The Making of Incarnation
 First edition | |
| Author | Tom McCarthy |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape (UK) Knopf (US) |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
The Making of Incarnation is a 2021 novel by English writer Tom McCarthy.
Conception and writing
[edit]The novel involves a search for a fictional missing item—Box 808—from the archive of Lillian Gilbreth.[1] Gilbreth was a real-world figure known for her work on time and motion studies, applying that work to accelerate the rate at which industrial workers could accomplish tasks. In an essay for the London Review of Books, McCarthy referred to Gilbreth as a "fascinating figure". McCarthy has said he is "most [fascinated]" by "[...] the role literature played in her thinking."[2]
Reception
[edit]The novel received mixed reviews, earning a cumulative "Mixed" rating at the literary review aggregator site Book Marks, based on 11 reviews published by critics.[3]
In a review published by the Wall Street Journal, Sam Sacks compared the work unfavorably to those of postmodern American novelist Don DeLillo, writing that The Making of Incarnation "[...] lacks Mr. DeLillo’s humor, his pleasure in absurdity".[4] In his review, Sacks noted the superficial characterization of the book's protagonists, referring to them as "[...] nothing more than proper names".[4] In a review for The New York Times, Giles Harvey referred to the characters similarly, writing: "They are manic ciphers, fixated on their intellectual quarry but devoid of inner life".[5]
In a review for Booklist, Bill Kelly praised the novel's "Pynchonian asides filtered through a Joycean love of language."[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Myerson, Jonathan (12 September 2021). "The Making of Incarnation by Tom McCarthy review – all work and no play". the Guardian. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ McCarthy, Tom (18 November 2021). "Adventures of the Black Box". London Review of Books. 43 (22). ISSN 0260-9592. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of The Making of Incarnation by Tom McCarthy". Book Marks.
- ^ a b Sacks, Sam (29 October 2021). "Fiction: Tom McCarthy's 'The Making of Incarnation'". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ Harvey, Giles (2 November 2021). "Reality According to Tom McCarthy". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Bill (1 October 2021). "Making of Incarnation, by By Tom McCarthy". Retrieved 22 November 2021.
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