What a fantastic bit of writing this is. It is so, so clever. Basically, there are five characters in this polyphonic novel. 3 of whom are the tomb guardians, which exist in the narrative as both past and present because there are two academics talking over the lecture of one, who is having a crisis with his thesis.

The guardians are paintings being actively contextualized in the story compiled by the lecturer. But they more so act as the voice of past and present for the pieces being analyzed, or so I think. They occupy the liminal space because history is not set on this, and as the story of the crisis of the thesis comes out, it wonderfully stands in for plot. Riveting in its twists and turns as he expands on each point they do and do not have regarding what is known about the art pieces, which in turn are in conversation with the historians and what is known about this particular event.

But the brilliant thing is that the conversation is on the page too, because the tomb guardians are having their own conversation about what happened. Sometimes their voice, which are merely italicized and indented, are dissenting, sometimes neutral—not adding much but still voiced—and sometimes, beautifully, they’re parallel grooves in harmony with the hypothesis.

It’s well written, completely novel to me, and doesn’t overstay the welcome. It manages to make a really interesting statement and taught me something about analyzing art. Can’t recommend it highly enough.