Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this ARC of Parade by Rachel Cusk!

This story fell flat to me, I wanted to like it soooo bad, but the story was too ambitious and too pretentious for me. I will be looking into other Cusk's novels.

A geometric composite of ideas, revelations, and questioning, PARADE is Cusk’s most deconstructed novel to date. It tests the patience of its readers yet rewards those who embrace her unique style. Complementing her Outline trilogy, it eschews traditional storytelling methods and construction of character.

I think my experience as a lawyer particularly opened me to Cusk’s analytic, deductive prose style, which is at its most incisive and abstract in PARADE. A staple of legal writing is identifying an issue, applying a rule, conducting analysis, and offering a conclusion. Here, Cusk’s movement through four interlinked vignettes tickled the part of my brain that is all too familiar with this style of writing—and is honestly traumatized by it, lol—yet is saved by the fluidity and profundity of her prose.

If this sounds heady and pretentious, well, it is (complimentary!). But Cusk scratches that itch for me as a reader. She addresses big questions of identity, power, violence, womanhood, motherhood, death, and art-making through form, questioning the established rules and why we’ve adhered to them. It’s refreshing and challenging for any reader who wants something idea-driven, left of center, and overall, an experiential read. Cusk is one of our greats. Let her break your brain!

This is my first book from Rachel Cusk-- it's very different than anything eles I[ve read, but I found that refreshiong and challenging at the same time. There's a lot going on here; pieces of storylines, I may have to go back and read it again after a bit.

VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO READ THIS STARTED OFF SLOW BUT A GOOD READ. THANSK FOR THE ARC REALLY ENJOYED IT

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Parade by Rachel Cusk!

This is an incredibly difficult book to review and I'm not sure I completely understood it. However, I did enjoy reading it. The writing was beautiful and the story was complex and engaging. I loved the themes of feminism, art, and identity that ran through the book and I also found the complicated relationships really interesting.

I'd like to read more of Cusk's work but overall I don't think this book was for me.

Parade is very much in the Cusk style, for all that I've only read some selections from her works previously. The four stories in this "novel" are exquisite- the writing is clear and brilliant. But I was somehow left feeling unmoved. I would try another of her novels in future and I loved this meditative look at love and art, but I didn't connect with it as I would have hoped. It was so much theory and striking prose- but only in the moments of it did I feel moved. I still give it four stars for craft and art- but I think Cusk may not be the author for me at this point in my life. I do think others will adore this!

Life is one big violent act, how do we respond to these ugly moments and what new perspectives do they give us. Loved every moment of this.

*Parade* by Rachel Cusk is a thought-provoking and unconventional exploration of identity, art, and the complexities of human relationships. Through the multifaceted life of the artist G, the novel challenges traditional narrative forms, blending elements of personal history, artistic ambition, and the impact of familial legacies. Cusk's innovative prose invites readers to reconsider their perceptions of beauty and worth, particularly through the lens of G's controversial work and the raw emotions that surface in the aftermath of tragedy. This book will resonate with readers who appreciate literary experimentation and deep psychological insight, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a fresh perspective on the interconnectedness of life, art, and legacy.

I'm not an artist per se, but I feel like one when reading Rachel Cusk's works. Like Thomas Mann’s, Rachel Cusk’s novels also dig deep into the psychology of an artist, yet in a more accessible way to modern readers. Parade, much like Rachel Cusk’s previous novels, evokes that peculiar sensation—immersing you in a world where the boundaries between art and life blur, forcing you to grapple with what it means to create, perceive and exist. In Parade, Rachel Cusk explores the lives of four artists, identified only by the initial “G”. Each G is based on real-life figures from the art scene. Their lives encapsulate Rachel Cusk’s artistic vision, where art serves not merely as self-expression but as an attempt to transcend subjectivity altogether.

Rachel Cusk's writing is clear, concise and precise, with every sentence inviting reflection. There’s an intellectual rigour to the novel that might feel exhausting for some, especially since she seems deliberately uninterested in the conventional narrative—stories with interesting characters and narratives. Instead, Parade is more of a philosophical exercise to make you rethink the artist's place in the world and the price paid for both creating and being observed—or, to borrow a phrase from Susan Sontag, as "the exemplary sufferer" who brings art into the world.

