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The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell (view source)
Revision as of 10:19, 3 February 2024
, 3 Februaryno edit summary
{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=The Other Typist
|sort=Other Typist, The
|publisher=Fig Tree
|date=June 2013
|website=http://suzannerindell.com
}}
The Other Typist is set in 1920s New York City, with Prohibition at its height and Rose Baker, an orphaned young woman, working as a police typist. While she has no real friends, she's good at her job and seems to have the respect of the Sergeant, whom she admires and the Lieutenant Detective, whom she's less keen on. Then a perfect storm comes into their lives, in the shape of the enchanting Odalie, and nothing will be the same again.
I've tried about sixteen different ways of describing this one, but any comparison I make - except perhaps for [[The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald|The Great Gatsby]] - clearly a major influence - seems to be too close to giving something away. I'd say this is one definitely best read with as little prior knowledge as possible, but it's an absolute must-read, being breathtakingly, stunningly wonderful. Rose is a completely beguiling narrator, Rindell breathes life into the 1920s - speakeasies, big parties, and all - and hits us with an ending that knocked me for six. I loved it. I loved the setting, I loved the characters, I loved the climax, and I loved the themes of identity, obsession, truth vs justice, and so many more. Most of all, though, I loved that it wears its literary influences - Gatsby in particular, but also others I won't mention because it's getting into spoiler territory - proudly, paying homage to some classic works.
As well, it's incredibly well-written. Rose's voice is gorgeous and it's paced perfectly, starting with a fairly languid, leisurely opening to draw us into her world before picking up to a shattering conclusion (have I mentioned yet that I really, really thought this book had a superb ending?)
If it's another stunning piece of literary fiction you're after, I can't recommend [[Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka]] highly enough. Like this book, it's beautifully written and has a compelling narrator.
{{interviewtext|author=Suzanne Rindell}} {{amazontext|amazon=0241963745}}{{amazonUStext|amazon=0241002885}} {{waterstonestexttoptentext|waterstoneslist=9545494Top Ten Literary Fiction Books of 2013}}
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