Absolutely loved this book. The slow burn eerie feeling that kept building. The writing is enigmatic and beautiful. Sometimes sections needed re reading as it was so beautifully written. I highly recommend this book if you like you fiction like an enigmatic, eerie puzzle. I read a NetGalley version of this book.

this is meaner than I sometimes get in reviews, but I found this deeply frustrating to read. It seemed like the language and style were hiding the fact that the ideas being explored were, while important, quite basic. Universal is good, but fancying themes up so they seem more complex and intellectual rather than exploring the heart of them is a pet peeve of mine. this may be because I also have a family history of genocide and have sought out and read a lot of literature with similar themes, but this felt like well-trod ground with little more to add, inflated only by the language used to deliver it.

I've read many better, more nuanced reckonings with generational trauma and oppression and better blends of horror and literary fiction.

more of a 3.5. short but slightly difficult to read (in a good way) because the prose is so lyrical and poetic. beautiful imagery and quite strange, makes you think a lot and wonder at the end what happened. elements of Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House, Women Talking by Miriam Toews, and Lapvona by Otessa Moshfegh. still not sure how reliable the narrator actually is.

This book was quite a trip. It takes commitment to get through the way its written. The narration is in the form of a rambling stream of consciousness. Sometimes I'd lose focus because some paragraphs were pages long. It took so much concentration that I had to backtrack quite frequently.

This is not a book for the masses. I think if you're more of a fan of literary fiction then you might enjoy this. It went over my head at times.

The writing is beautiful and at times stunning. But, it was also repetitive and meandering. The characters and town were never named and I think that impacted how much I connected with them.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read an early copy of Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein

perfect short length and absolutely stunning writing. This was a joy to read - I really enjoyed my time with this one and am not at all surprised this was nominated

In "Study for Obedience," Sarah Bernstein offers a haunting and compressed masterwork that cements her status as one of the most exciting voices in Canadian fiction. The novel’s brilliance lies in its ability to create a deeply unsettling atmosphere while exploring themes of complicity, power, displacement, and inheritance through a sharp and lyrical voice.

The story follows a young woman who moves from her birthplace to a remote northern country of her forebears to become the housekeeper for her brother, recently abandoned by his wife. Shortly after her arrival, a series of bizarre events begin to unfold—a collective bovine hysteria, the demise of a ewe and her nearly born lamb, a local dog’s phantom pregnancy, and a potato blight. The local community, already suspicious of newcomers, directs their growing hostility toward her, creating an ominous tension that feels like it is pressing at the edges of her brother’s property.

Bernstein's narrative delves deep into the psyche of her protagonist, who is both obedient and passive, embodying traits traditionally associated with femininity. However, as the story progresses, it becomes clear that her obedience harbors a form of control and perhaps even a latent power. The narrator's reliability is constantly in question, adding layers of complexity to her character and the events that transpire around her.

The novel's strength lies in its rich, atmospheric writing that draws the reader into a world where every detail feels charged with meaning. The prose is both beautiful and unsettling, creating a sense of unease that lingers long after the final page. Bernstein’s exploration of xenophobia, gender roles, and the legacy of history is both timely and timeless, making "Study for Obedience" a profound meditation on the human condition.

The book's structure is also notable for its use of metafictional elements, inviting readers to question the nature of the narrative itself. Bernstein’s influences, including Shirley Jackson and Paula Rego, are evident in the novel’s dark, introspective tone and its exploration of obedience and defiance.

Overall, "Study for Obedience" is a finely tuned, unsettling novel that showcases Sarah Bernstein's exceptional talent. It is a thought-provoking and deeply affecting read that will resonate with readers who appreciate literary fiction that challenges and inspires.

Thank you to Knopf Canada and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book. This review reflects my honest opinion.

The author’s vocabulary is a pleasure to read but I found the main character, the narrator to be difficult to be drawn to. I understand the author’s seeming metaphor between her character’s obedience and obedience to the past, but the character’s self mental-flogging made me want to get her help. I’m thinking this could not have been the author’s purpose. That said, I can see using this book as a Holocaust unit supplement but only for advanced students such as AP. Also, the lack of paragraph breaks gives the work a frantic feeling, but perhaps that is intentional (?).

DNF - Pretentious. Unintelligible. Meandering. At no point did I feel curious about what might happen next, and the tedium of wading through these long, drawn-out sentences finally wore me down about a third of the way through when I abandoned the miserable thing.

