Subtraction

Praise

Praise for Subtraction

Recipient of the 2018 Arts and Letters Award in Literature

“Robison raises sitcom wit to the level of real emotional situations, real comedy and real art.” —The Chicago Tribune

“In Subtraction Mary Robison creates a poignant, forceful tale of lovers in limbo. Her writing is rich with detail, lean with implication. When the tedium, the drudgery, the ephemera are sifted out, we’re left with the intense. Each word pulls its weight. Nothing is wasted.” —The Millions

“Robison delivers a sparkling valentine about a Harvard poetess and her great love for a drunken Dean Moriarty type, at his best when he’s on the road . . . A funny, beautifully written novel, dry and bubbly as good champagne.” —Kirkus Reviews

“There isn’t a writer working today who sees the world, or hears it, or inhabits it more fearlessly than Mary Robison. Reading Subtraction is falling in love with her—her voice, her verbs, the peculiar squinted view she has. This is the book we all wanted to write. It’s as smart as snakes. It’s a work of generosity and genius, of perfect timing and pitch, of immense sadness, and singular, driving hope. I can scarcely imagine anyone writing a novel half as stunning anytime soon.” —Frederick Barthelme, author of There Must Be Some Mistake