Review: Chloe Benjamin's 'Under Story' Explores Grief Through Time-Reversal

Quick Brief
Chloe Benjamin's latest novel, 'Under Story,' centers on a grieving couple who discover a mirror universe where time moves in reverse after losing their son. A recent review critiques the book's narrative mechanics as distracting and describes the time-reversal premise as unconvincing.
What Happened?
A literary review evaluates Chloe Benjamin's novel 'Under Story,' which follows a couple mourning the loss of their son as they find access to an alternate universe where time flows backward. The review highlights the bizarre imagery associated with backward movement, such as physical actions unspooling in reverse, while comparing the book's premise to other literary works that experiment with chronological inversion like Ian McEwan's 'The Cockroach' and Martin Amis's 'Time's Arrow.'
Why It Matters
The novel tackles heavy themes of grief and loss using a speculative time-reversal premise, a narrative device that has historically been utilized by authors to provoke deep political or moral reflections.
Key Facts
- The novel is titled 'Under Story' and is authored by Chloe Benjamin.
- The plot involves a grieving couple who have lost their son.
- The characters find a way to access a mirror universe where time runs backwards.
- A review published by The Guardian describes the narrative machinery as distracting and criticizes the quantum premise.
Compiled from 1 outlet
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