Anne Fenn's Reviews > The Performance

The Performance by Claire Thomas
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it was amazing
bookshelves: fiction

A fantastic novel, I really loved this book. It’s a story about 3 women, set in Melbourne during a recent summer of extreme heat and bushfires encroaching on the city. They are attending a play, and we learn about their lives as we follow their thoughts. The play is real, a Samuel Beckett one, about a woman trapped in life, destined to repeat mundane things. There’s a lot in the play that resonates in various ways with the women. The women are very interesting in their backgrounds, present circumstances and hopes for the future.
I think the strength of this novel lies in the writing. It’s crystal clear, has an excellent pace, reveals a lot yet suggests much more. Great work by the author.
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Reading Progress

Finished Reading
May 3, 2021 – Shelved
May 3, 2021 – Shelved as: fiction

Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)

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message 1: by Jan (new) - rated it 4 stars

Jan Miller I am in line for this at the library. Your review makes me look forward to it!


message 2: by Claire (new) - added it

Claire Gosh 5 stars. I’ll put it on my long list of to read !


message 3: by Murraya (new)

Murraya Mullett Oh I thought it was non-fiction there for a moment, then I read about Melbourne and Summer and extreme heat and bushfires and realised oh no, it was totally fictitious.
I am loving the sound of this story! Clever, and a clever title too. Bravo eh?
I think I must have been, possibly still am, living under a rock because after checking out Claire Thomas and The Performance on Google I realised I have really missed something...like this:
The breakout literary sensation of 2021, THE PERFORMANCE is a tightly woven examination of women's inner lives that is enthralling, profound and deeply human.

A SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 'MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2021'
Thanks for waking me up sister!


message 4: by Jan (new) - rated it 4 stars

Jan Miller Great review Anne. So many current issues are covered in their thoughts as they drift in and out of the play! I thought Summer was left a bit in limbo at the end compared with the others.


Anne Fenn I’m glad you enjoyed it too. Summer is very fraught as we leave her, I don’t mind that sort of indefinite ending myself.


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