Sorrowland
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Sorrowland is a 2021 gothic science-fiction novel by American writer Rivers Solomon.[1][2]
Summary
The book tells the story of Vern, a young woman raising twin babies in the woods after escaping from a strict religious cult.[3]
Publication history
The book was announced by Tor.com in October 2019 as an acquisition by the MCD Books division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux. It was published in May 2021, Solomon's third novel.[4]
Reception
Hephzibah Anderson of The Guardian described the book as "a gothic techno-thriller" whose conviction overcame a shaky plot, adding that it was about "escape, self-acceptance and queer love. It’s about genocide and the exploitation of black bodies, self-delusion and endemic corruption, motherhood and inheritance."[5] Christina Orlando of the Los Angeles Review of Books stated that the book was "filled with sentences so exquisite, so crushing that I found myself rereading them over and over again" but that "I’m not sure I ever felt a sense of dread or hopelessness that typically characterizes Gothic horror fiction."[6] Julia Lindsay of the SFRA Review stated that the book "uses gothic and fantastic conventions that are particularly associated with Southern and African American literature" and that Solomon forged "a unique and fruitful link between the novel’s queer and posthumanist themes."[7]
Kirkus Reviews stated that there was "perhaps too much" going on in the book.[8] Danny Lore of NPR stated that Solomon wrote "about Black pain in its rawest form, and we feel Vern's raw, vulnerable state throughout all of Sorrowland," but that the book ultimately placed too much emphasis on atmosphere instead of story.[9]
References
- ^ "Paula Guran Reviews Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon". June 24, 2021.
- ^ "Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon". www.pubishersweekly.com. May 4, 2021.
- ^ El-Mohtar, Amal (May 27, 2021). "A Sense of Belonging: New Science Fiction and Fantasy" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Announcing Sorrowland, a New Work of Gothic Fiction from Rivers Solomon". Tor.com. October 3, 2019.
- ^ "Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon review – an electrifying gothic techno-thriller". the Guardian. May 18, 2021.
- ^ "Los Angeles Review of Books". Los Angeles Review of Books. July 24, 2021.
- ^ "Review of Sorrowland". October 29, 2021.
- ^ "SORROWLAND | Kirkus Reviews" – via www.kirkusreviews.com.
- ^ Lore, Danny (May 14, 2021). "In 'Sorrowland,' The Story Gets Lost In The Forest" – via NPR.