I know that the point of this is to be self-obsessed and annoying but that doesn't mean I enjoyed it, though wasting time on the internet and not writing is a topic near and dear to me. And I didn't even hate the poop scene! I just couldn't deal with the rest of it! DNF @ 50%

Tell me you’re a bitter nerd with no self-discipline without telling me you’re a bitter nerd with no self-discipline.

Ah, autofiction. So great in theory yet written almost exclusively by those who none of us are the better hearing from. Another smart but unfocused and undisciplined young white man talks excessively about bowel movements and thinks he’s profound because he used a thesaurus to do it and sneers at people he vaguely knows while scrolling social media for daring to—gasp—be happy with their own lives.

In the end it’s a perfect encapsulation of a struggling writer, so I’ll give that to Castro. Essentially, I can see why this fellow is having trouble completing his novel, because he has absolutely nothing interesting to say.

THE NOVELIST by Jordan Castro is a wonderful and funny look at the morning ritual of a writer just trying to work on his novel. Unfortunately, he can’t stay off of social media, focus on his writing, or stop the bathroom breaks.

It’s a charming and familiar (a little TOO familiar if you ask me 🤣) read that puts the magnifying glass on morning routines and personal expectations. And what it means to be a writer type… or an actual writer.

Highly recommended!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press for an advanced copy of this new novel about life, tea, procrastination and writing.

Thinking about this book after I had completed reading it all I could think of was that famous quote "An examined life is worth living". I think that is how the quote goes, let me go check Google on it. Wow that took awhile. Was involved in a Twitter war, well a minor skirmish I should say, actually I just read every nasty thing, I didn't post anything. I should have, yes I think I will. Oh the kettle is ready right at the proper temperature for tea.

The Novelist by Jordan Castro is full of moments like these, only with a lot more bathroom peccadillos and Instagram comments. The novel is a few hours in the life of a writer, from a few minutes after waking and starting his computer, to a walk in the woods with his dog. In that time he checks his email, Twitter, Instagram, comments on the writings and life of an author he follows by the name of Jordan Castro, goes to the bathroom, and makes tea. He also changes his novel from third person to first person, starts notes on a new novel, hates himself, discusses his past addictions, makes coffee, kisses his wife and takes his dog on a walk. All of this is written and described so well so interestingly that no matter what our character is doing, the reader is fully engaged. And I wanted to know more.

The book at first seems aimless, the dronings of a white writer who wants to be a big man on the literary scene, who loves to share emails about his bathroom schedule, and how to make tea. Gradually our character goes from eh to a complex character who has made mistakes, and wants to be better. And being better is being a writer, maybe. He doesn't seem to know. Mr. Castro made me care for this character far more than I have cared for anyone in fiction in a long time. I understood his quirks, his delaying, I could understand his constant looking at social media. Those sudden flashes of insight, followed by stupid ideas. Plus his dog liked him. And he let his wife sleep late. I'm rooting for this guy.

This book has stayed in my head since I finished it. So many perfect little moments. Maybe this is right from the author's life, if so, I'm so glad you finished your book. If this is from the author's imagination, I can not wait to see what might be next. Maybe it hit me just right, maybe it came at a moment that I needed a book like this, but I really enjoyed this book and hope that many others do also.