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Why did the unique writing style of No One Is Talking About This amaze critics?
American poet Patricia Lockwood published her debut novel, “Nobody’s Talking About This,” in 2021, which immediately caused a sensation in the literary world. The novel explores an unnamed woman who is active on social media and depicts the dramatic change in her life after she learns of the birth of her niece. From the moment the book was released, it has been reviewed continuously and has received widespread attention and praise.
"This book is undoubtedly one of the most noteworthy literary works in 2021."
Critics have praised Lockwood's writing style and compared it to famous 20th century American and British writers such as William Faulkner, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf and Joan Didion and others. This work has even been regarded as the descendant of Jane Austen. For a time, discussions about "No One Is Talking About This" were heated in literary journals and major media platforms.
"Lockwood's novels not only describe individual consciousness, but also explore the evolution of collective consciousness."
The book is uniquely structured in two parts, with the first half depicting the protagonist's interactions on the virtual platform and exploring what she calls "portal" culture. In this segment, the heroine became an Internet celebrity because of a series of eye-catching online posts "Can Dogs Be Twins?" and gave speeches around the world. The descriptions in this section are often fragmentary and short and concise like tweets, reflecting the influence of the Internet in today's daily life.
"This is a true reflection of the emptiness, boredom and addictive culture that comes with living on the Internet."
As the plot progresses, the story takes a sharp turn after a family emergency. The second part of the novel shows the tragedy faced by the protagonist when her sister's baby is born with a rare disease, a plot inspired by Lockwood's real life experience. Her niece Lina was the first person in the world to be diagnosed with "megaly" in utero. Through this realistic foundation, the novel profoundly explores concepts of mourning, perception, consciousness, and eternity.
Lockwood gave a speech in 2018 on how online exposure affects the creative process, and many of the ideas in the book are derived from that speech. After listening to her lecture, many people resonated with her views and looked forward to her performance in this novel. The book was published by Riverside Books in February 2021 and simultaneously released by Bloomsbury in the UK, and was immediately authorized for translation into dozens of languages.
"This book presents the various ugliness of Internet culture in a new and beautiful way."
Nobody Is Talking About This received very positive reviews upon its publication, becoming one of the most widely reviewed English books in 2021. According to data from the review aggregation website Book Marks, it received "positive" reviews and was rated as a "top choice" on multiple review websites, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and other well-known media. Its virtual reality style has been highly praised.
"Lockwood seems to explore language rather than just describe the mind."
In terms of awards, this work was not only nominated as a finalist for the 2021 Booker Prize, but also won the 2022 Dylan Thomas Prize and was hailed as one of the treasures of modern literature. Its influence has been widely felt, including being named by The Atlantic Monthly as one of the great American novels since 1925.
How should tired contemporary readers find more profound literary works in their busy lives to cope with the rapidly changing digital age?
