Watch, Fall 2023Ā | Jun 30, 2023
Matt Seidel, forĀ Publishers Weekly, spoke with Christine Lai, author of the debut novelĀ Landscapesāincluded as one of "this seasonās crop of promising debut fiction [offering] timeless human dramas from fresh perspectives"āabout how her novel came to be written, her inspirations, and more!
Q&A with Christine LaiĀ | Dec 12, 2022
Eric Obenauf, editorial director of Two Dollar Radio, talked with Christine Lai about her debut novelĀ Landscapes: "The role of the writer is not unlike that of the archivist, bringing together images and ideas, saving them from dispersal and placing them into a collection that lends them meaning." We hope you enjoy this fascinating interview!
This book title, Landscapes, ISBN: 9781953387387, by Christine Lai, published by Two Dollar Radio (September 12, 2023) is available in hardcover. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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