What do you think?
Rate this book
Variations on a Dream: A Novel
From the Giller-shortlisted author of Glorious Frazzled Beings comes a beguiling debut novel humming with sensuality, intelligence, and a tinge of the absurd.
After years of shouldering the childcare and housework, trying to keep her creative life and career alive, and managing her husband’s existential anxieties, the once whimsical Sarah is too burned out to dream. Most days, all she can muster is an imaginary version of her husband Trevor, one who actually listens to her, an almost-IRL replica of the husband in the picture-perfect image of their family she crafts online. Meanwhile, Trevor is caught in a downward spiral of his own. Strangled by his fear of artistic mediocrity and mounting sexual frustration, he fantasizes about the early college days when their romance was still athrill with seductive possibility.
When both Sarah and Trevor secretly stumble on an auteur porn film based on the ancient Greek myth of Ariadne and Dionysus, they are immediately sucked into a dizzying maze of obsession, betrayal, and duplicate selves echoing backwards in time. With the arrival of a brilliant, alluring new student in Trevor’s university class, the line between fantasy and reality is increasingly blurred, threatening to collapse the walls of their mythology forever.
With startling psychological insight, a sly sense of humour, and all the peculiar twists of a fairytale, Variations on a Dream is a fearless exploration of the lengths we will go to save what we believe to be a dream come true.
After years of shouldering the childcare and housework, trying to keep her creative life and career alive, and managing her husband’s existential anxieties, the once whimsical Sarah is too burned out to dream. Most days, all she can muster is an imaginary version of her husband Trevor, one who actually listens to her, an almost-IRL replica of the husband in the picture-perfect image of their family she crafts online. Meanwhile, Trevor is caught in a downward spiral of his own. Strangled by his fear of artistic mediocrity and mounting sexual frustration, he fantasizes about the early college days when their romance was still athrill with seductive possibility.
When both Sarah and Trevor secretly stumble on an auteur porn film based on the ancient Greek myth of Ariadne and Dionysus, they are immediately sucked into a dizzying maze of obsession, betrayal, and duplicate selves echoing backwards in time. With the arrival of a brilliant, alluring new student in Trevor’s university class, the line between fantasy and reality is increasingly blurred, threatening to collapse the walls of their mythology forever.
With startling psychological insight, a sly sense of humour, and all the peculiar twists of a fairytale, Variations on a Dream is a fearless exploration of the lengths we will go to save what we believe to be a dream come true.
- GenresLiterary FictionFiction
459 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 9, 2026
DNF @ 316 pages so I'm still calling this read. I can't handle any more of these books about shitty husbands and their sniveling wives. If he was a loser when you married him, he's not just going to magically stop being one!!
March 31, 2026
Picked it out solely based on the beautiful cover and ended up loving it! Oop!
I've never read anything quite like this before. It was very artsy. And while I typically run away from poetry, it really worked in this.
Following a tale as old as time... porn addicted and deeply insecure man meets equally insecure woman who believes that to be loved, she must be indispensable, doing everything she can to make things easier for him. We've all been there...
It really had me thinking about marriage [and motherhood]. In 2026, it's all starting to feel like a trap. Slowly chipping away at your soul. They say women who are single live happier, longer lives. And we all know why!
Definitely not for everyone, but it was for me. #CanCon
Memorable quotes:
"'Ugh, ugh, ugh... Yes, baby, yes. You like that? You dirty, dirty little girl. You want this? You want more?' ... 'Umm?' Sarah thought. How to respond? Surprising... She felt innocent, not dirty. She tried, 'Be nice to me?'" (87) You have to laugh!
"'You, Sarah, are my Domestic Goddess," Trevor would often say to her in their castle in Mississauga, during the dream-come-true phase of playing house together..." (121) nightmare!!
"...from Domestic Goddess to Divine Mama." (148) call the cops!
"She wished he would see that she had been there the entire time, giving him her all. She loved this man, and loving him was diminishing her. Each time she hoped, he shattered it. Showing his real self to her, time and time again, and she had just been refusing to see, blotting herself out in the process.
See me! See me! See me! she heard a little voice inside her shout." (345)
I've never read anything quite like this before. It was very artsy. And while I typically run away from poetry, it really worked in this.
Following a tale as old as time... porn addicted and deeply insecure man meets equally insecure woman who believes that to be loved, she must be indispensable, doing everything she can to make things easier for him. We've all been there...
It really had me thinking about marriage [and motherhood]. In 2026, it's all starting to feel like a trap. Slowly chipping away at your soul. They say women who are single live happier, longer lives. And we all know why!
