Books / Fiction
Review: Sophie Mackintosh
Sophie Mackintosh’s debut novel The Water Cure has been making waves since it was published earlier this year. The Guardian called it “extraordinary”, Dazed magazine “a breath taking debut” and the Irish Times said “as far as debuts go, this is superb.”
And Mackintosh’s appearance at Spike Island’s excellent Novel Writers series of events didn’t disappoint. She introduced the novel, which has been compared to The Handmaid’s Tale and Lord of the Flies, by reading short extracts, and was then interviewed by Festival of Ideas’ Zoe Steadman-Milne.
Mackintosh’s unique imaginary world was discussed, as were the narrative tricks she uses to keep readers hooked – very short chapters, diary entries.
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She went on to discuss her influences after a question from the audience. Love Island received a mention, “for researches purposes” on isolation, tension and summer heat. Someone suggested The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, but Mackintosh gently pushed back saying that she didn’t see them as comparable.
She talked about her fascination with Stephen King as a child, saying that his novels, full of horror and abused female bodies were the “movies she could not watch on TV”. She admits to having been obsessed with “the horror of femininity, the trauma linked to the female body that nobody talks about”, which Stephen King reveals.
As it is the tradition at the end of a Novel Writers’ event, Mackintosh mentioned her favourite debut novels of the year. These included Let Me Be Like Water, by S.K. Perry, and Arkady, by Patrick Langley; the latter a previous guest at Novel Writers.
Sophie Mackintosh’s, The Water Cure is out now. For more information, visit www.penguin.co.uk/books/308063/the-water-cure/
Read more: Interview with Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
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