The Theory of Everything

by Yumna Kassab

‘In The Theory of Everything, Kassab realises the potential and fulfils the promise of her earlier work. This is a writer at her intellectual and poetic peak. Innovative, ambitious, unapologetically intellectual, fearlessly honest, deeply emotional. Read this book – you will be changed.’ – Shankari Chandran, Miles Franklin–award winning author of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens

Good The worst has already happened.
Bad Even worse is on the way. This is a fictional theory, a rant, a manifesto, an engagement or disengagement with the times, a record; it is bearing witness, a dramatisation of actual events, a horror-scape, either a monologue or dialogue, a testament, travel guide, handbook, textbook, potential encyclopaedia; it is five mini-novels or else five post-novels, an epic, a drop in the ocean, an homage, a reference, one long secret handshake, an agreement, a wink; it is an explosion of form, tangential, discursive, a firming of the foundations, a lament, an absurdist comedy with realism that is as realistic as it gets; it is a spectrum, shades of black from the dark to the next shade up from white, a proliferation, a step back, a righting, a note to oneself, a line in the sand or a gust in the form of a structure-shaking gale; it is a dance (a two-footed, single-person linedance), an experiment, pure science, flicking the finger; it is, of course, backing away, crossing the street and avoiding eye contact; it is fantasy, humour, a romance without any leads, a defiance, a subdued rebellion, an anti-philosophical philosophy; it is pacifism that instigates a fight, a denouncement in the form of a laugh, an exploration, an adventure, a time lapse, a panorama, a conclusion; you may just have to read the theory because these are just alluding-to-the-theory words.

PRAISE FOR THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

‘a wheeling, unpinnable squall of a book.’ – The Guardian

‘Kassab’s book poses questions about the novel form and answers them in ways that are continuously surprising and probing. It is both personal and expansive; introspective and ambitious.’ – Kylie Mirmohamadi, author Diving, Falling

PRAISE FOR POLITICA

‘Like an impressionist painter, Kassab uses words like brushstrokes to build a vivid picture of intertwined lives set against the continuing drumbeat of war. The narrative moves between past, present and future and uses time as an effective device to illustrate how the effects of war linger long after its cessation.’ – Books + Publishing

‘an evocative literary tale’ – The Australian Women's Weekly

‘In a 2022 interview, Kassab said a responsibility of the novelist is to “write with an eye towards humanity”. And she never falters in this, with Politica always drawing us back to war’s immeasurable personal cost.’ – The Guardian


PRAISE FOR THE LOVERS

‘Sometimes, Kassab shows us, love can be another word for cruelty. Sometimes the stories we hide behind reveal our deepest truths.

Genres: Literary Fiction

Paperback

About the author

Yumna Kassab was born and raised in Western Sydney. She completed most of her schooling in Parramatta, except for two formative years when she lived in Lebanon with her family. She went on to study medical science at Macquarie University and neuroscience at Sydney University. She currently teaches in regional New South Wales.

Reviews

[ariana]

im sure a lot of the theory went over my head but it appeared well-executed and tasted delicious nonetheless. i found one of the five sections a bit trite but the worldbuilding of the following shorts were redemptive

[Ali]

"We wish to touch the spinning circle, to do so without losing an arm, our nose or a toe. How to stand in the middle of the energy and find our way forward, eyes closed, noting the turbulence all around, yes, surrounded on every side. It was meant to be poetry and beauty and music, nay, never surrender for the lesser life. Once I asked after the meaning, now I wonder how to walk the path."

There is something I find deeply resonant about Kassab's writing - one of the few writers whose books have never felt disappointing to me. Part of this attraction, I think, is Kassab's polyphonic approach, which gives voice to a chorus that surrounds with differing perspectives, rather than drowning out with one. The Theory of Everything marks an evolution of sorts, here Kassab presents us with five mini novels, each with its own set of voices, but which also together link thematically speak together. While the first, Game, has a named, related set of characters, the others become increasingly more abstract. Gender commences with stories of misogynistic violence and infanticide, and quickly whirls into experiences of womanhood, seguing slyly into the impossible process of writing. Modern picks up that theme, while examining the fractured, attention demanding world we live in - a counter to Kassab's frequent focus on slow life and community presence. Glimpses of publishing life peek through, in the commidification of identity, for instance. Silver picks us back up in named characters, a mysterious hotel with a reclusive famous guest, with echoing themes from identity, gender, dispossession, isolation and modernity. We start and finish in Uruguay, strangers looking to be less strange. And in Absurd, the narrator meets with a vampire in an unnamed country, likely Uruguay, trying to justify her own sense of misery when she holds so much relative power, hoping to be worthy of being listened to, perhaps hoping no-one is listening at all.
It is all wildly experimental, oft emotional, and never, ever boring.

[Sue Gould]

Such a strange book - more fragments than a novel. But some beautiful, poetic, thought provoking writing. Quite a sad book, I thought, with a sense of hopelessness and disconnection.

[Marles Henry]

Innovative, ambitious, unapologetically intellectual, fearlessly honest, deeply emotional.
Not sure where I can start describing Yumna Kassab’s latest book. And that's actually a really good thing, because what I read was absolutely everything, and how it is making me feel is absolutely everything. It is a macro and micro view of the world, plastic bag to put in your car absolutely everything, with connections to emotion, people, place and the will of humanity. This is a book of experimentation of thoughts and ideas.
This book is everything: there are short stories, prose, poetry, nostalgic reminiscing, commentary –factual, opinionated and facetious, there are moments for tears, for laughter and outrage. Nothing is spared. It is a book to read that will push your boundaries, enclose you in the most comforting arms and then hold you accountable and at arm’s length. It is literary risk taking at its finest, and it rocked my mind.
I had the pleasure of listening to Yumna speak about her book with another literary giant in Australia, the wonderful @ShankariChandran. It is these speaking moments that enthral me; I was transfixed and could have listened to them both for hours more.

[Mark Y]

I persevered with The Theory Of Everything but found it frustrating rather than edifying.
I really wanted to like it and there is some sparkling writing and insights but the experience of reading was like being distracted by unwelcome thoughts.
Maybe that's the point.

[Ashley Cook]

Definitely I want to read this book! Yumna is an exceptional writer.

[The girl of the school]

I recently found out her website yumnakassab.com. I recomend all her readers to visit it!

[The Owner of the house]

I'm looking forward to read this book about this very skilled and prolific writer!

[Amelie]

I’m not sure what to say about this book but maybe that’s the entire point.

I liked the gay vampires at the end tho that was fire.

[nilab]

*2.75

no one is more sad about this than me

[morrtalityy]

Unfortunately did not finish this. Loved the first two out of the five chapters, stopped reading after the third.

[Alix Gisele]

There were some bits that I loved, and I thought the writing style was interesting. But at times I think it lost its way a bit

[Croatian Lullaby]

Yumna Kassab is a very talented writer and I really liked her previous works.

Because of this, I am very much looking forward to read her new book when it goes on sale.