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Dept. of Speculation

2014 novel by Jenny Offill From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dept. of Speculation
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Dept. of Speculation is a 2014 novel by American author Jenny Offill. The novel received positive reviews, and has been compared to Offill's later work, Weather.

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Composition and writing

Though not purely autobiographical, the novel draws from Offill's life.[1] Offill has said Dept. of Speculation "[...] came from the ashes of another book".[1] Dept. of Speculation eschews a typical plot, which Offill has said was deliberate.[2]

Reception

Critical reception

The novel has been compared to Renata Adler's 1976 book Speedboat.[3][4] In her review of the book, published by NPR, Meg Wolitzer praised the novel as "[...] intriguing, beautifully written, sly and often profound".[5] Wolitzer also praised the novel's humor.[5]

Offill has said she did not anticipate the book's success.[6]

Honors

Dept. of Speculation was shortlisted for 2015 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction,[7] and the Folio Prize.[8]

The novel was included on the New York Times' list of the best books of 2014.[9]

Influence

A passage in the novel influenced Rachel Yoder's novel Nightbitch.[10]

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References

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