A review by generalalarm
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This novel is auto-fiction, reading a lot like a memoir. It's a first-person narration of a depressed, self-destructive woman's flight from her husband and newborn daughter. The novel explores her family history through letters her mother wrote and a chapter on her father's time in the Manson family cult. The book contrasts the poverty, addiction, and tragedy with which she grew up, with her own discomfort and unhappiness in her privileged life. The prose is somehow both pared back and straight to the point while making gorgeous use of lush words and highly specific descriptions.
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