Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus – A Quirky Literary Fiction Novel: Book Review

Peck & Peck follows a young man’s unconventional pursuit of poetry, identity and belonging in a quirky, dysfunctional New York workplace.

Summary:

Batter Gray is in his early twenties, living in New York City and searching for purpose in a world that expects him to pursue a respectable, secure career. Instead, he chooses poetry, believing it holds the power to preserve humanity, and begins working at Peck & Peck, a publishing company with thirty-nine editors. Named after his mother’s heroic dog and an identical twin whose brother died at birth, Batter is fascinated by life’s constant dualities—right and wrong, truth and lies, rejection and acceptance. But as he navigates his own uncertainties and the lingering presence of the brother he never knew, Batter begins to realize that perhaps every story has not two sides, but three.

My Thoughts:

After thoroughly enjoying Bonnie Garmus’s previous novel, Lessons in Chemistry, I was really looking forward to picking up her latest book, Peck & Peck. However, for those of you who loved her earlier work as much as I did, I should mention that this book is a completely different reading experience. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t quite as good a fit for me.

The story follows Batter Gray, a young man in his early twenties who is trying to figure out his place in the world. While his peers seem to have their futures mapped out with respectable careers, Batter has other ambitions: poetry. His passion eventually leads him to Peck & Peck, a prestigious but rather secretive and dysfunctional poetry journal in New York City, where he finds himself working alongside thirty-nine editors. Batter is a well-developed and memorable character, and I particularly enjoyed getting to know him as he navigates his new workplace and the unexpected challenges that come with it.

Let me start by saying that I don’t normally gravitate towards literary fiction, and this book reminded me why. Although I appreciated the writing and character development, I found the story quite slow-moving and, at over 17 hours in audiobook format, much longer than it needed to be. The plot also took some rather unusual turns, particularly during the middle third, and I occasionally found myself struggling to follow where things were headed. Thankfully, the story became easier to follow in the final chapters.

Having said that, there were plenty of things I enjoyed along the way. There are some genuinely humorous moments, particularly in the interactions between Batter and his coworkers at Peck & Peck. I also found the story behind Batter’s rather unusual name interesting, especially when the circumstances surrounding his birth are revealed. Having lost his identical twin brother at birth, Batter’s life is shaped by the idea of duality, a theme that runs throughout the novel. Alongside this, Garmus explores family relationships, identity, and the importance of having the courage to follow your dreams, even when they take you in a direction others might not understand.

I also appreciated the historical setting, which happens to be my favourite time period. Garmus does a lovely job of weaving the events and atmosphere of the era into the story, adding another layer of interest for me.

The Narration:

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Seth Numrich, and he was absolutely fantastic. His performance really brought the characters to life, with his portrayal of Sultan being a particular standout. In fact, I would highly recommend experiencing this book in audiobook format.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, Peck & Peck was an enjoyable read with an interesting cast of characters, some lovely humour, and thoughtful themes. While it didn’t capture my attention quite as much as Lessons in Chemistry, I’m glad I gave it a listen. Fans of literary fiction and character-driven stories will likely appreciate this one more than I did.