Dept of Speculation is an intense, deeply personal story of a marriage, told from the perspective of the wife (the book uses the 3rd person, in fact) over an extended period of time. The wife is a teacher, and goes through being newly married, having a miscarriage, then a daughter, then a rocky relationship with her husband, emotional distress, etc. The "plot", in as much as the book actually has a plot, is carried via a series of vignettes that are loosely connected to various periods or major or minor actions that take place. Perhaps for that reason, it is punchy and intense and forces the reader to fill in the gaps and internalize the emotion that is often only suggested. Rather than feeling abstract, this technique forces the reader to engage emotionally to a surprising extent. The book was listed as one of the 10 best books on 2014 and deserves the accolades it has received.
For a review of the book from NY Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/books/review/jenny-offills-dept-of-speculation.html?_r=0
For a review of the book from NY Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/books/review/jenny-offills-dept-of-speculation.html?_r=0
