26 Knots

by Bindu Suresh

A CBC Best Book of 2019 A crackling debut, 26 Knots starts with a fire and never stops smouldering. Grand in scope, spare in execution, and lush in language, 26 Knots is a fable-like tale of love, obsession, and everything in between. Araceli loves Adrien. Adrien loves Pénélope. Pénélope marries Gabriel, who is tormented by the search for the father he never knew. Set in Montreal, but spiralling out across Canada, Bindu Suresh’s debut novel deftly reveals the devastating consequences of betrayal and commitment, of grief and hope. “Such a good read. Fast. And rich and dark and passionate. SO MANY FEELS.”— Jael Richardson, CBC Radio's Q Book Columnist "One of the most striking Canadian literary debuts of the year." — Montreal Gazette

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Roman, Romance, Literary Fiction, Contemporary

152 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2019

About the author

A former journalist and current paediatrician, Bindu Suresh is the author of short stories that have appeared in various literary publications. She studied literature at Columbia University and medicine at McGill University. Born in Wales, she grew up in Canada and has spent equal parts of her life in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. She currently lives in Montreal.

Reviews

[Darryl Suite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl loves boy who loves other girl who loves other boy who wants girl to choose between him and other boy who breaks up with other girl who never stops loving boy who gets broken up by other girl who…

Poetic yet breezy prose really captures love and heartbreak very accurately. We’ve all been there: falling in love without really understanding why, throw caution to the wind even though there are warning signs, gotten our heart broken into a million pieces and yet we still think they’re the only one for us, hurt the ones we’re supposed to love, fall inexplicably out of love, want another chance.

It look me a long time to figure out if I liked the ending, which went off in very melodramatic far-out territory. It’s over the top but it still cuts deep and manages to explore another aspect of love: the obsessive kind.

Also, the picturesque cover is a lot more somber once you’ve read the book.

I enjoyed my time with this. Viva Montréal.

[Almira · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful read.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be put off by how short this novel is. Believe me, this tiny little work packs an ENORMOUS punch!! It's incredibly impactful and it'll be in my head for a long, long time.

I don't want to give away too much but I will say this ... I was deeply in love once, and when it ended, I felt unimaginable pain, heartbreak, and utter devastation. But, in comparison? All I can say is 'READ THIS BOOK!'

[Christine Picard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Très bien écrit, un rythme envoûtant. Beaucoup aimé, malgré la fin.

[Daniel Mercier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un grand livre d’amour sur plusieurs personnes mais aucun réciproque et tout finit mal.

Je recommande.

[Ira A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

imaginatively structured with chapters as short as one or two sentences. Sensitively and sensually written. Did not really follow the ending.

[Tanja Giljevic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely first foray. Didn't care for the ending, though. A writer to watch!

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book I wish I had written.

[Colin]

Brief and poetic, Suresh's novel is defined by the absences littered throughout. Certainly makes me miss Montréal! Recommended.

[Kaila Gallacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunning and sweeping story that will leave you feeling utterly lost when you've finished it. I was so thrilled that I finally got to read this--it's been on my TBR pile for a few months now. I ended up devouring this book in one sitting. First of all, I need to say, the way it is written is absolutely stunning. It is unique and pushes boundaries. Written in short poetic prose that eventually come together in one brilliant, stunning, expansive, and decimating story.

At its heart this book is about people and all their beautiful, tragic complexities. It is about chasing the past. It is about holding onto what we shouldn't, sometimes holding onto people we shouldn't, and it is about the choice that lies in every one of us to face our demons, face our pain, or be destroyed by it. This book is worth reading.

