Reviewed: The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li
The Book of Goose
By Yiyun Li
Published 2022
Reviewed by Marie LaLonde
“There are different ways to measure depth,” says the narrator of Yiyun Li’s latest novel, The Book of Goose. “Not many readers measure a book’s depth with a knife, making a cut from the first page all the way down to the last.” At first glance, The Book of Goose is a historical tale that chronicles the lives of two girls in mid-century France. But, when cut to its core, you’ll find a literary hoax that blurs the line between fiction and reality.
Despite their differences, Agnès and Fabienne are best friends. While Agnés studies at school, Fabienne tends to her family’s farm and cares for her drunken father. Surrounded by the bleak aftermath of a war that tore apart their village, the girls begin an elaborate game of make-believe invisible to everyone but themselves.
Fabienne, the bolder and brasher of the two, devises an idea to write and publish a book about the cruel truth of their town. At her direction, Fabienne comes up with the words while Agnès, earnest and agreeable, plays the part of the author. “Fabienne and I were in this world together, and we had only each other’s hands to hold on to,” recalls Agnès. “She had her will. I, my willingness to be led by her will.” When the book’s success sweeps Agnès away from home and into the thralls of fame, Fabienne is left behind to quietly manipulate the rules of a game created to bring them together.
True to its name, The Book of Goose is a twisted fairytale brought to life by two girls who believed in a lie just enough to make it real. Although the book is framed by tragedy, Li’s astute descriptions often remain indifferent to the horrors they depict, which makes for a message so subtle you might miss it.
As the story unfolds, The Book of Goose explores the uniquely human urge to invent stories at all. We write for many reasons—to imagine new worlds, to immortalize our own, and sometimes, as Fabienne puts it, so that other people “will know how it feels to be us.” But, as Agnès and Fabienne prove when their adventure comes to an abrupt end, the stories we tell can’t always surpass the secrets we keep.
By Yiyun Li
Published 2022
Reviewed by Marie LaLonde
“There are different ways to measure depth,” says the narrator of Yiyun Li’s latest novel, The Book of Goose. “Not many readers measure a book’s depth with a knife, making a cut from the first page all the way down to the last.” At first glance, The Book of Goose is a historical tale that chronicles the lives of two girls in mid-century France. But, when cut to its core, you’ll find a literary hoax that blurs the line between fiction and reality.
Despite their differences, Agnès and Fabienne are best friends. While Agnés studies at school, Fabienne tends to her family’s farm and cares for her drunken father. Surrounded by the bleak aftermath of a war that tore apart their village, the girls begin an elaborate game of make-believe invisible to everyone but themselves.
Fabienne, the bolder and brasher of the two, devises an idea to write and publish a book about the cruel truth of their town. At her direction, Fabienne comes up with the words while Agnès, earnest and agreeable, plays the part of the author. “Fabienne and I were in this world together, and we had only each other’s hands to hold on to,” recalls Agnès. “She had her will. I, my willingness to be led by her will.” When the book’s success sweeps Agnès away from home and into the thralls of fame, Fabienne is left behind to quietly manipulate the rules of a game created to bring them together.
True to its name, The Book of Goose is a twisted fairytale brought to life by two girls who believed in a lie just enough to make it real. Although the book is framed by tragedy, Li’s astute descriptions often remain indifferent to the horrors they depict, which makes for a message so subtle you might miss it.
As the story unfolds, The Book of Goose explores the uniquely human urge to invent stories at all. We write for many reasons—to imagine new worlds, to immortalize our own, and sometimes, as Fabienne puts it, so that other people “will know how it feels to be us.” But, as Agnès and Fabienne prove when their adventure comes to an abrupt end, the stories we tell can’t always surpass the secrets we keep.