A perfect blend of absurdity and philosophical musing, this novel takes on the perspectives of Gelsomina, an elderly French Bulldog, and the worms that are killing her. Controlled from the outside by the confines of her owners and now from the inside, Gelsomina provides us with beautiful meditations on autonomy, love, and the meaning of life. There is a stark contrast created by the pairing of heavy introspective text with base desire and the simple reality of existing that serves to better carry these complex themes, and it carries them well. The nauseating intimacy of parasitism is not to be forgotten and can even be found in the most surprising of places, like reflections on the glass house Gelsomina lives in. I find it almost hard to believe this is a debut novel, and I am ecstatic to see experimental works like these published.
The Oldest Bitch Alive by Morgan Day, (List Price: $28, Astra House, 9781662603372, March 2026)
Reviewed by Oliver, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina