Customer Reviews

Saving Agnes: A Novel

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I read the book all the way through in one day, and I liked it. I like books about young people fresh out of college confronting the working world. A few pages into the book I was reminded of Jane Austen whom I had just recently reread; I was reminded of how certain of Jane Austen's prose can be unwieldy and take some minutes to comprehend (or not). It's unusual these days for prose construction to be so logical and complex. I derived a purely intellectual pleasure from reading that kind of prose. I partly attribute the prose style to the author being British. I just can't see an American writing in this way. I liked the fact that the book did not depend on plot. (Sometimes, I wish plot could be thrown out the window.) The conclusion tries too much to be conclusive, but it doesn't really get in the way of enjoying the book.

I am surprised that there have been so many 2 star reviews, and they leave me wondering if these readers have actually read the entire book. The first part of the book was admittedly rather dry, and I was tempted to chuck it aside. But I hanged on because of Ms Cusk's beautiful prose. And I'm really glad I did. She really has a way with words, and many a time, she just wowed me with the way she expresses complex emotions so fluidly. The second half (starting from the working day description if my memory has not failed me) is brilliant. I couldn't put it down. This book doesn't engage the reader with much action, but rather, with what goes on in Agnes's mind. Thus, if you are looking for an action-filled plot, this book may not entertain you. But if you enjoy observing human emotions and behaviour, as well as life's little ironies and nuances, pick this up right away!

A brilliant, startlingly well written, tears down yer face funny debut. Rachel perfectly captures what is like to be set adrift in a big city with the feeling that life and love are somehow eluding your world, and to have the aching suspicion that you are somehow too nondescript for the wonderful and spectacular things others seem to attract so easily.

I agree with most of the musings above about the beautiful writing but the convoluted plot. Part of the problem was the transitions between the detailed flashbacks of her old relationship and her vague, distantly drawn present one. I understand as a writer why she chose to be deliberately vague about the new one but it felt too much like a literary conceit at the expense of clarity, which made me bristle.

However, the dealbreaker for me was the glossing over of a rape sub-plot. It's introduced merely to give Agnes YET another epiphany laden journey through London and then is handled in the final pages with an infuriating off hand comment that the rape having done this character a favor.

I don't want to be a knee-jerk American and demand a cathartic revenge laden handling of the rape, but then again, there's got to be a happy medium between that and blithely brushing it off.

Very disappointing.

I have enjoyed this book as it addresses issues of young adults who have just entered into the world. Though "Agnes" is not as overtly funny as "Briget Jones," her character's candid sensitivity to the world is endearing. Anyone who has ever enjoyed escaping the real world by entering into the imagination & land of literature , will likely enjoy this book.

I first read Rachel Cusk's clever & maddening The Country Life, then on a recent London trip discovered her two earlier books, Saving Agnes and The Temporary. These are both interesting yet short of the comic genius so evident in Country Life. Of the two, Saving Agnes is the better, a reminder of the confusions life presents when, out of college, we are expected to take command of it. The Temporary is darker (I think I once took her out), a reminder of the confusions life presents in the form of the opposite sex. All this from Ms. Cusk, a mere 29 or so. Cusk's talent burns bright at a young age and I look forward to her next offering, though I trust we men do better in it.

Saving Agnes is confounding. I'm torn between two assumptions - either Rachel Cusk writes beautifully and intends on challenging readers or she's pompous and likes using big words to show how good a writer she thinks she is. My guess is that the truth lies somewhere in between.

The premise of Saving Agnes is wonderful - professional woman working in London trying to find herself. It's not a very original premise but its one that's worked for many other authors. The very first paragraph of the book draws you in and is hard not to like. But aside from the decent premise and that first paragraph, Saving Agnes doesn't have much going for it. What little happens in the book and what resolution there is can be gleaned just as easily from the blurb on the back of the book without having to wade through 200 pages.

That said, Saving Agnes is an interesting read. Perhaps I'm better off for reading it as it makes me appreciate good solid writing even more. Cusk has potential but needs to shy away from her intense and overly indulgent writing style.

Rachel Cusk is a great writer, a great stylist of sentences & paragraphs & user of words; and superb at getting the reader into the heads of her characters ... particularly Agnes in this volume. But Agnes herself is at times a sympathetic character & at other times, an extraordinarily tiresome character. I know that Cusk succeeded in getting at the nub of the insecurity that woman (& men) often feel in their early-20's. Insecurity about one's appearance, one's fitting-in, one's job, one's relationships. But after I read 100+ pages of Agnes cogitation on these subjects, I was ready to read about something else, something completely different. I guess I am inpatient. But I didn't enjoy the rest of the book nearly as much as the first part, since Agnes' life seemed so much drudgery. Perhaps that is the way it is, sometimes, in real life, but I don't have to spend all my leisure time reading about real life! I have a real life of my own! Anyhow, I do recommend this book for its great writing & character development, but less so for its being "interesting" throughout.

I remember what it was like to be young,single, and female in the big city and things have not changed all that much in 30 years. From the bittersweet,to the absurdly funny,to the grotesque and nightmarish aspects of Agnes's life, Rachel Cusk manages to hit the nail on the head in every case. This is somewhat of a problem , however, as the tone of the book shifts constantly and rapidly ,but not enough of a problem for the reader to abandon Agnes till we find out if she will be OK out there.

I became acquainted with this novel because it was chosen by my book club.
I am severly torn as to whether I should continue to read it, however, because I am finding it boring as hell. Yes, the writing is lovely, and was one of the first things that struck me when I began reading. I think that I am just bored to tears by people who do not like themselves or much else in their lives. I find it annoying. If it were not for my book club meeting in a week, I would surely chuck it.