Steeplechase (Krissy Kneen, Text)

The celebrated artist Emily Reich is worth millions and lauded by the art community. Her younger sister Bec has scraped by with what she perceives to be a fairly ordinary existence as an adequate artist and art teacher, uncomfortably engaged in a relationship with one of her students.  A sudden summons to Beijing by the estranged Emily forces Bec to unravel the traumatic events of their isolated childhood. Emily’s unpredictable mental state is coupled with the mean streak of an occasionally vicious older sister. Typical sibling disagreements over who took on which role in a childhood game have a dark undercurrent, and as Emily’s madness once more threatens her reality, Bec must untangle her memories, her identity and her art before she is consumed by her sister’s reality. The repetitive concerns about his youth push Bec’s relationship with her student briefly into tedious territory, but not for long. Krissy Kneen’s deceptively simple prose careens toward a startling and horrifying denouement; her talent for strikingly vibrant imagery shines. Recurring motifs of horses and flames come together in a final, disturbing image of Emily, providing Bec with an unexpected catharsis. Steeplechase is a departure for Kneen, who is best known for her erotic writing. This novel will appeal to a broader audience, while her fans will continue to relish Kneen’s vivid imagery and fearless prose.  

Portia Lindsay is a former bookseller who now works at the NSW Writers’ Centre

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews