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Chrysalis
She is noticed by Elliot as he trains in in the gym. He sees her dedication to building her body and taking up space, and he is drawn to her strength. She is observed by her mother, as she grows from a taciturn, tremulous child into a determined and distant woman, who severs all familial ties. She is watched by her former colleague Susie, who offers her sanctuary and support as she leaves her partner and rebuilds her life, transforming her body and reinventing herself online. Each of these three witnesses desires closeness. Each is left with only the husk of the person they thought they knew, before she became someone a woman on a singular and solitary path with the power to inspire and to influence her followers, for good and ill.
Chrysalis is a story about solitude and selfhood, and about the blurred line between self-care and narcissism. It is about controlling the body and the mind, about the place of the individual within society and what it means when someone chooses to leave society behind. It is a strikingly contemporary story about the search for answers and those we trust to give them to us.
Chrysalis is a story about solitude and selfhood, and about the blurred line between self-care and narcissism. It is about controlling the body and the mind, about the place of the individual within society and what it means when someone chooses to leave society behind. It is a strikingly contemporary story about the search for answers and those we trust to give them to us.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2023
72 people are currently reading
10402 people want to read
About the author
Anna Metcalfe
9 books72 followersAnna Metcalfe was born in Germany. Her short fiction has been published in The Best of British Short Stories, The Dublin Review, and Lighthouse Journal, among other places, and has been shortlisted for the Bridport Short Story Prize and the Sunday Times Short Story Award. She is the author of a story collection, Blind Water Pass, which was published in the UK. She teaches creative writing at the University of Birmingham. Chrysalis is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 378 reviews
April 10, 2023
Chrysalis is about one woman’s transformation and the people that orbit her.
This story is about a nameless but enigmatic woman, told from the perspectives of three people. First, Elliot. He obsesses over her and watches her strengthen her body after she reveals she suffered trauma. Second, her mother, Bella. She felt helpless raising her, and now she observes as her daughter’s lifestyle impacts strangers’ lives. And third, Susie, her coworker, whose life felt empty until she moved into her apartment.
They all watch as she strengthens her body and mind and begins to post viral videos that advocate for her viewers to take drastic measures to acquire true self-sufficiency.
When I first read the blurb, it reminded me of The Vegetarian: the outside POVs and a woman who doesn’t conform to society. After reading it, I’d say that’s where the similarities end. This is a wholly unique story.
It’s about the different forms of isolation and the effects that come from it, including loneliness, solitude and sometimes, independence.
It was interesting to watch these people latch onto this woman and her own seemingly unfeeling attitude toward them. Each narrator has their own idealized view of who she is, and they can’t compute when she doesn’t fit in that box.
This is a strange book that will keep you thinking about it long after you’ve finished reading it.
I will definitely read whatever Anna Metcalfe comes out with next.
Thank you to Random House for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
This story is about a nameless but enigmatic woman, told from the perspectives of three people. First, Elliot. He obsesses over her and watches her strengthen her body after she reveals she suffered trauma. Second, her mother, Bella. She felt helpless raising her, and now she observes as her daughter’s lifestyle impacts strangers’ lives. And third, Susie, her coworker, whose life felt empty until she moved into her apartment.
They all watch as she strengthens her body and mind and begins to post viral videos that advocate for her viewers to take drastic measures to acquire true self-sufficiency.
When I first read the blurb, it reminded me of The Vegetarian: the outside POVs and a woman who doesn’t conform to society. After reading it, I’d say that’s where the similarities end. This is a wholly unique story.
It’s about the different forms of isolation and the effects that come from it, including loneliness, solitude and sometimes, independence.
It was interesting to watch these people latch onto this woman and her own seemingly unfeeling attitude toward them. Each narrator has their own idealized view of who she is, and they can’t compute when she doesn’t fit in that box.
This is a strange book that will keep you thinking about it long after you’ve finished reading it.
I will definitely read whatever Anna Metcalfe comes out with next.
Thank you to Random House for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
May 4, 2023
Anna Metcalfe’s Chrysalis deliberately reworks aspects of Han Kang’s The Vegetarian. Like Kang’s novel it’s divided into three parts in which the same, nameless woman is viewed from different angles. Metcalfe touches on concerns that frequently surface in discussions of strands in contemporary western society: from the role of social media influencers and fandom to the wellness and self-sufficiency industries through to transactional relationships, narcissism and voyeurism. Each of her narrators is witness to an aspect of the nameless woman’s transformation from floundering, and possibly traumatised, to seemingly-invulnerable colossus. Two of these three are people who’ve met the woman as an adult, Elliot with whom she has a brief sexual relationship and Susie her former work colleague, the third is her mother Bella.
Elliot is a slightly unnerving character, aspects of his behaviour and his fascination with the woman reminded me of Frederick in John Fowles’s The Collector - possibly intentionally since both books deploy imagery related to metamorphosis and butterflies. Elliot’s account feigns objectivity and detachment but it’s clear he’s deeply invested in the woman from the moment he first spies her at a local gym. Elliot’s self-obsessed, socially-awkward and reclusive yet prepared to disrupt his everyday rituals for a chance to be close to the woman. But the woman’s more bent on physical transformation than personal connection. Like Elliot, the woman’s mother Bella has intentionally chosen relative isolation. She’s also ambivalent about the woman, an apparently challenging child whose disturbing bodily tremors proved inexplicable to the medical and other practitioners they frequented in search of a cure. Bella views her child from a distance, more caught up in her work as an artist than the process of parenting. But she’s confused too about her daughter’s mercurial qualities and capacity for reinvention, as well as what either of them actually wants from each other. Then there’s the conformist Susie, lonely and drifting, the woman’s brief stay in her apartment provides a direction and purpose she’s been seeking. For Susie this woman is a possible role model, someone to emulate as much as she is someone to nurture.
There were moments when Metcalfe’s intense, introspective narrative felt almost annoyingly slick and manipulative, but sometimes it took on a near clinical feel. That sense of the clinical chimes with the territory she’s exploring as well as her characters’ relentless dissection of their unnamed subject. Alongside an underlying commentary on narrative itself, Metcalfe raises interesting questions about identity especially the idea of a finished, authentic self; as well as probing the fragile boundaries between self and others. She’s particularly adept at dealing with ambiguities, in each of the interactions with her unnamed woman it’s difficult to discern whether these are relationships grounded in mutual or one-sided exploitation or based on fantasy and projection borne out of each individual’s unfulfilled desires – the narrators’ recollections are often far more revealing of the observers than the observed.
