To be honest, I haven’t read much Shakespeare, so when I hear that a current work of fiction is a retelling of Shakespeare’s classic, I automatically pick it up based on that. I’m not interested. But Julia Armfield is one of my favorite contemporary writers – be sure to read her short story collection Salt Throw and her debut novel Wives of the Deep – so I’m sure you’ll agree that King Lear’s meditative Her new book, which has been described as a re-imagining of the world, immediately attracted attention. Please buy for me. In Private Rites, the world is underwater and it rains constantly. Society has built upwards to survive, largely thanks to the designs of one respected architect. But he’s kind of a terrible person. When he dies, his estranged daughters are brought together, but it becomes a complicated reunion.
Private Rite is the story of sisters Ira, Irene, and Agnes as they grapple with relationship issues and uncover dark family secrets after their father’s death. And this is all happening during what is basically the end of the world. It’s beautifully written and has a haunting, melancholic tone that draws you in right away.
