A review by sofivear
The Pursued and the Pursuing by AJ Odasso
4.0
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read I read as fast as I could, imagining a different ending for TGG had Jay survived, and developing a romance between him and Nick that was just under the surface for many readers in the original novel.
Nick’s voice felt spot-on, specially in the earlier passages, but it is hard to measure up with the prose of the original.
Something I rescue from this novella was the smartly woven-in queerness of the characters, given the hardships of the context of its time and what we already know about these characters from the original; it came through as carefully researched and well portrayed.
The characterisation of Nick and Jay was believable and at the same time is not static, it was nice seeing them shift and develop as they age.
It takes time to break down certain prejudices that were brushed aside, like Nick’s original dismissal of his housekeeper.
Pam’s reintroduction into their lives was lovely and her character was a big highlight for me.
However, I felt the pacing and direction of the story a bit meandering/erratic and overly sweet, but you’ve got to meet it where it’s at; which is a sort of imagined refuge for these characters to live out the rest of their lives, free from the phantoms of their pasts.
Nick’s voice felt spot-on, specially in the earlier passages, but it is hard to measure up with the prose of the original.
Something I rescue from this novella was the smartly woven-in queerness of the characters, given the hardships of the context of its time and what we already know about these characters from the original; it came through as carefully researched and well portrayed.
The characterisation of Nick and Jay was believable and at the same time is not static, it was nice seeing them shift and develop as they age.
It takes time to break down certain prejudices that were brushed aside, like Nick’s original dismissal of his housekeeper.
Pam’s reintroduction into their lives was lovely and her character was a big highlight for me.
However, I felt the pacing and direction of the story a bit meandering/erratic and overly sweet, but you’ve got to meet it where it’s at; which is a sort of imagined refuge for these characters to live out the rest of their lives, free from the phantoms of their pasts.