The woman at the centre of the novel’s hard to pin down, at once fearful and fearless. As she assumes control of her body, her increasing physical power is accompanied by an equally powerful personal philosophy – or maybe that’s an impression that’s equally dependent on the fantasies of others. But for many, her desire for strength and stillness, almost tree-like, appears to represent the perfecting of life as art. A stance that offers up a vision of an organic self that clearly appeals to the growing band of followers drawn to her online presence. Many of whom seem to be seeking a blueprint for how to live. For the woman part of this process of change, and later promotion of solitude, may be founded in childhood trauma and then her experiences while living with an abusive man. Interestingly this element of her journey is the least developed perhaps because it offers a solution that’s too clearcut, a form of narrative closure Metcalfe’s clearly not prepared to entertain. Overall, I thought this was a well-crafted, full-length debut, and although it could be curiously static, it was sufficiently intelligent and intriguing to hold my attention.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Granta for an ARC
Rating: 3.5
Elliot is a slightly unnerving character, aspects of his behaviour and his fascination with the woman reminded me of Frederick in John Fowles’s The Collector - possibly intentionally since both books deploy imagery related to metamorphosis and butterflies. Elliot’s account feigns objectivity and detachment but it’s clear he’s deeply invested in the woman from the moment he first spies her at a local gym. Elliot’s self-obsessed, socially-awkward and reclusive yet prepared to disrupt his everyday rituals for a chance to be close to the woman. But the woman’s more bent on physical transformation than personal connection. Like Elliot, the woman’s mother Bella has intentionally chosen relative isolation. She’s also ambivalent about the woman, an apparently challenging child whose disturbing bodily tremors proved inexplicable to the medical and other practitioners they frequented in search of a cure. Bella views her child from a distance, more caught up in her work as an artist than the process of parenting. But she’s confused too about her daughter’s mercurial qualities and capacity for reinvention, as well as what either of them actually wants from each other. Then there’s the conformist Susie, lonely and drifting, the woman’s brief stay in her apartment provides a direction and purpose she’s been seeking. For Susie this woman is a possible role model, someone to emulate as much as she is someone to nurture.
There were moments when Metcalfe’s intense, introspective narrative felt almost annoyingly slick and manipulative, but sometimes it took on a near clinical feel. That sense of the clinical chimes with the territory she’s exploring as well as her characters’ relentless dissection of their unnamed subject. Alongside an underlying commentary on narrative itself, Metcalfe raises interesting questions about identity especially the idea of a finished, authentic self; as well as probing the fragile boundaries between self and others. She’s particularly adept at dealing with ambiguities, in each of the interactions with her unnamed woman it’s difficult to discern whether these are relationships grounded in mutual or one-sided exploitation or based on fantasy and projection borne out of each individual’s unfulfilled desires – the narrators’ recollections are often far more revealing of the observers than the observed.
The woman at the centre of the novel’s hard to pin down, at once fearful and fearless. As she assumes control of her body, her increasing physical power is accompanied by an equally powerful personal philosophy – or maybe that’s an impression that’s equally dependent on the fantasies of others. But for many, her desire for strength and stillness, almost tree-like, appears to represent the perfecting of life as art. A stance that offers up a vision of an organic self that clearly appeals to the growing band of followers drawn to her online presence. Many of whom seem to be seeking a blueprint for how to live. For the woman part of this process of change, and later promotion of solitude, may be founded in childhood trauma and then her experiences while living with an abusive man. Interestingly this element of her journey is the least developed perhaps because it offers a solution that’s too clearcut, a form of narrative closure Metcalfe’s clearly not prepared to entertain. Overall, I thought this was a well-crafted, full-length debut, and although it could be curiously static, it was sufficiently intelligent and intriguing to hold my attention.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Granta for an ARC
Rating: 3.5
December 18, 2023
Metcalfe's debut is a tribute to The Vegetarian, and her non-conformist unnamed protagonist is reminiscent of Ottessa Moshfegh's transgressive women. This main character, who decides to opt out of society, becomes a bodybuilder and internet star who showcases nothing but very slow poses, transforming into a human plant (hence the title). The narrative trick: She is only shown from the outside, depicted in the three parts of the novel by her ex-lover, her mother and an ex-friend, all three of whom have developed a different kind of obsession with her.
Metcalfe shows how self-care can border on narcissism, and how loneliness and depression can be glamorized when they pose (see what I did there? :-)) as self-sufficiency, which on the internet can lead to a following of similarly alienated people. Postmodern speed and complexity are juxtaposed with slowness and simplicity, so ideas that are valued by the mindfulness movement, but which, at least in this story, aren't the solution either.
While the text suffers from some flaws, especially the transparent construction of the plot, it's also an absorbing and smart read and blossoms in its ambivalence.
You can listen to our discussion of the book (in German) here: https://papierstaupodcast.de/allgemei...
Metcalfe shows how self-care can border on narcissism, and how loneliness and depression can be glamorized when they pose (see what I did there? :-)) as self-sufficiency, which on the internet can lead to a following of similarly alienated people. Postmodern speed and complexity are juxtaposed with slowness and simplicity, so ideas that are valued by the mindfulness movement, but which, at least in this story, aren't the solution either.
While the text suffers from some flaws, especially the transparent construction of the plot, it's also an absorbing and smart read and blossoms in its ambivalence.
You can listen to our discussion of the book (in German) here: https://papierstaupodcast.de/allgemei...
April 22, 2023
I loved everything about this book! What a brilliant, freshly crafted debut novel!
I am not going to lie; this book floored me in a good way. The author did a spectacular job showcasing how society views the body of women in such a layered way. The story is told from the perspective of three characters:
A man who sees the woman in the gym and get a front seat view into how she transforms her body. He sees her on her first day in the gym and how she transforms both in the gym and in personal setting… because they start dating.
Her mother gives us a history of how she was growing up, her personality and the kind of daughter she was. I really enjoyed the mother’s perspective because I loved the mother-daughter theme that was explored.
A co-worker/friend who basically took in the character after a disastrous break-up, she dotes on her and nurses her back to life. I think she had the most unique look into the character as she went from being abused to owning her power.
Through the three point of view we basically piece together who the character is and her motivation behind her transformation. I loved that the author took us through each stage, even though it wasn’t told the character herself and I think that is what made it very intriguing.
This is truly just an unforgettable, unique read that I hope a lot of people will pick up.
I am not going to lie; this book floored me in a good way. The author did a spectacular job showcasing how society views the body of women in such a layered way. The story is told from the perspective of three characters:
A man who sees the woman in the gym and get a front seat view into how she transforms her body. He sees her on her first day in the gym and how she transforms both in the gym and in personal setting… because they start dating.
Her mother gives us a history of how she was growing up, her personality and the kind of daughter she was. I really enjoyed the mother’s perspective because I loved the mother-daughter theme that was explored.
A co-worker/friend who basically took in the character after a disastrous break-up, she dotes on her and nurses her back to life. I think she had the most unique look into the character as she went from being abused to owning her power.
Through the three point of view we basically piece together who the character is and her motivation behind her transformation. I loved that the author took us through each stage, even though it wasn’t told the character herself and I think that is what made it very intriguing.
This is truly just an unforgettable, unique read that I hope a lot of people will pick up.
October 30, 2024
The structure of Chrysalis, the description of one nameless woman by three different people's points of view, which struck me as fresh and new, is apparently not at all fresh and new, and it's a structure borrowed from Han Kang's The Vegetarian, reviewers of Goodreads say. Since I haven't read that, it didn't faze me, at all, and it was still fresh and new to me.
