Love Unedited (Caro Llewellyn, Picador)

Reading Caro Llewellyn’s debut novel, Love Unedited, is like reading someone’s diary entries on life and love, which is fitting for this story within a story. Set predominantly in New York City and the publishing world, the novel introduces Australian editor Edna, who finds herself drawn to an acclaimed writer. The pair have an indisputable connection and over the decades find themselves falling in and out of each other’s lives. Alongside this narrative is Molly’s story. Molly is also an Australian editor working in New York and is consumed by the search for the anonymous author of a manuscript she can’t stop thinking about. A unique blend of literary fiction, metafiction and romance, Love Unedited is a character-based novel that explores the minutiae of love and relationships in intimate and compelling detail. The meandering narrative feels genuine and nostalgic, allowing the reader to truly connect with the characters. This authenticity is further enhanced by narrative threads that include discussions around diseases and disability, commentary on the publishing industry, and some deliciously rich accounts of restaurants and food. Celebrating life’s highs and lows, this multi-layered novel is an ode to love in its various forms and is recommended for readers who enjoyed Llewellyn’s Stella Prize-shortlisted memoir, Diving into Glass, David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary and Heather Rose’s The Museum of Modern Love.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Lisa Schuurman is an editor, writer and book reviewer currently working in the publishing industry. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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