Spotlight on: August Blue by Deborah Levy
I used to write better early in the morning. If I had it my way I would be up at 4 a.m., and I would write until 2 p.m., and then that would be the end of the writing day. Mornings are so soft, and everything’s still, everything’s quiet, nothing’s really begun early in the morning. They suit me. The perfect life would be to stop at 2 p.m. and for there to be blazing sunshine and to just be able to swim and frolic. Frolic, I think that’s a lovely word, frolic, and I think we should all do more frolicking. ― Deborah Levy, Interview, The White Review
What booksellers are saying about August Blue
- This is a truly magical book, one that feels like an ode to all the versions of yourself and a masterclass in subtle suspense.
― Emily Tarr from Thank You Books in Birmingham, AL | Buy from Thank You Books
- After a concert pianist has a breakdown during a performance, she leaves her professional life to try to rediscover herself. Fans of Deborah Levy’s spare and offbeat writing style will not be disappointed in this book, which explores weighty issues through dream-like episodes
― Anne Peck from Righton Books in St Simons Island, GA | Buy from Righton Books
- Deborah Levy’s newest is a slow-burning, David Lynch-esque novel that follows a talented young pianist named Elsa. After a devasting performance leads her to take up smaller tutoring jobs across Europe, she begins spotting an enigmatic woman who bares a resemblance to herself. Country across country, Elsa attempts to come to terms with her work as an artist, her familial relationships, and most importantly, her own self. Written with razor-sharp prose that cuts through the hazy cigar smoke that cloaks this mysterious book, this is Levy at her finest.
― Grace Sullivan from Fountain Books in Richmond, VA | Buy from Fountain Bookstore
- A dreamy, intentional meditation on identity and how it does and doesn’t form us. In pure Deborah Levy style, the narrative feels as if it’s floating, a shimmering haze of words transcribing into feeling. For fans of Jenny Offill and Clare Pollard..
― Aimee Keeble from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC | Buy from Main Street Books
About Deborah Levy
Deborah Levy writes fiction, plays, and poetry. Her work has been staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company, broadcast on the BBC, and widely translated. She is the author of highly praised novels, including The Man Who Saw Everything (long-listed for the Booker Prize), Hot Milk and Swimming Home (both Man Booker Prize finalists), The Unloved, and Billy and Girl; the acclaimed story collection Black Vodka; and two parts of her working autobiography, Things I Don’t Want to Know and The Cost of Living. She lives in London and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