The three points of view in question are; Eliot, who meets the woman at the gym she goes to become stronger (and not lose weight, please!), and starts an affair with her; Bella who is the woman's mother and recounts her birth, growing up, being bullied and all the things that led her wish to become stronger and finally Susanne who is a former work colleague and a friend who helped her in her darkest hour. It was interesting to get to know the main character completely through her sidekicks but most of all, I felt incredibly fond of the woman and her quest. The more things from her past are revealed, the more grew my admiration for the lack of a better word. The story is primarily about self-care, self-focus, control of body and mind, solitude.
Imagine my surprise at reading a good book for the Shine and Shadow dark read for once, and I actually nominated this one and it won, how abnormal.
The three points of view in question are; Eliot, who meets the woman at the gym she goes to become stronger (and not lose weight, please!), and starts an affair with her; Bella who is the woman's mother and recounts her birth, growing up, being bullied and all the things that led her wish to become stronger and finally Susanne who is a former work colleague and a friend who helped her in her darkest hour. It was interesting to get to know the main character completely through her sidekicks but most of all, I felt incredibly fond of the woman and her quest. The more things from her past are revealed, the more grew my admiration for the lack of a better word. The story is primarily about self-care, self-focus, control of body and mind, solitude.
Imagine my surprise at reading a good book for the Shine and Shadow dark read for once, and I actually nominated this one and it won, how abnormal.
October 25, 2023
Chrysalis might qualify as the most creative debut novel written in the past several years. The reason is simple: unlike novels like Sara Pascoe's Weirdo or Sheena Patel's I'm a Fan, Anna Metcalfe doesn't employ the usual format of having her thirty-something female protagonist tell her own story; instead, the young British author uses a trio of people in her protagonist's life to do the telling, a technique that's refreshing and very effective.
Although Anna Metcalfe cites Han Kang’s The Vegetarian, a 2007 novel similar in structure and theme, as a source of inspiration, this doesn't detract one iota from Ms. Metcalfe's creativity. Chrysalis makes for a compelling and highly distinctive read.
Having suffered trauma growing up and an abusive relationship as an adult, a young woman sets out to radically transform herself via things like weightlifting and yoga. How extreme? Here she is, a gal I'll call Nicola, from the Greek, meaning “victorious,” as seen through the eyes of -
ELLIOT, FELLOW GYM-JUNKIE
“Things have changed a lot since that first day. She's kind of famous. Or at least, she has a lot of followers online. People admire her authenticity, her focus and determination. They say the way she holds her body is a kind of truth.”
On the first pages, Elliot gives us this insight into Nicola having reached her goal, having attained self-sufficiency by means of extraordinary levels of both strength and stillness.
“She put me in touch with parts of myself that I'd forgotten. She made me feel things again. I had started to love her, which itself was miraculous. I hadn't known I was capable of that.”
One of the beauties of Chrysalis: the story isn't only about Nicola but the ways Nicola impacts the lives of those around her, particularly the novel's three narrators.
BELLA, NICOLA'S MOM
“Depending on her mood, she could move differently. She could make words sound different in her mouth. She'd tell me about her plans – which friends she was seeing, what time she'd be home – and though the parts of her life were familiar, I'd have the feeling of talking to a stranger.”
It's just Bella and Nicola – no husband/father nor siblings. Even at a young age, Bella, an artist herself, detects Nicola possesses a unique capacity to effect self change.
“Aesthetically, this particular video wasn't much different from her others. It featured her usual lengthy meditation, overlaid with flutes and wind chimes. In the foreground was a large and veiny calathea plant, while the garden behind her provided a satisfying textural backdrop – a lilac spray of Russian sage, a japonicus bush with leaves like coins. By contrast, her body appeared smooth and polished. There were catch-lights in her eyes. Her skin glowed and her hair came down around her face in glassy waves.”
After all she's been through, Nicola is where she wants to be – alone. No flesh and blood contact with other people, thank you; rather, admire me on my webpage - and send along your money. Is this the ideal for millions of young women today?
SUSIE, NICOLA'S FRIEND
Consider the above question in light of what Susie says here. Although some ask about Nicola's friends and family and wonder where the children are, many are moved by her presence, her strength, her stillness – her inner power.
“The lines of muscle in her arms and shoulders are clearly defined. Her hair drifts about her face, soft and haphazard, a pleasing contrast to the rest. At a certain point – I hardly noticed it the first time I watched – some music starts playing. The background noise fades out and the crackle of the breeze is replaced by the tinkly piano and a haunting voice. There's no beat and no drum and no words. It's as if the music is connected to the position of her arms or the rhythm of her breathing; it emerges organically. She fixes her gaze on a point above the camera, chin poised, and the light falls down in a soft pattern, the shadows of leaves moving over her neck. Then she is perfectly still.
After a minute, the music swells and the video starts playing at 6x speed, a little clock in the corner of the frame showing the seconds whizzing by. Clouds whirl and her hair moves in a frenzy. At 6.31 in, some of the higher branches start to whip back and forth; at 8:17, three birds land tentatively, then skitter of into the dulling sky. Very occasionally, you can see her chest rising and falling, but otherwise nothing moves. I did the math. Factoring in the time-lapse, by the end of the fourteen-minute-long video, she has been holding the position for a little over an hour. I tried it myself one day, by an angular window, while looking down at the street below. After two minutes, my arms were in agony. The durational aspect of her performance is powerful. How can she bear that kind of pain? Perhaps this is why her followers find it easy to trust her – they understand her commitment. Several times, while watching her videos, I've found myself in tears. Of course, I know her. I know all about her; for a while she was my whole world, and when she left I felt bereaved. But I'm not alone, other people find her work moving, too. In a short time, she amassed a considerable audience, and she soon found that she had the power to make others see the world as she did: a difficult and stifling place.”
Do you see the world as a difficult and stifling place? What do you make of enigmatic Nicola? I urge you to read Anne Metcalfe's debut novel with these questions in mind.
Anna Metcalfe, named by Granta as one of the best young writers in Britain
February 26, 2023
I am conflicted. On one hand: boring and mundane in a bad way. On the other: endlessly fascinating, confusing, intricate. I think I'll look back on this book more fondly with time as I forget how it felt in the moment to read. Told from the perspective of three chronically dependent and lonely people, who at one point all fixate on one specific woman as the only person in their life. A quote on the back states the book portrays desire; to me it felt more like desperation. The frantic scrabble for meaning in the modern world when you have nothing to rely on and nobody depending on you. These four main characters, including the focal woman herself who I don't think is ever named, all fixate on her as a source of ultimate meaning. Do we place any blame on her for the way people depend on her? Do we criticise her for receiving their attention and care, letting them buy her things and model their lives around her, with no qualm or repayment or acknowledgement? Whole book is a gray area. She is kind of horrible and admirable at the same time. confusing. compelling. I would have liked there to be some narration from her perspective, but I understand why that was not included - it makes perfect sense within the themes of the book. We never gain any true insight into how authentic she and her lifestyle are. She clearly doesn't feel any responsibility for the way people respond to her words and actions. And should she, if people simply pick them up and run? I don't know. much to think about.
May 29, 2023
I enjoyed this book pretty much all the way through even though it's almost entirely character exploration and little to no actual plot which isn't normally my thing. The writing is fresh and flows naturally and beautifully, the characters felt real in a way that was often uncomfortable.
