RaveThe New York Times Book ReviewThe novel dives deep into painful and all-too-real experiences ... The revelation of what Peter’s breezy genius actually costs him is one of the most compelling and gratifying elements of the story, and the gradual peeling away of Alice’s prickly exterior is equally rewarding ... The way Kuang captures Alice’s desire for oblivion is one of the more impressive threads of the book ... I’ve never seen that state of being captured quite so well ... There’s some minor repetition ... Katabasis shines with devastatingly real characters and absorbing world building. Kuang’s sentences are delicious, her insights well-earned and deeply affecting. She’s also funny ... Katabasis isn’t always easy, but it is always enjoyable, and that’s a near impossible feat. Only a writer as thoughtful and skilled as Kuang could make a literal journey through hell so fun and so poignant.
Kay Chronister
PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewIt’s an unwieldy and hard-to-describe setup, but the five siblings are the greatest strength of the narrative. Each is alternately heartbreaking and maddening ... There’s a sense of deep claustrophobia in the setting ... The book is at its best when it’s exploring the tension between what the siblings want and need from one another, while also delving into the extensive damage their father and his ideas did to them. The weakest aspect of the novel is the mystery of their mother’s disappearance ... The novel leans too much into supernatural convenience, which dilutes the story’s power. However, the resolution will doubtless generate lively discussion in book club settings, even if it feels a bit too easy. Overall, The Bog Wife is a lush, beautifully written novel about trying to be a person in our strange world.
Lev Grossman
RaveThe New York Times Book ReviewResoundingly earns its place among the best of Arthurian tales ... The book is long, more than 600 pages, and it feels long. The story meanders, but other than a few back story chapters that are, if not unnecessary, perhaps mistimed, nothing feels superfluous. This is a narrative that demands and rewards patience ... Grossman...is at the top of his game with The Bright Sword, which is full of enviable ideas and execution. Few authors could accomplish what he has, grounding such an ambitious novel in so much tradition and history while still making it accessible and deeply affecting.
