26 Knots
Published May 1st 2019 by Invisible Publishing, Kindle Edition 144 pages
Grand in scope, spare in execution, and lush in language, 26 Knots is a fable-like tale of love, obsession, and everything in between. Araceli and Adrien are two journalists who meet while covering a fire. From that moment, she is unable to forget him. Adrien then falls in love with Pénélope, who, in turn, is torn between him and Gabriel. Gabriel reciprocates her love, but is too tormented by his past, and by the search for his lost father, to be much of a husband or father himself. These interlocking love stories that deftly reveal the devastating consequences of betrayal and commitment, of grief and hope.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Don't be put off by how short this novel is. Believe me, this tiny little work packs an ENORMOUS punch!! It's incredibly impactful and it'll be in my head for a long, long time.
I don't want to give away too much but I will say this ... I was deeply in love once, and when it ended, I felt unimaginable pain, heartbreak, and utter devastation. But, in comparison? All I can say is 'READ THIS BOOK!'
Rating: really liked it
Wow. Très bien écrit, un rythme envoûtant. Beaucoup aimé, malgré la fin.
Rating: really liked it
imaginatively structured with chapters as short as one or two sentences. Sensitively and sensually written. Did not really follow the ending.
Rating: really liked it
This is the kind of book I wish I had written.
Rating: really liked it
Lovely first foray. Didn't care for the ending, though. A writer to watch!
Rating: really liked it
Brief and poetic, Suresh's novel is defined by the absences littered throughout. Certainly makes me miss Montréal! Recommended.
Rating: really liked it
This is a stunning and sweeping story that will leave you feeling utterly lost when you've finished it. I was so thrilled that I finally got to read this--it's been on my TBR pile for a few months now. I ended up devouring this book in one sitting. First of all, I need to say, the way it is written is absolutely stunning. It is unique and pushes boundaries. Written in short poetic prose that eventually come together in one brilliant, stunning, expansive, and decimating story.
At its heart this book is about people and all their beautiful, tragic complexities. It is about chasing the past. It is about holding onto what we shouldn't, sometimes holding onto people we shouldn't, and it is about the choice that lies in every one of us to face our demons, face our pain, or be destroyed by it. This book is worth reading.
Rating: really liked it
Première œuvre littéraire de Bindu Suresh, dans lequel les destins amoureux de quatre personnages s’emmêlent et se démêlent, affectant l’un et l’autre. Araceli aime Adrien. Adrien aime Pénélope. Pénélope épouse Gabriel. Gabriel cherche le père qu’il n’a jamais connu.
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Aussi débuté, aussi terminé. J’ai dévoré ce roman en moins de 24 heures. Les différentes liaisons amoureuses et leur manière de s’imbriquer comme un puzzle m’ont tout de suite charmé et je voulais en avoir plus. J’ai beaucoup aimé Araceli, même si elle n’était pas la plus présente, ses sentiments étaient percutants. Ne jugez pas le livre par son petit format, il contient de grandes choses!
Rating: really liked it
This book is so unusual and delicious. The chapters are super short (sometimes only a paragraph) and switch between different character perspectives. It's about a love triangle, sort of, but it's also about how flawed and messy love is, and how the important truths get lost in translation and come back to haunt us. The writing is clean, concise, and crisp. The style is new and exciting. Giving me Claudia Dey meets Sally Rooney vibes. If you're looking for a one-day read that you'll be thinking about for months, 26 Knots is for you.
Rating: really liked it
I would probably give this book a 2.5. I was interested to see what would happen to the characters. The plot was interesting. However the book felt very disjointed to me. I did not enjoy the format or style of writing. The amount of content on each page was very little. Most of the time there were only a few lines per page. It felt like a short story to me ( and perhaps that is what it actually is). Short stories are not a format I enjoy. I felt like the characters could have had more development and dialogue. I don’t see the rationale of having a few lines per page.
Rating: really liked it
26 Knots confirms that a short read should not necessarily be a quick read. The story it tells could easily have been deployed over several hundred pages. A scene is often described in just a few sentences, while many more remain untold. Once I started slowing down, letting the carefully crafted images seep in, that’s when the story and its characters started revealing a whole other layer of complexity. This book shows that choosing love and happiness is not always as simple and straightforward as it sounds, in spite of one’s best intentions.
Rating: really liked it
This is a beautiful novel. The characters are complicated but familiar. When you meet them you will recognize yourself at many stages of your life. The novel was written over a 10 year time frame - so the author's evolution and maturity come through the pages. I especially enjoyed the author's use of language.
Rating: really liked it
♥️♥️♥️♥️ j’ai dévoré ce court roman en chassé-croisé qui se déroule à Montréal. Des histoires d’amour, de perte et de recherche de ses racines. Très bien écrit et traduit. La fin est un peu tordue et tirée par les cheveux par contre…
Rating: really liked it
This was very good and a perfect read if you just have a short time. The first chapter or so were a bit esoteric but then it reads much more plainly after that - don’t give up! I almost did and am glad I stuck with it. Simply heartbreaking.
Rating: really liked it
I enjoyed the format — almost poetic little vignettes — but I felt it descended into melodrama towards the end.