April 16, 2024
Der Roman "Chrysalis" von Anna Metcalfe ist eine spannende Auseinandersetzung mit unterschiedlichen Formen von Einsamkeit. Es geht um die radikale Körpertransformation einer namenlosen Protagonistin. Diese hat ihren Anwaltsjob gekündigt, nachdem sie die Flucht aus einer toxischen Beziehung geschafft hat. Nun konzentriert sie sich mit all ihrer Energie auf Kraftsport. Es kommt zu einem extremen Muskelaufbau. Es fühlt sich an wie ein Anstieg der Kontrolle. Eine Schutzschicht entsteht. Sie wird später mit Videos, in denen sie mit ihrem verwandelten, muskulösen Körper kraftraubende, stilllebenartige Posen einnimmt, viele Follower haben und Geld verdienen.
Eine Chrysalis ist ein Insekt im Zustand der Verpuppung. Es steht sinnbildlich für die namenlose Protagonistin, die ihren Körper verändern möchte. Das Titelbild des Romans "Chrysalis" von Anna Metcalfe könnte einen auf eine falsche Fährte locken. Es geht nicht um Pflanzen, auch wenn die Protagonistin und ihre Freundin einmal einen Test mit dem Titel "Welche Heilpflanze sind Sie?" machen. Das Motto des Romans von Vladimir Nabokov zeigt den Weg. Nabokov, der auch Schmetterlingsforscher war, beschreibt darin die Verwandlung von der Puppe zum Schmetterlingsweibchen mit Schwerpunkt auf die zwanzig Minuten, die der neue Körper braucht, um zum ersten Mal zu fliegen.
Die Geschichte der Protagonistin wird nicht direkt erzählt. Das Buch besteht aus drei Abschnitten, in denen unterschiedliche Personen, die mit der Heldin in Verbindung stehen oder standen, von ihr erzählen: der Einzelgänger Elliot, die Mutter Bella und die Freundin Susie.
Elliot ist ein Einzelgänger der regelmäßig ins Fitnessstudio geht. Dort beobachtet und bewundert er die namenlose Heldin "wie ein kostbares Gemälde". Elliot ist Freiberufler. In den Phasen, in denen er nicht an einem Auftrag arbeitet, kann er sich seine Zeit frei einteilen. Es entwickelt sich eine Beziehung mit der Protagonistin, die ihn regelmäßig besucht. Sie erzählt Elliot von ihrem Ex-Freund Paul. Sie sagt Elliot, dass sie "Susie" heiße. In Wirklichkeit ist das der Name ihrer Freundin. Die Gründe für ihre Transformation liegen in der Vergangenheit. Man lernt in dieser Erzählung eigentlich mehr über Elliot als über die Protagonistin. Dadurch entsteht eine interessante Spannung. Das wird sich auch in den folgenden Abschnitten so fortsetzen.
Im zweiten Abschnitt erzählt Susies Mutter Bella. Die Mutter beschreibt ihre wechselhafte Beziehung zur Tochter von der Geburt bis zur Gegenwart. Für sie sind die Videos ihrer Tochter vor allem Werbung für Einsamkeit und Isolation. Die Kapitel in diesem Abschnitt sind kürzer und sprunghafter. Der Erzählfluss leidet dadurch zunächst ein wenig. Erzählt wird auch von Bellas Arbeit als Malerin, das davon geprägt ist, dass sie den Großteil ihrer Zeit alleine mit ihren Bildern verbringt. Es ist fast ein Roman im Roman, über das Künstlerdasein und über Mutterschaft.
Im letzten Abschnitt kommt Susie zu Wort, bei der die Protagonistin nach ihrer toxischen Beziehung mit Paul für sechs Monate gewohnt hat. Die beiden haben gemeinsam in derselben Anwaltskanzlei gearbeitet. Wie Elliot und Bella wohnt auch Susie allein. Sie fühlt sich oft einsam. Sie bewundert die namenlose Protagonistin. Es gerät fast schon zu einer Obsession.
Für mich war "Chrysalis" ein faszinierender und spannender Roman. Ich habe nur einen Kritikpunkt: Obwohl drei unterschiedliche Personen in der Ich-Form erzählen gibt es kaum Unterschiede in der Sprache. Die unterschiedlichen Perspektiven werden nahezu vollständig durch die erzählten Inhalte abgebildet. Wenn hier noch eine sprachliche Differenzierung erfolgt wäre, hätte ich fünf Sterne vergeben. So sind es dann aber immerhin sehr gute vier Sterne geworden, die sich vielleicht schon bald in Schmetterlinge verwandeln werden...
🦋 🦋🦋🦋
Eine Chrysalis ist ein Insekt im Zustand der Verpuppung. Es steht sinnbildlich für die namenlose Protagonistin, die ihren Körper verändern möchte. Das Titelbild des Romans "Chrysalis" von Anna Metcalfe könnte einen auf eine falsche Fährte locken. Es geht nicht um Pflanzen, auch wenn die Protagonistin und ihre Freundin einmal einen Test mit dem Titel "Welche Heilpflanze sind Sie?" machen. Das Motto des Romans von Vladimir Nabokov zeigt den Weg. Nabokov, der auch Schmetterlingsforscher war, beschreibt darin die Verwandlung von der Puppe zum Schmetterlingsweibchen mit Schwerpunkt auf die zwanzig Minuten, die der neue Körper braucht, um zum ersten Mal zu fliegen.
Die Geschichte der Protagonistin wird nicht direkt erzählt. Das Buch besteht aus drei Abschnitten, in denen unterschiedliche Personen, die mit der Heldin in Verbindung stehen oder standen, von ihr erzählen: der Einzelgänger Elliot, die Mutter Bella und die Freundin Susie.
Elliot ist ein Einzelgänger der regelmäßig ins Fitnessstudio geht. Dort beobachtet und bewundert er die namenlose Heldin "wie ein kostbares Gemälde". Elliot ist Freiberufler. In den Phasen, in denen er nicht an einem Auftrag arbeitet, kann er sich seine Zeit frei einteilen. Es entwickelt sich eine Beziehung mit der Protagonistin, die ihn regelmäßig besucht. Sie erzählt Elliot von ihrem Ex-Freund Paul. Sie sagt Elliot, dass sie "Susie" heiße. In Wirklichkeit ist das der Name ihrer Freundin. Die Gründe für ihre Transformation liegen in der Vergangenheit. Man lernt in dieser Erzählung eigentlich mehr über Elliot als über die Protagonistin. Dadurch entsteht eine interessante Spannung. Das wird sich auch in den folgenden Abschnitten so fortsetzen.
Im zweiten Abschnitt erzählt Susies Mutter Bella. Die Mutter beschreibt ihre wechselhafte Beziehung zur Tochter von der Geburt bis zur Gegenwart. Für sie sind die Videos ihrer Tochter vor allem Werbung für Einsamkeit und Isolation. Die Kapitel in diesem Abschnitt sind kürzer und sprunghafter. Der Erzählfluss leidet dadurch zunächst ein wenig. Erzählt wird auch von Bellas Arbeit als Malerin, das davon geprägt ist, dass sie den Großteil ihrer Zeit alleine mit ihren Bildern verbringt. Es ist fast ein Roman im Roman, über das Künstlerdasein und über Mutterschaft.
