Her work is eclectic – 22 novels as well as poetry, criticism etc – and even within her 22 novels there’s a wide breadth of subject matter; though her style is fairly unique and, one might say, inimitable.
I really like some of her writing and some of it just irritates me – I’m more into subject matter and character than style. All this goes to show is that taste does feature in reading and I’d recommend that you pick up those you enjoy. If you find you love her across the board, so much the better.
Debut novelist Annie Christie offers a picture of the outsider, the one destined to stand outside the ‘cool kids.’ In this modern school setting teachers are little in evidence but music is absolutely key. The contemporary cultural references are woven into the text artlessly, and the stylistic conceit this drives both interesting and intriguing. In Soundtrack we see a world where pop music speaks to a generation and guides them through their – some characters only seem capable of experiencing emotion packaged in ‘single’ form. It’s funny, poignant, and the insight into how identity is mediated through experience and culture is powerful. The music is rocking and the relationships are authentic. And of course, there’s an unexpected ending. I’d highly recommend this for anyone who ever ‘got lost in music,’ especially if you were a teenager in the 70s or 80s. You might have known kids like these. You might have been a kid like this. Time to grow up all over again!
Cally Phillips