Definitely not for everyone, but it was for me. #CanCon
Memorable quotes:
"'Ugh, ugh, ugh... Yes, baby, yes. You like that? You dirty, dirty little girl. You want this? You want more?' ... 'Umm?' Sarah thought. How to respond? Surprising... She felt innocent, not dirty. She tried, 'Be nice to me?'" (87) You have to laugh!
"'You, Sarah, are my Domestic Goddess," Trevor would often say to her in their castle in Mississauga, during the dream-come-true phase of playing house together..." (121) nightmare!!
"...from Domestic Goddess to Divine Mama." (148) call the cops!
"She wished he would see that she had been there the entire time, giving him her all. She loved this man, and loving him was diminishing her. Each time she hoped, he shattered it. Showing his real self to her, time and time again, and she had just been refusing to see, blotting herself out in the process.
See me! See me! See me! she heard a little voice inside her shout." (345)
May 14, 2026
Oh boy.....this book.......yikes.
This book could be an 5 star, could be a 3 star or could be a DNF. I suspect that we will have all of those.
There are many pros and cons to this title. Do the pros outweigh the cons?
First, I think that this is a very well written piece. It flows so well, uses poetry to help guide the overall messaging and it has so much that can be discussed.
That is a pro.
It has sex in it.....a lot of it and not the good romance kind.....to be discussed later. Con, unless the message is important.
It starts out simple enough, we have a marriage that is crumbling with a husband that is a bit of a dick.
Then, it gets into the sexual, porn world and this is where readers need to stick with it. This is where some might get lost in the back and forth of their real lives and their fantasy world.
Here is my big point though: Toxic Masculinity. This book has so much sex, but it is about domineering, it is about control.
We often think of toxic masculinity as having a group factor.
But, toxic masculinity is defined as:
Toxic masculinity refers to cultural norms and social pressures that encourage men to adopt harmful, rigid, and exaggerated behaviors—such as extreme toughness, emotional repression, and dominance—which can damage mental health, cause social dysfunction, and promote misogyny. It stems from traditional roles but takes them to an unhealthy extreme.
This book is definitely misogyny and toxic masculinity.
This man is living the fantasy world where he is dominant over the women in his life. He has extra marital affairs, and believes that is his right. He is actually dumfounded when he realizes that he might not be in control and actually says the words: I do not deserve this, I am a good guy. Unbelievable since the reader spends the entire book thinking about what a dick he is.
The fact that he thinks he is a good guy is a big part of this culture......he cannot understand why his wife would not talk to him about her concerns.....even though she tried, she did. He did not listen.
This book has the crude, derogatory language that fits the description of toxic, for example: "I shoved my cock in her mouth just to shut her up."
Right from their first sexual experience together, he was about dirty, controlling sex and she was unsure, but went with it because she liked him.
The question is: Is this too much. Is there too much sex. Is there too much dirty. If this was just a book with a story that happens to be these themes, I am rating this low and not recommending it. If you take this from the lens of a societal concern with toxic masculinity, I am giving this a high grade.
This is uncomfortable, you will feel something about each character, I believe.
This book could be an 5 star, could be a 3 star or could be a DNF. I suspect that we will have all of those.
There are many pros and cons to this title. Do the pros outweigh the cons?
First, I think that this is a very well written piece. It flows so well, uses poetry to help guide the overall messaging and it has so much that can be discussed.
That is a pro.
It has sex in it.....a lot of it and not the good romance kind.....to be discussed later. Con, unless the message is important.
It starts out simple enough, we have a marriage that is crumbling with a husband that is a bit of a dick.
Then, it gets into the sexual, porn world and this is where readers need to stick with it. This is where some might get lost in the back and forth of their real lives and their fantasy world.
Here is my big point though: Toxic Masculinity. This book has so much sex, but it is about domineering, it is about control.
We often think of toxic masculinity as having a group factor.
But, toxic masculinity is defined as:
Toxic masculinity refers to cultural norms and social pressures that encourage men to adopt harmful, rigid, and exaggerated behaviors—such as extreme toughness, emotional repression, and dominance—which can damage mental health, cause social dysfunction, and promote misogyny. It stems from traditional roles but takes them to an unhealthy extreme.
This book is definitely misogyny and toxic masculinity.
This man is living the fantasy world where he is dominant over the women in his life. He has extra marital affairs, and believes that is his right. He is actually dumfounded when he realizes that he might not be in control and actually says the words: I do not deserve this, I am a good guy. Unbelievable since the reader spends the entire book thinking about what a dick he is.
The fact that he thinks he is a good guy is a big part of this culture......he cannot understand why his wife would not talk to him about her concerns.....even though she tried, she did. He did not listen.
This book has the crude, derogatory language that fits the description of toxic, for example: "I shoved my cock in her mouth just to shut her up."