Im letzten Abschnitt kommt Susie zu Wort, bei der die Protagonistin nach ihrer toxischen Beziehung mit Paul für sechs Monate gewohnt hat. Die beiden haben gemeinsam in derselben Anwaltskanzlei gearbeitet. Wie Elliot und Bella wohnt auch Susie allein. Sie fühlt sich oft einsam. Sie bewundert die namenlose Protagonistin. Es gerät fast schon zu einer Obsession.
Für mich war "Chrysalis" ein faszinierender und spannender Roman. Ich habe nur einen Kritikpunkt: Obwohl drei unterschiedliche Personen in der Ich-Form erzählen gibt es kaum Unterschiede in der Sprache. Die unterschiedlichen Perspektiven werden nahezu vollständig durch die erzählten Inhalte abgebildet. Wenn hier noch eine sprachliche Differenzierung erfolgt wäre, hätte ich fünf Sterne vergeben. So sind es dann aber immerhin sehr gute vier Sterne geworden, die sich vielleicht schon bald in Schmetterlinge verwandeln werden...
🦋 🦋🦋🦋
December 17, 2023
Ein sehr ansprechendes Debüt über eine Frau in Verwandlung, beobachtet von einem Verehrer, der Mutter und einer Freundin. Moshfegh Vibes.
Mehr zum Buch in unserer ausführlichen Besprechung @ Papierstau Podcast: #288
Mehr zum Buch in unserer ausführlichen Besprechung @ Papierstau Podcast: #288
August 2, 2023
"Do you really need the people in your life or do they need you? Cut yourself off. Say goodbye."
This bizarre little book was one I judged by its cover when I spotted it at the bookstore. I couldn’t look away and it had to come home with me. Sometimes these book cover assumptions make me look like quite the fool but this one had me sitting high up on my pedestal.
It was an interesting take on three people who had some kind of relationship with this nameless woman and how their worlds revolved around her before she destroyed them (mentally and emotionally) We all had that one person who came into our lives and changed it (for the better at that time) We thought that everything was going to be golden. Then your life imploded because of them and it turns out that they destroyed what you thought you knew to be the best life. That pretty much sums up this book. It was eerie and beautiful. One I highly recommend. Just don't expect to have a life-changing experience but you will see your life in parts.
This bizarre little book was one I judged by its cover when I spotted it at the bookstore. I couldn’t look away and it had to come home with me. Sometimes these book cover assumptions make me look like quite the fool but this one had me sitting high up on my pedestal.
It was an interesting take on three people who had some kind of relationship with this nameless woman and how their worlds revolved around her before she destroyed them (mentally and emotionally) We all had that one person who came into our lives and changed it (for the better at that time) We thought that everything was going to be golden. Then your life imploded because of them and it turns out that they destroyed what you thought you knew to be the best life. That pretty much sums up this book. It was eerie and beautiful. One I highly recommend. Just don't expect to have a life-changing experience but you will see your life in parts.
Want to read
October 20, 2025Another title I'm tackling as part of my backlog project... The way I bought this on the release date and let it linger on my bookshelf until now is humbling
June 23, 2023
Okay I admire what this book was trying to do and it was definitely trying hard but…this is the type of book that makes people hate reading. Like it’s one of those books like I’m sure 10% readers love and say that anyone who doesn’t love it just doesn’t “get” it. So yes disclaimer I may not be the target audience. THAT BEING SAID I don’t think I liked any aspect of the plot, not a single character, and found the prose grating at times. It’s trying really hard to be a book that makes you think but in the course it doesn’t actually say anything at all. Like what’s the take away, existence is lonely? Is solitude a cage or a field? There are SO many better ways to convey that message. And is it too much to ask for a book to be both deep AND entertaining? God forbid! Who is this book meant for? Happy people looking to fall into a isolated depression? Sad people looking to feel worse??
Two stars mainly because the author is good at forming a sentence and the bare bones plot had potential.
Two stars mainly because the author is good at forming a sentence and the bare bones plot had potential.
October 19, 2024
Chrysalis is heavily inspired by The Vegetarian, but instead of focusing on vegetarianism, it examines a woman who's into wellness (weightlifting and meditation) and social media. I truly enjoyed it, especially Elliot's part. It's an unsettling and unique character study told by three people who think they know the character.
Review to come.
Review to come.
May 23, 2023
I was alternately intrigued and bemused by the structure of Chrysalis, and then I heard Anna Metcalfe speaking and she stated that the structure of her novel is near identical to Hang Kang’s The Vegetarian . I was a bit disappointed to hear this.
Three distinct parts comprise the book, all are named characters: Elliot, Bella and Susie. The parts all stand alone, and while all revolve around the same figure, “she” is never named, and is always a shadowy and unknowable figure. She also defines the three viewpoints being expressed. It’s an interesting way to draw in the reader to feel the pulse of the book.
Did I like this style? I’m not sure. This is a difficult book to distil, and I don’t know that I have actually understood its meaning or taken away its essence. I tried to grasp some philosophy but its like trying to cradle sand in your hands.
Do some people come into your life, intrigue you, exhilarate you, and change your life, and then just as quickly disappear without any meaningful goodbye or explanation? Our unnamed girl does just that, leaving her friends, lovers and family none the wiser and cast adrift. This reader sympathises!
I did like Metcalfe’s observations about men
Work colleagues are “ridiculous - wearing expensive socks embroidered with cartoons and doing triathlons at weekends” (186)
Of boyfriends in her twenties “terrible men - men with complex needs” (20)
In April 2023 Anna Metcalfe was chosen as one of the twenty young writers (under forty) to watch (by Granta magazine). I’m not sure I’ve seen enough yet to warrant such hyperbole, but nor is she a writer whose moment has yet peaked I suspect.
I heard Anna Metcalfe speaking about ‘the Internet Novel’ at Foyles 09.05.2023
• AM already feels like a different person to the one who wrote the book.
• Goodreads reviews of the book. Men are angry at portrayal. Wanted a Timothee Chalamet figure (sensitive portrayals of complex characters). Instead they got Elliot and Paul!!!
• Solipsism of the three characters: isolated, without community. Fine to write this during pandemic lockdown… but not again!
• Internet is performative. Have to be seen to say the right thing. Difficult to show solidarity with someone different.
• Don’t write much autobiographical. Content creation online fascinates AM.
• At Uni AM teaches Hang Kang The Vegetarian . Every year goes back and gets something different. Structure of Chrysalis is an act of adoration. The three bits don’t make sense.
Three distinct parts comprise the book, all are named characters: Elliot, Bella and Susie. The parts all stand alone, and while all revolve around the same figure, “she” is never named, and is always a shadowy and unknowable figure. She also defines the three viewpoints being expressed. It’s an interesting way to draw in the reader to feel the pulse of the book.
Did I like this style? I’m not sure. This is a difficult book to distil, and I don’t know that I have actually understood its meaning or taken away its essence. I tried to grasp some philosophy but its like trying to cradle sand in your hands.