The first word that springs to mind when I think of <i>Study for Obedience</i> is "prolix," which is not a word I would ever think could be applied to a work that's only about 200 pages long.

The publisher is touting this as a book for fans of Shirley Jackson, but the only thing it has in common with any of Jackson's works is an unreliable narrator who should be under the care of a mental health professional.

Just skip this one unless you want to read a book that makes you wonder if the author got paid by the comma.

Received via NetGalley.

Absolutely loved this book! Was so gripping I couldn’t put it down! Would strongly recommend it! A solid 4 star read! Definitely would love to read more from this author

What a great book. It was such a great story and I enjoyed it immensely. I think other fiction readers will enjoy it as well.

I was really surprised that this book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. I found the structure of sentences confusing, and the storyline quite repetitive. The idea of meekness and obedience was repeated over and over again to the point that it felt like the whole book was about how women are supposed to be submissive. I also feel like I missed a philosophical message in this story that might have redeemed it. I wouldn't suggest this story to someone who doesn't like contemporary fiction. I don't typically enjoy contemporary fiction, which is why I also think this book was a miss for me.

Hmmm, where to go with this one? It's creepy, it's verbose, it's "write down every feeling and thought and put it into one sentence." It just didn't connect with me. The unnamed brother and sister remained nameless and faceless to me, and I really had no interest in learning more. I suppose there's some extremely deep underlying message, but I didn't get it. And I'm OK with that.

If I had to guess, I'd say 30% of readers will like this. I'm part of the other group.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

"So much was refused in advance."

I honestly had to remind myself that this was a novel. It felt more like a very eerie memoir. Bertstein's flowing thread of narrative aided to an dream like almost trance like state that pulled me into the tale, swallowed me as I felt myself yielding to domination and superstition. I felt I was living the gentle nightmare, the strained silence.

"Nevertheless, I say to myself, softly, I am living, I claim my right to live.

I recommend STUDY FOR OBEDIENCE for fans of literary fiction. Readers looking for their next "beach read" (whatever that means...) should look elsewhere; this is not a plot-driven page turner by any means. But the writing is sharp and lovely and I admire the compression. The story is told in the right amount of words -- no unnecessary padding. The author deftly explores themes of guilt and abuse. The narrator moves to take care of her brother, and her voice will annoy some readers, but I got used to it. She is unreliable so just be aware or that. Ultimately I found this slim novel to be atmospheric and haunting.

I really struggled with what rating to give Study for Obedience. There were a number of things that I liked about it, but at the end of the day, it wasn't really for me.

Things I liked:
*the writing is absolutely beautiful, lyrical to the point that it almost feels like reading poetry. I really can't stress enough how absolutely gorgeous the writing is.
*on that same note, I found it interesting the way that the writing style feels very old (it reminded me of 18th century novels and journals that I've read), while the novel is clearly set in the present, given the references to modern technology. It makes the narrator feel like an anachronism, which helps build the sense of her isolation.
*I always enjoy novels with unreliable narrators, which this narrator definitely is.

Things I struggled with:
*the stream of consciousness style, which is what makes the writing so lovely, also made this book really hard for me to get through. I found I could only read a page or two at a time without losing my focus.
*the story and the characters are very weird, which I'm sure was intentional, but it was just a little too out there for me.

Overall, Study for Obedience was an interesting novel, which I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of literature and has a lot of patience for meandering books. For me, though, this is 3 stars--there was a lot to like about the writing, but at the end of the day, reading it felt like being back in school and being required to read things that I didn't really enjoy.

This is a dense, rambling narrative by a dysfunctional woman in a town she doesn't name. I had difficulty getting 8th it because the stream of consciousness format was difficult to follow. I will not be finishing this book.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Study for Obedience. I am sorry that I did not get to read this until now. This is the story of a sister and brother, grown up, who come from a large family. The sister goes to take care of the brother-practically be his slave it seems. It is very dark and slow, and was hard for me to follow.

This was a very interesting and unique read. I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before. It was very well written, it was nominated for a award for a very good reason.

This was unlike anything I’ve read before. The voice was unique and captivating. I really enjoyed the blend between the of-another-era tone and the references to modern technology. I would have enjoyed a few more touchstones within the plot to guide the way but overall I really enjoyed this read.