The Kubrick-style cover of Emma Cline's The Guest drew me in like a deranged moth to a morally ambiguous flame. Cline's writing style and general existence have been praised in the literary fiction community following on from her previous publishings, The Girls (2016) and Daddy (2020). I felt safe in the knowledge both my literary thirst and psychological thriller hankering would be satiated. 

I closed the book unsated.

An outsider finds herself in a hermetically sealed community in The Hamptons. Alex is an agent of chaos, moving through a landscape of wealth and class. She is a magnet of instability, perceptive of the many social inclinations around her but unaware of her own misgivings. 

Cline explores themes of distance, analysis and observation in what should be considered a character study. The Guest's form is voyeurship. Written in the third person we watch our protagonist, as she watches others. These layers of distance disavow any possible reader investment in our chaotic grifter, we simply are not allowed close enough to root for her. We remain at a distance.

Cline's writing style is incredible as per, but you can feel her resistance to plot. Strong storytelling & moral guidance are not available to the reader of The Guest. Similar to the structures of wealth and class, this intimacy with our main character Alex, is a privilege we are not afforded. 

The Guest may have benefited from a stronger narrative position. It feels nicely placed to be an addendum to her short story collection Daddy. As a stand alone novel, it left me wanting more - but is that the point?

There is a foundation of tension, a slow build and little payoff. We are not privy to a satisfying ending. Forever a guest in this narrative. 

The Guest by Emma Cline is available here.

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