I understand this is a follow-up to 'Outline', a book which I have not read, but have now added to my must-read list. Faye is a writer, separated from her husband and with two sons who go to live temporarily with their father whilst the flat she has bought (Why? It's a disaster of poor construction, frightful neighbours below, redeemed only by being in a good area) is renovated. The book is presented by Faye reporting series of conversations - with a former lover, her builders, her hairdresser, all of which maintain the mood that Faye and the people with who she is surrounded live in a state of tension with the possibility of disaster never too far away. Every vignette exposes Kaye's attempt to change, to move on, as being unrealised: she seems in some way passively accepting of what happens to her, however undesired. A brittle, often funny book, moving and elegantly written. ( )

I really liked Rachel Cusk's Outline, and I enjoyed Transit even more. Her writing is brilliant — mesmerizing and distinctive. Whenever I read her, I find the cadence of my thoughts start to echo the cadence of her prose. So many ideas fill the conversations in this book: the nature of reality and how to live; the singular moments of self-revelation that define oneself; the relationships between passivity and power, self-discipline and evil; freedom and change. Themes and images recur throughout, such as the windows of a room serving as frames through which to observe others, or as mirrors reflecting the contrivances within. Mostly, though, it feels like a passage through a certain period of life, a liminal stage, a resetting. ( )

2. del af fortællingen om Faye, der prøver at finde fodfæste efter skilsmissen.
Fortællinger om hende og personer hun møder. En fremragende litterær bedrift, smukke sætninger, formfuldendt sprog. En oplevelse at læse. ( )

Finally finishing the trilogy after reading out of order, but fills in some gaps. Same writing style that I love where each person the narrator encounters gets a monologue essentially as they expound on themselves or a topic dear to them. Here it’s a builder, a best friend, some dates, and professional colleagues. She has just moved to London after the breakup of her marriage and there is a flat to renovate and some conflict with completely toxic neighbors downstairs, which seems to be the central intrigue but is left unresolved. Also some ambiguous anecdotes about mothering and her two children - she has custody, but isn’t devoted to it. Same great observations about life and human nature thrown in off-handedly: “by failing he had created loss and loss was the threshold to freedom.” This comes in a casual conversation with a dog-walker. There are profound moments everywhere when one is attuned. Not a book for readers who need action. ( )

Maybe it's not surprising that a novel made up of personal stories told by strangers to the narrator would be such a page turner. I know I always enjoy hearing dramatic stories from friends, even if I've never met the person in question, and probably never will. Compared with Outline, we do see more of the narrator and her surroundings in this story. She certainly is in transit – between homes, between lives. I also liked that during the party at the end, someone finally notices that she asks such detailed thoughtful questions of strangers – and she admits that she's listening to try and learn something about life in general. I'm looking forward to reading the final installment. ( )