Paradise Rot: A Novella

By Jenny Hval

Book Overview

"As intriguing and impressive a novelist as she is a musician, Hval is a master of quiet horror and wonder."
--Chris Kraus, author of I Love Dick

A lyrical debut novel from a musician and artist renowned for her sharp sexual and political imagery

Jo is in a strange new country for university and having a more peculiar time than most. In a house with no walls, shared with a woman who has no boundaries, she finds her strange home coming to life in unimaginable ways. Jo's sensitivity and all her senses become increasingly heightened and fraught, as the lines between bodies and plants, dreaming and wakefulness, blur and mesh.

This debut novel from critically acclaimed artist and musician Jenny Hval presents a heady and hyper-sensual portrayal of sexual awakening and queer desire.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1804294527
• ISBN13: 9781804294529
• Release Date: March 2024
• Publisher: Verso
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Seeping into your dreaming thoughts

Now, this may not be the book for everybody, because there is a focus on a particular body fluid that some people may find distracting, but this book was definitely for me. I found myself thinking about it after each section, and was mesmerized by the sensory buffet of the words Hval chose to weave the story together. I also found myself unable to determine what could possibly happen next, which was a lovely surprise, as it truly underscores what a unique work this is. It was able to breathe life into the mundane tasks one may overlook. Truly one to add to your shelves if you are looking for a book to envelop you.

Felt like reading an intrusive thought

Genuinely a good novel, it does it's job and makes you wildly uncomfortable. It is grotesque and shows the dynamic of a homoerotic friendship that spun out of control. Beautiful novel.