Claire Messud’s novel This Strange Eventful History is being called her most autobiographical, and I’m sure it will resonate beautifully with many readers. It is a rich and detailed work, Bergmanesque in its stretching across time and exposing of every facet of family life, reminiscent of the sterling prose of Shirley Hazzard in its execution, featuring various members of the Cassar family as they struggle and survive from World War II to the 2010s. Seven decades, nine countries, and multiple points of view conspire to ensorcell the reader with storytelling verve and linguistic aplomb, pulling readers into a complex work of contemporary literature. Itinerant and immersive, it is an ambitious undertaking that should delight a wide variety of literary citizens.
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