Do some people come into your life, intrigue you, exhilarate you, and change your life, and then just as quickly disappear without any meaningful goodbye or explanation? Our unnamed girl does just that, leaving her friends, lovers and family none the wiser and cast adrift. This reader sympathises!
I did like Metcalfe’s observations about men
Work colleagues are “ridiculous - wearing expensive socks embroidered with cartoons and doing triathlons at weekends” (186)
Of boyfriends in her twenties “terrible men - men with complex needs” (20)
In April 2023 Anna Metcalfe was chosen as one of the twenty young writers (under forty) to watch (by Granta magazine). I’m not sure I’ve seen enough yet to warrant such hyperbole, but nor is she a writer whose moment has yet peaked I suspect.
I heard Anna Metcalfe speaking about ‘the Internet Novel’ at Foyles 09.05.2023
• AM already feels like a different person to the one who wrote the book.
• Goodreads reviews of the book. Men are angry at portrayal. Wanted a Timothee Chalamet figure (sensitive portrayals of complex characters). Instead they got Elliot and Paul!!!
• Solipsism of the three characters: isolated, without community. Fine to write this during pandemic lockdown… but not again!
• Internet is performative. Have to be seen to say the right thing. Difficult to show solidarity with someone different.
• Don’t write much autobiographical. Content creation online fascinates AM.
• At Uni AM teaches Hang Kang The Vegetarian . Every year goes back and gets something different. Structure of Chrysalis is an act of adoration. The three bits don’t make sense.
December 23, 2022
Thank You to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
I love that in this story of one woman’s complete transformation, the chapters start with people’s names of which she heavily impacted as they are told from their different POVs, yet we never once learn hers. People are drawn to her sense of security, but it wasn’t always that way. As a child, her restlessness made others uncomfortable but after her metamorphosis, her stillness made people uncomfortable. It goes to show, no matter what you decide to do, people will have problems with your decisions, whether it’s leaving your job, leaving your partner, leaving all of humanity behind, so do what gives you peace of mind and let those who don’t like it sit in their discomfort.
I look forward to reading more from Anna Metcalfe!
I love that in this story of one woman’s complete transformation, the chapters start with people’s names of which she heavily impacted as they are told from their different POVs, yet we never once learn hers. People are drawn to her sense of security, but it wasn’t always that way. As a child, her restlessness made others uncomfortable but after her metamorphosis, her stillness made people uncomfortable. It goes to show, no matter what you decide to do, people will have problems with your decisions, whether it’s leaving your job, leaving your partner, leaving all of humanity behind, so do what gives you peace of mind and let those who don’t like it sit in their discomfort.
I look forward to reading more from Anna Metcalfe!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2024
I loved the premise of this book, I loved the start of the book as we jumped right in, I loved the story trundling along with good pace, good characterisation, great storytelling and scene setting. I was expecting a more surreal metamorphosis aspect from what the book had been billed as. Instead it was more focused on a journey of self-transformation with the associated trappings and pitfalls of social media and friends/family influence. This was fine but just not what I expected (honestly, I was hoping the protagonist was full on gonna morph into a giant tree!). Then the ending, so abrupt! Just...... and stop. Right here. Now. Done! Hence the 3 stars only. I felt there was real potential with this book but it just wasn't quite fully realised.
September 2, 2025
You’ll only ever know someone thru your own lens, can’t be certain of how they come off when you aren’t around. If you asked 5 different people to describe 𝘺𝘰𝘶, you’d get 5 varying answers. Depending on who you’re talking to, you’ll hear about a different version of yourself each time. Intentional on your part or not, each relationship you have garners a version of yourself that’s only partially your own doing. 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙮𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨 is an exploration of that idea, & more—but this concept stood out to me most.
If you’ve ever had to re-parent or emotionally prop up a parent, you’ll prob enjoy that section of the novel most. Bonus points if they’re somewhat aware of this, yet manage to put the onus on you to soothe their worries. (𝘔𝘰𝘮, 𝘪𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦—𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 & 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘠𝘢𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘺!) The mother & daughter relationship here reminded me of the mother/daughter dynamic at play in 𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙒𝙞𝙙𝙚 by Jessica Gross, if you’ve had the pleasure of reading that beaut already.
An author I love mentioned Anna as an inspiration (𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘤 𝘪𝘥𝘳 & 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴). My hopes were VERY high. To be totally honest, 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙮𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨 didn’t live up to em. If you’re dyin for 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘥 weird, this won’t satiate ya. The takes on reclaiming your body were great, but there wasn’t enough. There wasn’t really enough of any of what’s brought to the table, actually. I wanted this to be taken farther. How Anna connects these narratives reminded me a lot of a novel in stories tho, making it more enjoyable. I’m looking fwd to reading more from her 🐛
If you’ve ever had to re-parent or emotionally prop up a parent, you’ll prob enjoy that section of the novel most. Bonus points if they’re somewhat aware of this, yet manage to put the onus on you to soothe their worries. (𝘔𝘰𝘮, 𝘪𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦—𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 & 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘠𝘢𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘺!) The mother & daughter relationship here reminded me of the mother/daughter dynamic at play in 𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙒𝙞𝙙𝙚 by Jessica Gross, if you’ve had the pleasure of reading that beaut already.
An author I love mentioned Anna as an inspiration (𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘤 𝘪𝘥𝘳 & 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴). My hopes were VERY high. To be totally honest, 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙮𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨 didn’t live up to em. If you’re dyin for 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘥 weird, this won’t satiate ya. The takes on reclaiming your body were great, but there wasn’t enough. There wasn’t really enough of any of what’s brought to the table, actually. I wanted this to be taken farther. How Anna connects these narratives reminded me a lot of a novel in stories tho, making it more enjoyable. I’m looking fwd to reading more from her 🐛
February 5, 2023
3.5 rounded down
Chrysalis is a compelling and at times unsettling novel tracking the metamorphosis of a young woman in the wake of the dissolution of an abusive relationship. The young woman's story is told by three different people who witness this change: a young man, Elliot who she meets at the gym; her mother, Bella, with whom the young woman has long had a fractious relationship; and her friend/flatmate and former colleague, Susie.
The novel charts her physical and mental change into a new person who eschews many societal norms and finds meaning in making meditation and fitness videos online, attracting a huge following.
We never get the woman's own perspective - I can see why the author approached the narrative in this way but it did frustrate me as a reader at times. This is a hard novel to describe or summarise, and it left me feeling unsettled on finishing... although not necessarily in a bad way.
Thank you Netgalley and Granta for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Chrysalis is a compelling and at times unsettling novel tracking the metamorphosis of a young woman in the wake of the dissolution of an abusive relationship. The young woman's story is told by three different people who witness this change: a young man, Elliot who she meets at the gym; her mother, Bella, with whom the young woman has long had a fractious relationship; and her friend/flatmate and former colleague, Susie.
The novel charts her physical and mental change into a new person who eschews many societal norms and finds meaning in making meditation and fitness videos online, attracting a huge following.
We never get the woman's own perspective - I can see why the author approached the narrative in this way but it did frustrate me as a reader at times. This is a hard novel to describe or summarise, and it left me feeling unsettled on finishing... although not necessarily in a bad way.