[Mélina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Première œuvre littéraire de Bindu Suresh, dans lequel les destins amoureux de quatre personnages s’emmêlent et se démêlent, affectant l’un et l’autre. Araceli aime Adrien. Adrien aime Pénélope. Pénélope épouse Gabriel. Gabriel cherche le père qu’il n’a jamais connu.
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Aussi débuté, aussi terminé. J’ai dévoré ce roman en moins de 24 heures. Les différentes liaisons amoureuses et leur manière de s’imbriquer comme un puzzle m’ont tout de suite charmé et je voulais en avoir plus. J’ai beaucoup aimé Araceli, même si elle n’était pas la plus présente, ses sentiments étaient percutants. Ne jugez pas le livre par son petit format, il contient de grandes choses!

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would probably give this book a 2.5. I was interested to see what would happen to the characters. The plot was interesting. However the book felt very disjointed to me. I did not enjoy the format or style of writing. The amount of content on each page was very little. Most of the time there were only a few lines per page. It felt like a short story to me ( and perhaps that is what it actually is). Short stories are not a format I enjoy. I felt like the characters could have had more development and dialogue. I don’t see the rationale of having a few lines per page.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

26 Knots confirms that a short read should not necessarily be a quick read. The story it tells could easily have been deployed over several hundred pages. A scene is often described in just a few sentences, while many more remain untold. Once I started slowing down, letting the carefully crafted images seep in, that’s when the story and its characters started revealing a whole other layer of complexity. This book shows that choosing love and happiness is not always as simple and straightforward as it sounds, in spite of one’s best intentions.

[Ainsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so unusual and delicious. The chapters are super short (sometimes only a paragraph) and switch between different character perspectives. It's about a love triangle, sort of, but it's also about how flawed and messy love is, and how the important truths get lost in translation and come back to haunt us. The writing is clean, concise, and crisp. The style is new and exciting. Giving me Claudia Dey meets Sally Rooney vibes. If you're looking for a one-day read that you'll be thinking about for months, 26 Knots is for you.

[Brenda Akins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful novel. The characters are complicated but familiar. When you meet them you will recognize yourself at many stages of your life. The novel was written over a 10 year time frame - so the author's evolution and maturity come through the pages. I especially enjoyed the author's use of language.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very good and a perfect read if you just have a short time. The first chapter or so were a bit esoteric but then it reads much more plainly after that - don’t give up! I almost did and am glad I stuck with it. Simply heartbreaking.

[Amelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

♥️♥️♥️♥️ j’ai dévoré ce court roman en chassé-croisé qui se déroule à Montréal. Des histoires d’amour, de perte et de recherche de ses racines. Très bien écrit et traduit. La fin est un peu tordue et tirée par les cheveux par contre…

[Vishesh Abeyratne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short novel contains within it beautiful crystalline passages of masterful subtlety, adding up to a shattering reading experience. Bindu Suresh combines an ear for dialogue with a keen detector for many different aches of the heart. I cannot wait to see what she does next.

[Betty-Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author was a journalist, who became a pediatrician, and then wrote this book. Impressive.
The book is about love, betrayal, grief ……of course grief, there was betrayal.
This is definitely a “good read’ and only 151 pages.
Try it, you might like it. 🙂

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disjointed. I did not enjoy this authors writing style.

[Kristen Dobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that sure took a turn.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book snuck up on me. i wasn't sure i liked it at first, but i became engrossed. i would have liked it to have been longer.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, master of words displaying love with all of its appetencies including the polar opposite when all is dissolved.

[Fred Kinsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Debut novel by Canadian pediatrician Bindu Suresh. Very short beach read about entangled love affairs.

[Chris Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the format — almost poetic little vignettes — but I felt it descended into melodrama towards the end.

[Kate C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this little book

[Lou Hb · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7 J’ai bien aimé. Se lit d’un trait. Amour, mensonges et secrets sont au centre de ce petit roman. Aracelli aime Adrien qui aime Penelope qui épousera Gabriel qui cherche son père.

[Louise Tessier · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,4*

[Marion Listgarten · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read 12 pgs. quit. Not for me.

[Paul Lemcke · Rating 3 out of 5]

After seeing her at Writer's Festival, I looked forward to reading her first short book. I was not disappointed.