I've read Chee's entire oeuvre this year, chronologically reverse. I was dazzled by THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT, felt the tenderness in the words of HOW TO WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL, and then this book haunted me, made me wince, made me clutch myself, as if I was hugging the protagonist, Fee, when distraught.

A true achievement in words and story; I know I'll one day read this again and understand even more layers of Chee's emotionally dense writing. I think that's part of the wonder of it; there's so much more there to dig into beyond the surface. The architecture of the tunnels of Edinburgh a metaphor for a lot in the novel, but also the structure of the book itself.

I highly recommend all of Chee's work; I feel I've probably said this a lot in this space, but I'll never stop saying it. I don't think there's ever a 'wrong' way to take in any work of art, so read his first book first, or perhaps leave it for last like me. Like I did with Ferrante recently, I've found there's something to be said for reading a debut after the rest. It feels like an origin story for what you've already experienced. The operatic arcs, the symbols, the themes honed in on down the line; discovering they existed in more raw form previously.

I don't think I can pick a favorite of his works, they've all spoken to me so profoundly in different ways and rhythms. But I'm eager for more.