Thank you Netgalley and Granta for the advance copy, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2023
I loved the premise of this book, but sadly it didn’t hit the mark for me.
The main, unnamed protagonist is supposed (I think) to be some kind of spiritual hero, living alone, focussing on training her body and subsequently her mind, but she just came across and rude and self-centred. The story is told from the perspective of three people who know her. One is a loner who thinks he’s in love with her, the second is her mother, who doesn’t seem to think a lot of her and one is a colleague, who is desperate to be accepted by her, but is ultimately just used and then discarded when she is no longer needed.
Some of the PT and gym training descriptions were unrealistic - a PT who doesn’t even ask his client what their goals are, would never be successful, yet Simon is portrayed as some kind of fitness god. All quite strange really.
2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
The main, unnamed protagonist is supposed (I think) to be some kind of spiritual hero, living alone, focussing on training her body and subsequently her mind, but she just came across and rude and self-centred. The story is told from the perspective of three people who know her. One is a loner who thinks he’s in love with her, the second is her mother, who doesn’t seem to think a lot of her and one is a colleague, who is desperate to be accepted by her, but is ultimately just used and then discarded when she is no longer needed.
Some of the PT and gym training descriptions were unrealistic - a PT who doesn’t even ask his client what their goals are, would never be successful, yet Simon is portrayed as some kind of fitness god. All quite strange really.
2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
May 17, 2023
A really fresh-feeling novel about a woman on a unique and very specific path to wellness and self actualized fulfillment and how it affects the people closest to her. A cool take on a kind of radical self-care and what that looks like for different people, a small dig on the viral nature of wellness fads. Slyly funny at times, quite singular and special. I was very pleasantly surprised by this one!
July 19, 2023
Wow! This was something else. A Debut piece on the progression & regression of a this one woman's journey towards mindfulness and body building told through three perspectives. A gym partner, her mother and a colleague. Their attachment, curiosity take an obsessively dark turn. Slow burn and well paced this will stay with me for awhile.
January 27, 2024
Splendido inizio di un nuovo anno di letture con un romanzo magnetico. Crisalide dà una sua interpretazione alla ricerca di senso della contemporaneità. La trasformazione della protagonista, ineffabile in musa sui social, dice molto sui feticci che popolano il web e su ciò che si nasconde dietro a una facciata rassicurante.
September 29, 2025
Even though the character's voices were similar, I really enjoyed this novel. It’s the kind of book that you cannot stop thinking about. I found the main character narcissistic, intriguing and unlikeable but that only made me obsess even more.
April 10, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read an ARC and give an honest review!
When I read the description, “What happens when a woman dares to take up space?” I was sold and was so hooked I had to force myself to put it down when I needed to. In this novel we follow a young nameless woman and her transformation, as through the eyes of the three people closest to her: her mother, her best friend and a lover. Her transformation, only truly beginning after leaving an abusive relationship, is something stark and seemingly otherworldly. Early on, we’re given full details into how horrific and nefarious the abuse she had experienced with her male partner was and I think this was a good choice. The story’s themes necessitate focus on the woman and how she transforms herself after the trauma rather than being about the trauma itself. The woman first focuses on her physical body and bulking up considerably. This further enhances her mind by exerting so much physical control as a means to bring inner peace to it. It goes beyond body positivity and becomes body power as she gets stronger and stronger and literally starts to look too big for rooms. Then, she looks into meditation and enduring long periods of stillness that luckily she trained her body for and with meditation it was time to fully train her mind. And part of that too was then to isolate and cut off any connection to people and basically reject society. Metcalfe cleverly deals with themes of self-reliance and independence and how those can border selfishness and isolation. And being selfish and isolating oneself doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. I think it was in the show Friends, where Joey (the lovable himbo of the group) makes an observation that no action is selfless. Everything is done with the well being of yourself in mind. Maybe if we acknowledge that being selfish is normal and can be a good thing we can make better strides for ourselves and society. Not only that but isolation in the public mind is actually being treated differently. We don’t have to go back to primal or very nomadic ways but it’s okay for adults at a certain point to give or take how much they want to interact with society. For a debut, it’s throwing in some big concepts within its themes that I think is just incredible and they’re all reflected through the woman! I was just absolutely fascinated with her. While our narrators have a bias towards her, you never feel as though they are unreliable. What she means to each of them may seem subjective but the experiences and their transformations are real. They deify her and for good reason. There is so much to this book and honestly I cannot recommend it enough because currently this is the shortened version of a full review that I have that I am saving for something in the future *wink wink*.
When I read the description, “What happens when a woman dares to take up space?” I was sold and was so hooked I had to force myself to put it down when I needed to. In this novel we follow a young nameless woman and her transformation, as through the eyes of the three people closest to her: her mother, her best friend and a lover. Her transformation, only truly beginning after leaving an abusive relationship, is something stark and seemingly otherworldly. Early on, we’re given full details into how horrific and nefarious the abuse she had experienced with her male partner was and I think this was a good choice. The story’s themes necessitate focus on the woman and how she transforms herself after the trauma rather than being about the trauma itself. The woman first focuses on her physical body and bulking up considerably. This further enhances her mind by exerting so much physical control as a means to bring inner peace to it. It goes beyond body positivity and becomes body power as she gets stronger and stronger and literally starts to look too big for rooms. Then, she looks into meditation and enduring long periods of stillness that luckily she trained her body for and with meditation it was time to fully train her mind. And part of that too was then to isolate and cut off any connection to people and basically reject society. Metcalfe cleverly deals with themes of self-reliance and independence and how those can border selfishness and isolation. And being selfish and isolating oneself doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. I think it was in the show Friends, where Joey (the lovable himbo of the group) makes an observation that no action is selfless. Everything is done with the well being of yourself in mind. Maybe if we acknowledge that being selfish is normal and can be a good thing we can make better strides for ourselves and society. Not only that but isolation in the public mind is actually being treated differently. We don’t have to go back to primal or very nomadic ways but it’s okay for adults at a certain point to give or take how much they want to interact with society. For a debut, it’s throwing in some big concepts within its themes that I think is just incredible and they’re all reflected through the woman! I was just absolutely fascinated with her. While our narrators have a bias towards her, you never feel as though they are unreliable. What she means to each of them may seem subjective but the experiences and their transformations are real. They deify her and for good reason. There is so much to this book and honestly I cannot recommend it enough because currently this is the shortened version of a full review that I have that I am saving for something in the future *wink wink*.
April 11, 2023
Even virtually, without the smell or the feel of her, she has a power over the people who find her; once you've known her, it's hard to go back to a time before.
Chrysalis is an entirely unique novel about an unnamed woman who transforms herself, physically and mentally, in the wake of an abusive relationship.
But at the same time, this book isn't really about the woman at all: Instead, it becomes about three people in her orbit, who are drawn to her and find a purpose in her presence. There's Elliot, who watches her transformation from the very beginning at the gym they both attend; her mother, Bella, who struggled to understand her daughter when she was young and can now only watch from a distance as she blossoms; and Susie, a coworker whose empty apartment and lonely existence are reinvigorated when the woman moves in with her. The book is told in three parts from their first-person points-of-view, as Anna Metcalfe explores themes of isolation and loneliness, reinvention, desperation and obsession, and the complex ramifications of trauma.
