"A lush and fascinating look at the people, places and history that haunt us all . It is tremendously satisfying to solve the puzzle that Elkin has laid out for us." --Laura Hackett, The Times "Smart and steamy . An intriguing story of desire and love . A beguiling puzzle--and a deep intellectual dive." --Kendal Weaver, Associated Press " Scaffolding is absolutely a novel of ideas . [Elkin] writes beautifully about ennui, literal and metaphorical disorientation, and the love of place. Not every good essayist should write a novel, but we should be glad Lauren Elkin did.
" --Sarah Moss, The Guardian "An unabashedly philosophical novel--one that keeps the reader hooked by the sensuality of its prose . This is an accomplished debut; a novel of ideas enriched with passion and curiosity." --Erica Wagner, Financial Times " Scaffolding joins books by Rachel Cusk and Deborah Levy, and as an erudite lust quadrilateral interested in ethical quandaries, it may put you in mind of Sally Rooney . There''s no shortage of excitement." --Anthony Cummins, The Guardian "Elkin is a brilliant writer . [An] intriguing, ruminative tale . [that] will linger long in the reader''s heart and mind." --Erica Wagner, Harper''s Bazaar "[ Scaffolding ] unspools layers of psychic history to ask questions about the nature of desire and the possibility, or not, of intimacy.
" --Lucasta Miller, Times Literary Supplement "[ Scaffolding ] shows off Elkin''s rich, scholarly mind to great effect . A book laden with lust and desire, amorous missteps and the ways in which we can often only understand ourselves in relation to the whims and choices of others." --Vanessa Peterson, Frieze "A writer that can jump between genres so seamlessly . Elkin continues to dazzle with her keen observations and reflective prose." --Chaya Colman and Sophie Ezra, Glamour "A challenging and satisfying read about the lives we project onto others as much as those we build for ourselves." --Catherine Jarvie, Marie Claire "Atmospheric and evocative . elegant and poised." --Alex Preston, The Observer "A haunting portrait of two marriages in Paris .
At its core, Scaffolding is a story of womanhood, but the magic of Elkin''s prose is its disregard for structure altogether." --Katie Tobin, AnOther Magazine "[An] exciting work about communality and memory." --Sam Franzini, Our Culture "Stylish . There''s a great deal of depth and intelligence to the description . feelings around desire. Readers will find much to sink their teeth into." -- Publishers Weekly "A subtle, sexy, exquisitely written jewel of a book." --Melissa Febos, author of Girlhood " Scaffolding is ingenious and febrile, delving into the intimacy and implacability of those awakening connections that layer, echoing, throughout our lives--doing so in ways that feel all at once vital, playful, profoundly moving.
It''s a beautifully uid meditation on what is at stake, and who we become, when we desire." --Sophie Mackintosh, author of Cursed Bread "Lauren Elkin''s Scaffolding is a novel that''s remarkable for its combination of intellectual toughness and sensual precision. This investigation into multiple forms of exposure--inhabited by an array of chords and repeats and hauntings--feels urgently contemporary." --Adam Thirlwell, author of The Future Future "My life has been hugely improved by this compulsive, twisting story of psychoanalysis, politics, and the weirdness of inhabitation." --Lara Feigel, author of The Group "I time traveled with Lauren Elkin and found myself in a Parisian apartment, soaking in human stories and palpitating with new discoveries as I turned each page. What a rich, tantalizing narrative defying conventions." --Xialolu Guo, author of Radical "A powerful testament to the idea that what we want might obliterate us, and a fearless reckoning with the equally high stakes of pretending otherwise." --Daisy Lafarge, author of Lovebug "Be warned: this novel will absorb you, disassemble you, and leave you strangely unwilling to put yourself back together again.
Read it, reread it, then give it to your friends and teachers, your relatives, and your lovers." --Devorah Baum, author of On Marriage.