One of the most striking aspects of the novel is Rachel Cusk’s depiction of the doppelgänger or shadow self, which is a recurring theme that permeates each of the four sections —"The Stuntman", "The Midwife", "The Diver", and "The Spy"—each examining a different G. In "The Stuntman", the artist G paints local scenes upside down, while his estranged wife views his work as an expression of something deeply unsettling about the female condition. The shadow, in this context, becomes a reflection of all that is repressed or unacceptable within the self. Rachel Cusk juxtaposes this with a first-person narrative where the protagonist is assaulted by a woman on the street—an act of random violence that feels anything but meaningless. In this attack, the protagonist confronts her own "double self”, a theme that echoes throughout the novel: the notion that there is an aspect of ourselves that bears the emotional and psychological burdens we cannot or will not acknowledge.

This motif of the shadow self harks back to Rachel Cusk’s earlier novel Second Place, where she delves into the complex relationship between an artist and their patron, questioning who holds the power in the artistic process. In both novels, Cusk draws attention to the way artists and those around them are inevitably bound to their creations yet seek to distance themselves from their own subjectivity. The character M in Second Place, much like the unnamed artists in Parade, wrestles with the idea that great art often emerges from suffering and alienation. L, the artist M hosts, insists he cannot see her—an act that can be interpreted as either rejection or a statement on her invisibility as a subject. Similarly, in Parade, G and the other artists are constantly trying to free themselves from "the burden of subjectivity”, seeking truth in art devoid of the personal.

In Parade, the protagonists also struggle with estranged relationships, particularly with parents, infused with lovelessness and unresolved longing. This unsentimental portrayal of familial bonds and the emotional cost of creativity makes Rachel Cusk’s novels both challenging and haunting. Ultimately, Paradeis a novel for readers who appreciate the power of art to transform perception, with Rachel Cusk’s ability to hold a mirror to both the beauty and violence of creation. It’s a novel that forces you to confront the darker parts of the human experience while simultaneously recognising the redemptive possibilities of art.

Parade is an unsettling and thought-provoking exploration of identity, art, and human relationships. The novel's fragmented structure and abstract narratives challenge traditional storytelling, pushing boundaries in form and content. Through its multiple vignettes, Cusk dissects themes like family dynamics, artistic creation, and personal freedom, offering deep reflections on how individuals define themselves and are defined by others. The writing is sharp, often unnerving, and invites readers to question their own perceptions. The characters are elusive, and their stories are less about resolution than about insight. Parade is a cerebral, boundary-breaking novel that lingers long after finishing.

I'm a big Cusk fan and I think this is her most experimental book so far. About art, womanhood --it seems she is saying it's almost impossible to be a woman and an artist who is taken seriously. Very pessimistic about gender. But truly great insights. I didn't enjoy this as much as the trilogy but still found a lot to admire.

One of Cusk's most confusing books. Nonetheless, I loved it. If you can get through the first of four parts, you'll be alright. Rachel Cusk is a truly brilliant writer and I genuinely really enjoyed it. If you're looking for a book that makes you think, this is it.

PARADE is a short book in four long sections, each unified by an artist named G, who seems to be a different person in each rendering — varying in gender, location, medium, and emotion.
i found the first two of these sections to be rather cloaked in mystery: i knew they were saying something interesting, but i needed some sort of key in order to access the room of their meaning. the third story was that key for me, as it used a familiar format similar to the OUTLINE trilogy of artistic and opinionated people sharing their beliefs at length. i love that structure and i found it very comforting, as well as illuminating, seeing as it detailed questions about the meaning of art and 
like much of rachel cusk's work, it's tempting to explore it as autofiction, but in a different way, more distant. you wonder, if like sally rooney in BEAUTIFUL WORLD, WHERE ARE YOU, cusk has taken on her medium as a means of asking the questions that she has asked herself: what is the meaning of my life's work?
and beyond that, this focuses on the violence of life, coming as it does so often proximate to its beauty — how the close relationship between the two is perhaps best exemplified in their side by side role in art. it's about how one can be an artist and a mother, about the violence and the beauty of life as a woman, about gender and power and talent, death and legacy.
or maybe not. maybe this is just a book about paintings. regardless, i really enjoyed it.

I did not love this one. Second Place felt like a high point; this seemed like many of the same tricks in new packaging.

