A review by swampthingsarah
The Pursued and the Pursuing by AJ Odasso
4.5
I have a deep respect for the novel <i>The Great Gatsby</i>, including the tragedy inherent in its storyline. However, at some point in our lives, I think we have all wanted to imagine a happier ending for an otherwise doomed character in a beloved book- and that is exactly what <i>The Pursued and the Pursuing</i> sets out to do. In this story, Jay and Nick's ending takes a different turn. Jay survives the ending of <i>Gatsby</i> (spoilers for a 100-year-old book, but if you haven't read the original Fitzgerald novel I would NOT suggest starting with this one anyway), and Nick stays by his side. From there, the novella becomes a deeply intimate, haunting, heartfelt examination of the two characters' feelings for one another- which, in very short order, turn out to be romantic.
Odasso brings many gifts to the telling of this story. Much like in the original novel, their command of language gives the book an almost poetic quality; there was clearly an effort made to imitate the lyricism of Fitzgerald's writing style, in addition to Odasso's own characteristically complex sentences and contemplative narration. The themes of imagery in <i>The Great Gatsby</i> reoccur here: the idea of ghosts and haunting, the contrast of being pulled (or, shall we say, borne back) towards a fleeting past while at the same time imagining ahead to a future that is almost within reach, the symbolism of eyes and the significance of being observed or watched. If you pay attention to the prose, especially if you have just read the original novel, there is layer upon layer of meaning to uncover. (The parallels to Nick and Jay's storyline reenacted in a scene from <i>Hamlet</i>, near the end of this book, nearly took my breath away.)
The other strength of this story is in the treatment of the characters. This is particularly true of Pam, Daisy's daughter (three years old in the original canon, now a teenager and young adult), who becomes a pivotal presence in <i>TPATP</i>. Pam is a deftly woven character, a force of chaotic mischief; her troublemaking and pride evoke hints of Daisy's careless nature, but without the cruelty and self-importance the latter represents. Odasso gives her not only an interesting arc of her own, but also little quirks- an affinity for eating dessert before dinner, a love of pranks, a tendency towards shoelessness- that are repeated often enough to be distinct but not so much as to be heavy-handed. It is clear, both in the writing of our two leads and the effort made to develop supporting and original characters, that the author <i>loves</i> these characters. Odasso makes their love fervent and all-encompassing, even life-redeeming; as a reader, it results in breathtaking moments where the plot may not be all that grandiose, but the emotion behind it renders me helpless and incapable of not feeling the same love.
In the interest of fairness, I will admit that my own background with stories like this has a strong influence on my positive impression of the book. Had I not spent the past 20 years of my life immersed in the fanfiction world, where fix-its and quietly impressionistic stories like this are standard- or even had I not read this in an earlier format prior to its publication- I might not have been as glowing, although I believe I would still have enjoyed it. I can imagine a different version of myself who might have wanted a little more time to elapse before Nick and Jay become romantically involved in the story (although, given its economical structure, I admit I don't know what I would have filled that space with); similarly, I might have wanted individual events to impact one another more and lead up to something more specific, rather than just the passage of time and the settling into a life together, if I hadn't had the experience with these types of stories that I do. There are certainly critiques to be had, and I don't think this story is right for all readers because of them. But for me, it is like a glimpse into a beautiful little world. Instead of worrying about how it maps out in comparison to what I'd want from a traditional novel, I just let myself get carried away on the beautiful language and the hopefulness and possibility of a second chance at love. If you think you can do the same, I strongly suggest you get your hands on this book.
Odasso brings many gifts to the telling of this story. Much like in the original novel, their command of language gives the book an almost poetic quality; there was clearly an effort made to imitate the lyricism of Fitzgerald's writing style, in addition to Odasso's own characteristically complex sentences and contemplative narration. The themes of imagery in <i>The Great Gatsby</i> reoccur here: the idea of ghosts and haunting, the contrast of being pulled (or, shall we say, borne back) towards a fleeting past while at the same time imagining ahead to a future that is almost within reach, the symbolism of eyes and the significance of being observed or watched. If you pay attention to the prose, especially if you have just read the original novel, there is layer upon layer of meaning to uncover. (The parallels to Nick and Jay's storyline reenacted in a scene from <i>Hamlet</i>, near the end of this book, nearly took my breath away.)
The other strength of this story is in the treatment of the characters. This is particularly true of Pam, Daisy's daughter (three years old in the original canon, now a teenager and young adult), who becomes a pivotal presence in <i>TPATP</i>. Pam is a deftly woven character, a force of chaotic mischief; her troublemaking and pride evoke hints of Daisy's careless nature, but without the cruelty and self-importance the latter represents. Odasso gives her not only an interesting arc of her own, but also little quirks- an affinity for eating dessert before dinner, a love of pranks, a tendency towards shoelessness- that are repeated often enough to be distinct but not so much as to be heavy-handed. It is clear, both in the writing of our two leads and the effort made to develop supporting and original characters, that the author <i>loves</i> these characters. Odasso makes their love fervent and all-encompassing, even life-redeeming; as a reader, it results in breathtaking moments where the plot may not be all that grandiose, but the emotion behind it renders me helpless and incapable of not feeling the same love.
In the interest of fairness, I will admit that my own background with stories like this has a strong influence on my positive impression of the book. Had I not spent the past 20 years of my life immersed in the fanfiction world, where fix-its and quietly impressionistic stories like this are standard- or even had I not read this in an earlier format prior to its publication- I might not have been as glowing, although I believe I would still have enjoyed it. I can imagine a different version of myself who might have wanted a little more time to elapse before Nick and Jay become romantically involved in the story (although, given its economical structure, I admit I don't know what I would have filled that space with); similarly, I might have wanted individual events to impact one another more and lead up to something more specific, rather than just the passage of time and the settling into a life together, if I hadn't had the experience with these types of stories that I do. There are certainly critiques to be had, and I don't think this story is right for all readers because of them. But for me, it is like a glimpse into a beautiful little world. Instead of worrying about how it maps out in comparison to what I'd want from a traditional novel, I just let myself get carried away on the beautiful language and the hopefulness and possibility of a second chance at love. If you think you can do the same, I strongly suggest you get your hands on this book.