This is such an intriguing, thought-provoking read that made me think a lot about ideas surrounding independence, selfhood, and perception. It's fascinating to view this character only through the lens of others; each of the three sees something different in -- and get something different out of-- their relationships with her. For her part, the woman comes across as unfeeling and aloof, and there is something almost distasteful about her. Of course, we never learn who she really is -- just how she is perceived by others -- and I thought that was such an interesting (and successful) narrative choice by Anna Metcalfe.
Chrysalis isn't a book where a lot actually happens, but it nevertheless kept me riveted all the way through with its deeply psychological subject matter and strange, unsettling vibes. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the advance reading opportunity.
May 20, 2023
Chrysalis is a portrait of a person shown from three perspectives. It is the story of an influencer, never named, who preaches to her loyal followers about the benefits of solitude, selfishness, and putting yourself first. Through the eyes of an acquaintance she meets at the gym, her mother, and her friend from work, we are drip-fed details that uncover the intriguing and thought-provoking mystery surrounding her.
This was a very strong debut novel. The success of the novel hinges on the reader engaging with the mysterious aspects of the central character; there’s no plot as such, and we’re told up front about the influencer she becomes, and so the only thing really driving the narrative is the details we’re given gradually about her past and the way she acts. This might sound like a hard sell, but Metcalfe really pulls it off - the characters are believable, their interactions are engaging and you really do find yourself caring about the little moments of intrigue. The central character’s behaviour is compellingly odd, and the sinister undercurrent running through the novel from the start is really effective - leaving you with the sense that, though you can’t entirely identify just what has happened, something dark is going on.
I’d highly recommend checking this one out. Metcalfe was recently included on Granta’s list of the 20 Best Young British Novelists, and this debut proves that this is a worthy inclusion.
Thanks to Granta and Netgalley for the e-ARC!
This was a very strong debut novel. The success of the novel hinges on the reader engaging with the mysterious aspects of the central character; there’s no plot as such, and we’re told up front about the influencer she becomes, and so the only thing really driving the narrative is the details we’re given gradually about her past and the way she acts. This might sound like a hard sell, but Metcalfe really pulls it off - the characters are believable, their interactions are engaging and you really do find yourself caring about the little moments of intrigue. The central character’s behaviour is compellingly odd, and the sinister undercurrent running through the novel from the start is really effective - leaving you with the sense that, though you can’t entirely identify just what has happened, something dark is going on.
I’d highly recommend checking this one out. Metcalfe was recently included on Granta’s list of the 20 Best Young British Novelists, and this debut proves that this is a worthy inclusion.
Thanks to Granta and Netgalley for the e-ARC!
June 25, 2023
Chrysalis was an unexpected 5 star read that had me turning pages like there’s no tomorrow. I became completely and utterly consumed by this strange little read that was rather striking, I can’t shake it from my mind.
One for all the contemporary fiction lovers, Chrysalis is the story of an unnamed woman, whose actions blur the lines between self care and narcissism. It takes controlling the body and mind to a whole new level and the transformation of one woman, as well as her influence on others throughout her journey.
Told from the perspective of Elliot, who trains at the gym - he admires her dedication and perfection of her transformation as well as her strength. The second perspective is told by her mother who gives backstory on our unnamed main characters childhood through to adult life where she eradicates all family ties. We learn of our unnamed main character through Susie, a former colleague who offers her a home and a sanctuary.
Each of these witnesses is left with the memory of the person they once knew, as our unnamed character is on a solitary mission to inspire and influence her followers to take on the same metamorphosis of solitude and selfhood - for better but ultimately for worse.
I really wasn’t expecting to love Chrysalis as much as I did, and will be recommending to all the lovers of modern fiction - I absolutely adored the writing and completely gelled with the flow! Wonderful. 5 stars!
One for all the contemporary fiction lovers, Chrysalis is the story of an unnamed woman, whose actions blur the lines between self care and narcissism. It takes controlling the body and mind to a whole new level and the transformation of one woman, as well as her influence on others throughout her journey.
Told from the perspective of Elliot, who trains at the gym - he admires her dedication and perfection of her transformation as well as her strength. The second perspective is told by her mother who gives backstory on our unnamed main characters childhood through to adult life where she eradicates all family ties. We learn of our unnamed main character through Susie, a former colleague who offers her a home and a sanctuary.
Each of these witnesses is left with the memory of the person they once knew, as our unnamed character is on a solitary mission to inspire and influence her followers to take on the same metamorphosis of solitude and selfhood - for better but ultimately for worse.
I really wasn’t expecting to love Chrysalis as much as I did, and will be recommending to all the lovers of modern fiction - I absolutely adored the writing and completely gelled with the flow! Wonderful. 5 stars!
July 22, 2023
I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me.
The structure as a concept is super cool! And I liked the idea of having three people all who are obsessed with this woman, who you never get the perspective from. It was neat to have many ideas grow together and connect during Susie's perspective.
What bothered me was that I actually didn't care about any of the characters, they were mundane and insanely forgettable. (Susie was my favourite, for her, I give this an extra star)
There were a bunch of cool paths this story could have taken, yet it opted out of all of them. I liked that you could piece together what was real through everyone's accounts, but there felt like no reason to. Having things connect in Susie's plotline also meant that it took ages for anything to actually matter. (2/3 perspectives are exposition.)
I kept waiting for something to actually feel important but it never came.
Maybe I'm a hater because Chrysalis seems like such a horrible person too. I could not relate at all to anyone liking her. Maybe that's the point. Maybe I'll reread it one day and love it.
It just wasn't my flavour of book for now, unfortunately :(
The structure as a concept is super cool! And I liked the idea of having three people all who are obsessed with this woman, who you never get the perspective from. It was neat to have many ideas grow together and connect during Susie's perspective.
What bothered me was that I actually didn't care about any of the characters, they were mundane and insanely forgettable. (Susie was my favourite, for her, I give this an extra star)
There were a bunch of cool paths this story could have taken, yet it opted out of all of them. I liked that you could piece together what was real through everyone's accounts, but there felt like no reason to. Having things connect in Susie's plotline also meant that it took ages for anything to actually matter. (2/3 perspectives are exposition.)
I kept waiting for something to actually feel important but it never came.
Maybe I'm a hater because Chrysalis seems like such a horrible person too. I could not relate at all to anyone liking her. Maybe that's the point. Maybe I'll reread it one day and love it.
It just wasn't my flavour of book for now, unfortunately :(
August 13, 2023
This is the debut novel of Anna Metcalfe and it is a fascinating and thought provoking read about human metamorphosis. How one grows and evolves over the years, becoming comfortable in their own skin and finding their way in this strange world.
Beautifully written with a stunning eloquence of words. The writing takes the mundane and makes it sparkle and shimmer with its vibrance.
Beautifully written with a stunning eloquence of words. The writing takes the mundane and makes it sparkle and shimmer with its vibrance.
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