Those who already know and love Rachel Cusk will be wowed by this slim but powerful novel. Cusk's writing is at once luxurious and spare - I honestly don't know how she does it. Reading Parade was an edifying and illuminating experience, leaving me wishing I had more people to discuss the novel with after I finished. This is a story told in four sections (“The Stuntman,” “The Midwife,” “The Diver,” and “The Spy) about an artist simply named "G" whose identity shapeshifts between episodic sections, yet the plot moves forward effortlessly. As always, there are searing indictments of modern parenthood and specifically motherhood up against the necessarily uncluttered mind and schedule of a successful creative person (artist, in this case). Cusk's writing and wisdom are a balm: "Art is the pact of individuals denying society the last word" and "the truth of her female caste came slowly and inexorably into view, with its smouldering fires of injustice and servitude" are among the many, many unforgettable lines in the book. Highly recommend this! Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the advance copy to review.

Here now is a piece of art.
What will you do with it?
Will you frame it?
If yes, where will you hang it?
Then, who will see this art?
How does the art exist now and how does the artist exist anymore through that art? Or is the art simply passed on like a baton in a race and finally observed by another-consumed by another and then they go away?
Does the eye that falls on the art have the final job of translating the art into feelings or ideas? I believe that is precisely the examination of the role of the "G"s and their appendage humans in Cusk's novel, Parade.
Gs are the artists. The observers are everyone supporting the G(s), including us as readers.

Rachel Cusk wrote my favourite novel in Parade. It's philosophically challenging for the reader, but also again only as challenging as the reader is willing to perceive it, much like the accessory characters written around the G characters. We readers frame the art with our own perspectives. It's brilliant. I could get lost in Cusk's words. I probably did. Thank you so very much for this advanced reader copy.

"Parade" is the first book by Rachel Cusk that I read. I learned that the author is a well-known novelist with a unique style and fans who eagerly await her next book. Starting with this novel may not be the best way for me to explore Cusk's work. On the plus side, after finishing "Parade," I put a hold on the audiobook of the same novel, hoping to absorb it better by listening to it.

The novel consists of four parts, all dealing with the inner lives of artists named "G." I decided that "G' stands for "Generic," and in a way, it's about a generic artist, being a painter, a sculptor, a filmmaker.  There is not much of a plot but many reflections on the philosophical question of what it means to be an artist, particularly a woman artist. The first "G," a painter who, at some point in his career, started to paint things upside down, believed that women could not be artists. His wife interprets it as "he was really saying was that women could not be artists if men were going to be artists." An interesting idea was expressed by a woman writer who became excited by the upside-down paintings that she wanted to write upside down.

Another "G" is a woman artist who marries a man, for he is the one who disproves her work. "She recognized in his disapproval the mark of authority. While claiming to know nothing about art, which at a stroke seemed both to diminish her achievements and to increase his air of importance, he gave G to understand that there as something morally repellent in her work that she was perhaps unaware of." The marriage results in "G" becoming a mother to a daughter, but motherhood seems to be another way her husband enforces his power over her, limiting her artistic freedom even more.

The last part of "Parade," "The Spy," reflects on the mother who imposes more power over the lives of their four adult children when she is overcome with maladies and illnesses that lead to her immobility. It's certainly an interesting concept, one that could bring fresh insight. "She seemed to want and welcome debility: perhaps it was a way of drawing attention to the site of contention that was her body."

Reading this novel was an interesting experience.  It was less of a story and more like a collection of philosophical questions and answers from the artist, who seemed detached from reality. The artists were there but much less as people and more like the ideas of people who happen to be artists. Perhaps the author intended to show the artists' problems as something we can relate to – and I, at some level, did relate to them. Still, at the same time, the characters were hidden behind a glass window, which, unfortunately,  never opened for me.

I am a big fan of Cusk, due to which Parade was one of my most expected books of 2024. It certainly is classic Cusk - meandering, philosophical, dealing with the art world and the role of an artist in an interesting way. Yet, I feel like wasn’t able to fully jive with it - I don’t know if it just wasn’t the right time for the book for me, or what. I will definitely come back to this later.

Let me preface this by saying I am a fan of Cusk. However, while I love Cusk, this is not my favorite of hers. Whereas some may find her work difficult and leaning towards esoteric, I find her exciting and honest. Unless you are a Cusk fan, you will probably find every criticism of hers to ring true in Parade.
The experience of reading Parade felt similar to that experience of watching Waking Life by Linklaker. Every chapter felt like a different conversation being had— which is the entire point of Parade. I still think the read was enjoyable but I probably wouldn’t recommend this as a first read into the world of Rachel Cusk.