Review of Fugue States by Pasha Malla

So this is a huh of a book. Definitely not a huh? (with a question mark) what the heck did I just read? sort of book, but a book you finish and go huh or any other of your non-committal sounds of choice. His dad dies. He may or may not have lost his job as a radio host. He may or may not be in love with his radio producer. His sister may or may not be getting a divorce. His best friend may or may not be unhinged. His friend may or may not be a rapist. So, sure, let’s go take his father’s ashes to Kashmir, his father’s homeland. And go skiing. And yes, there is a fugue state. And a death, and I always think of music fugues as death-y, so there’s that. But in the end, it’s just one of those books where

  1. lots of stuff happens, and yet
  2. I can’t shake the feeling that absolutely nothing has happened at all.

No one seems wiser or smarter or even changed by the end. Except I guess the dad, who is dead. But maybe he’s the same in death, so who knows?

Fugue States by Pasha Malla went on sale May 30, 2017.

I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.