Right from their first sexual experience together, he was about dirty, controlling sex and she was unsure, but went with it because she liked him.
The question is: Is this too much. Is there too much sex. Is there too much dirty. If this was just a book with a story that happens to be these themes, I am rating this low and not recommending it. If you take this from the lens of a societal concern with toxic masculinity, I am giving this a high grade.
This is uncomfortable, you will feel something about each character, I believe.
March 1, 2026
3.5 stars: a challenging novel to read in both style and theme. The poems that separate the large narrative are very artistic. They make sense in the scheme of the storytelling and continue to carry the plot, although I’m not a big fan of poetry. I love the characters Ariadne and Masha and cheered on Sarah to stand up for herself and see her own worth. Trevor, typically, thinks he is a “good guy” and exhibits the toxic masculinity present in today’s set of so-called good guys.
March 30, 2026
|| VARIATIONS ON A DREAM ||
#gifted @penguinrandomca
•
I loved Lalonde's Glorious Frazzled Beings so when I heard she had a novel coming out I was thrilled!
Variations of a Dream is a about a marriage falling apart. But its also about desire, sex and power. All themes that facinate. With surreal almost magical elements throughout, Lalonde's creativity flows and nothing is quite what it seems. This was a delight! Funny, whimsical and unforgettable.
#gifted @penguinrandomca
•
I loved Lalonde's Glorious Frazzled Beings so when I heard she had a novel coming out I was thrilled!
Variations of a Dream is a about a marriage falling apart. But its also about desire, sex and power. All themes that facinate. With surreal almost magical elements throughout, Lalonde's creativity flows and nothing is quite what it seems. This was a delight! Funny, whimsical and unforgettable.
May 20, 2026
This was brilliant. Poetry, myth, the collapse of a marriage, interrogation of pornography, investigation of women's bodies and desires, a scathing look at the reality of motherhood that was so spot on. There were about a million reasons I loved this book. It was also painful, and raw, and hard to read because I saw myself in many facets. I picked this book up based on the cover when I saw it on the new release shelf at the library. I was so glad I did.
February 26, 2026
Timely novel exposing toxic masculinity for how pervasive it is. What makes it even better is the main female character eventually trying to save herself. Some of the short stories or poems written from the perspective of the characters were a bit too artsy for me to understand, but overall an enjoyable read.
April 19, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
I don't even know what to say or where to start.
This book feels like a fever dream. From the very first page, you're thrown straight into something raw and mundanely human. It explores life in a way that feels almost unfiltered, how easily we slip into our own delusions, and how much of ourselves we're willing to give up in pursuit of the lives we think we want.
For some, a book like this might feel cathartic, a kind of release, a breath "finally." I tend to think of it as "weird girl literature", you know, introspective, messy, and deeply self examining. It does include a number of explicit scenes as the exploration of sexuality is a major theme in this book, which may not be for everyone, so it's worth looking into beforehand.
Thank you @mcclellandstewart for a copy of this book.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I don't even know what to say or where to start.
This book feels like a fever dream. From the very first page, you're thrown straight into something raw and mundanely human. It explores life in a way that feels almost unfiltered, how easily we slip into our own delusions, and how much of ourselves we're willing to give up in pursuit of the lives we think we want.
For some, a book like this might feel cathartic, a kind of release, a breath "finally." I tend to think of it as "weird girl literature", you know, introspective, messy, and deeply self examining. It does include a number of explicit scenes as the exploration of sexuality is a major theme in this book, which may not be for everyone, so it's worth looking into beforehand.
Thank you @mcclellandstewart for a copy of this book.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 1, 2026
I saw someone else write “painfully realistic” and I think that’s the best way to describe this book. It perfectly articulates a lot of the fears many women have around getting married/having kids. This is exactly how you DONT want your life to end up. I will definitely read this book again, it was really touching and made me think A LOT about life. Very artsy and definitely not for everyone
March 15, 2026
This book was such a pleasure to read and resonated with much of what I’m observing at this stage (mid) of life. This would make for an excellent book-club or literature course selection as it is rich with topics to discuss further.
February 23, 2026
Review to come
March 31, 2026
I struggled with this one at first. The tone is so strange and distancing. However, once I committed I was totally immersed in this strange dream-like narrative.
May 15, 2026
Strange but compelling.
Trevor is completely detestable, does he merit such time on the page?
Trevor is completely detestable, does he merit such time on the page?
May 21, 2026
Gorgeous, poetic, rich, touching, and penetrating
March 31, 2026
Wonderful, weird, alluring, painfully realistic but also imaginative, touching, infuriating. The list could go on.
Felt it all & loved it.
Felt it all & loved it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews