Greenwell returns again and again to the power of carnal wants and exposes them as confusing, exciting, infuriating, relentless, and wonderful emblems to our humanity. The narrator’s descriptions of the brutality involved are as beautifully composed as those that form the basis of the other related chapters The sex scenes can be uncomfortable, sometimes very much so, but they are also titillating, joyful, a turn on, and also a turn off. Greenwell uses these scenes as places of self discovery. The scene gave me pause the writing is what pulled, or pushed, me through.
The first sex scene, which describes an intense sadist relationship, may be uncomfortable for some readers. They unfold in long sentences, over paragraphs and pages. No description or emotion is softened, or minimized. The ones in this novel are on another level altogether. And there is a chapter that recounts an unrequited love story and the feelings elicited, playing out in a culture that frowns upon same-sex desire.Īnd then there are the sex scenes… There was much chatter about the sex-scenes in the first book–of the world he described there, anonymous sex in public places. There is a chapter that explores a bit of the political situation in Bulgaria, with many references to the country’s past scattered throughout. These narratives take place in a very specific cultural context. And yet there’s hope in the stories, coupled with the longing, the exhilaration, and the disappointment that sexual desire brings. The book is broken into three sections, each exploring various themes: love, both lost and found, sex, politics, regret, and shame, mostly taking place in an often challenging, post-communist land. His various romantic and erotic exploits provide the reader a well-crafted examination of the nature of desire. The novel follows a gay American expat in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The author, though, could also be referring to the manner in which he writes–precise, unfussy, clutter-free. And a strong one at that.įor a book called Cleanness, there is a lot of glorious dirt in its pages–both real and metaphorical: the heavy dust, brought by wild winds, blanket the city, the politics, a carpet in the home of a sex-partner, the relationship lines between teacher and student, master and servant. Though it could be considered a sequel, and maybe that is what it’s meant to be, both the writing and stories told are an elevation of what preceded. The pressure must have been strong to deliver again. Garth Greenwell’s first novel, What Belongs To You, was greeted with much admiration both by critics and the everyday reader, longlisted for the National Book Award and made multiple Best of the Year Lists.
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