2025 #29 I Have Some Questions for You (Makkai)

 

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
My rating: 3 of 5 stars (3.75 stars)

This novel tries to be a lot of things, and it is, but it feels like there is a lack of pacing because of it. I couldn't get a solid grasp on Bodie Kane, but this is, at least in part, due to the fact that the novel is largely about Bodie getting a grasp on Bodie--so, fair enough! Interspersed with the self-reflection is a murder mystery alongside a larger message about how women are treated in/by society--both are worthwhile, but both were somewhat diluted by the lack of focus. The book does offer some real warnings about nostalgia and memory, and this was for me, the core value of the novel. I did not feel any real attachment to any of the characters, but this was a rare case where I think that was useful. Justice is often paraded as some sort of process of objectivity (although we know it isn't), and Makkai's novel helps reveal how justice can only ever be relative in the messy-ness of the human condition. We also come to realize how many details we likely miss in a given day of our lives--what we see, but don't watch, for example. Makkai reminds us that "memory" is a fabrication, and the split of the book into two parts is masterful in driving that home. A worthwhile read, but I suggest lowering expectations for the "mystery" aspect, and allowing the reflections on how we co-exist to be front and center.

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