Roxy

Press Quotes

‘At the opening of Esther Gerritsen’s Roxy, twenty-seven-year-old Roxy, a famous novelist and former tabloid fodder, learns that her husband has died. What follows is her unraveling. Introspective as it traces Roxy’s tragic fall, the novel is arresting (…) Rich and a little bitter, Roxy is powered by the monumental weight of Esther Gerritsen’s intense and insatiable prose, which is beautifully translated by Michele Hutchison. Consume it with coffee, dark chocolate, or red wine.’ —Jessie Horness, Foreword Reviews

‘A diverting absurdist parable…Questionable parenting and bizarre behavior are hallmarks of Gerritsen’s previous novel, too, but Roxy’s story is starker and more manic, as her road trip of self-discovery spirals down into ever darker, more violent behavior before emerging into a degree of realization.’ —Kirkus Reviews

‘Roxy is a splendid little book about a fascinating yet troubling protagonist, with Gerritsen’s stripped-back language providing a very readable and direct narrative.’ —European Literature Network

‘A raw, unsettling book.’ —Daily Mail

‘A novel you devour in one sitting: elegiac, beautiful, and very strong.’ —Herman Koch, author of The Dinner

‘Some sentences in Roxy are as if carved in stone; like Samuel Beckett, Gerritsen knows how to capture moments of terrifying precision and darkness.’ —De Morgen

‘In her fifth book Esther Gerritsen has continued to grow to the level of an author who dares to incorporate everything—from comical cross-talk to heart-rending silence. Once again, she displays her gift for striking sentences and dialogue that teeters on the thin line between normality and alienation, between entertaining kookiness and harrowing absurdism.’ —De Volkskrant

‘Even more than we have grown used to, in Roxy Gerritsen strips her scenes and language to the bone, leaving us with the core, which is ridiculously good.’ —Opzij Literature Prize

‘The stories of Esther Gerritsen, one of the best Dutch writers for years, are always extreme, dramatic, and confrontational. What is so special about Gerritsen’s work is that within a somewhat outrageous story she wraps a deeper, existential message.’ —Trouw

‘Gerritsen juggles a fairly large cast of characters around Roxy, and her handling of them is impressive…Roxy is perhaps most successful in Gerritsen’s refusal to wallow in the sentimental.’  —The Complete Review

‘While it may have been the promise of misery that first attracted me to the book, though, it is largely the wit and humour that make this such a powerful read…This is writing of the highest order.’ —Bookmunch