The hype surround this is well deserved and I don’t think I have all that much to add to the conversation. I want to read Huckberry now, as it may enhance my experience. Even still, this is undeniably clever and has the hallmarks of Everett’s satirical mode, swinging from comedy to tragedy, keeping it always in line with larger thematics and strong messaging.

I suspect I’d have liked this more had I read it solely from the page. I can’t really imagine experiencing The Trees as an audiobook, since the generation of the fiction coming from me, rather than the telling of the story to me, as in an audiobook, felt quite important to the impact of that story. I think doing the audiobook here along with the book slightly robbed me of the same… organic? experience.

Regardless, this reminded me of O Brother, Where Art Thou? Very high praise, from me. That movie is brilliant and this work is just as much, if not more. I do wonder what it’s like, if you’re familiar with the book it’s in conversation with.