Dept. of Speculation
2014 novel by Jenny Offill
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Dept. of Speculation is a 2014 novel by American author Jenny Offill. The novel received positive reviews, and has been compared to Offill's later work, Weather.
First edition | |
| Author | Jenny Offill |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date | January 28, 2014 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 179 pages |
| ISBN | 9780345806871 |
Composition and writing
Reception
Critical reception
The novel has been compared to Renata Adler's 1976 book Speedboat.[3][4] In her review of the book, published by NPR, Meg Wolitzer praised the novel as "[...] intriguing, beautifully written, sly and often profound".[5] Wolitzer also praised the novel's humor.[5]
Offill has said she did not anticipate the book's success.[6]
Honors
Dept. of Speculation was shortlisted for 2015 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction,[7] and the Folio Prize.[8]
The novel was included on the New York Times' list of the best books of 2014.[9]
Influence
A passage in the novel influenced Rachel Yoder's novel Nightbitch.[10]
