Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018
It seemed, at times, an act of profound selfishness, to have a child so that I might become a parent; but selfish, too, to have a child and stay the same, or not to have one - unless the only honest choice would have been to try to become this kinder version of myself without the need to bring another into it...
In Sight a woman recounts her progress to motherhood, while remembering the death of her own mother, and the childhood summers she spent with her psychoanalyst grandmother.
Woven among these personal recollections are significant events in medical history: Wilhelm Rontgen's discovery of the X-ray and his production of an image of his wife's hand; Sigmund Freud's development of psychoanalysis and the work that he did with his daughter, Anna; John Hunter's attempts to set surgery on a scientific footing and his work, as a collaborator with his brother William and the artist Jan van Rymsdyk, on the anatomy of pregnant bodies. What emerges is the realisation that while the search for understanding might not lead us to an absolute truth, it is an end in itself.
Wonderfully intelligent, brilliantly written and deeply moving, Sight is a novel about how we see others, and how we might know ourselves.
Publisher: John Murray Press
ISBN: 9781473652378
Number of pages: 208
Weight: 328 g
Dimensions: 225 x 166 x 20 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'The novel shares DNA with the work of WG Sebald or Teju Cole.' - The Guardian
'As a meditation on parenthood, grief and the awareness that knowledge can be both wondrous and terrifying, Sight is an exceptionally accomplished debut.' -The Observer
'A stunning debut' - The Guardian
'The poise, intelligence and serious intent of Sight will be lauded, and rightly so. I would not be surprised to see it on heavyweight prize lists.' - The Sunday Times
'Remarkable and affecting' - The Literary Review
'A masterly tale . . . [an] outstanding first novel' - The TLS
'A self-consciously good writer' - The Times
'Jessie Greengrass's first book . . . won plaudits for its incisive, compelling prose. Greengrass brings the same power to her debut novel, Sight' - Radio Times
'Cerebral and tender, Greengrass' voice is smart and original' - Elle
'This singularly introspective book is a stimulating read . . . a spectacularly written novel' - Book Riot
'Beautiful to read . . . wise and insightful . . . completely compelling' - Monocle
'Written in gorgeous, crystalline prose, Sight is a moving exploration of perception and wonder' - Dazed
'One of the finest English novels I've read... It is exquisitely well-assembled and every page has a line of pure underline-for-later brilliance' - Max Porter
'This book blew me away. It is beautiful and devastating and perfectly formed' - Daisy Johnson
'The author of an award-winning short story collection, An Account of the Decline of the Great Auk, According to One Who Saw It, Greengrass adapts to the novel format with enviable flexibility . . . Greengrass writes stunningly about the experience of pregnancy and motherhood' - The GuardianYou may also be interested in...
“Sight”
When is the best moment to have a child? Can you ever be ready to become a parent? And what does being a “good” parent actually mean? Jessie Greengrass unnamed narrator has to face these questions. Her husbands would... More
“A pitch-perfect debut of motherhood, grief and what we know and can never know about ourselves and others”
Sight is an exquisite debut; a deft, insightful consideration of motherhood, the search for self-knowledge and how we live fully with the uncomprehending weight of love. At its heart is a woman contemplating her own... More
“I wanted to savour every word and not rush it; it felt like there was something profound on every page.”
From the first few pages I was so impressed with the lyrical writing, I wanted to savour every word and not rush it; it felt like there was something profound on every page. My copy of the book now has quite a... More
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