''Great Circle'' is a 2021 novel by American writer

Maggie Shipstead Maggie Shipstead (born 1983) is an American novelist, short story author, essayist, and travel writer. She is the author of ''Seating Arrangements'' (2012) ''Astonish Me'' (2014), ''Great Circle'' (2021), and the short story collection ''You Ha ...

, published on May 4, 2021, by

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...

. The novel was shortlisted for the 2021

Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...

Synopsis

The novel consists of two parallel narratives about two fictional women. One is about the disappeared 20th-century aviator Marian Graves, while the other is about a 21st-century actress, Hadley Baxter, who is cast in the role of Marian for a film about her life while struggling with the demands of being a Hollywood starlet. Hadley's narrative is told in the first-person, while Marian's sections are told in the third-person.

Reception

''Great Circle'' received very favorable reviews, with a cumulative "Rave" rating at the

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website Book Marks, based on 22 book reviews from mainstream literary critics. The novel debuted at number fourteen on ''The New York Times'' Hardcover fiction best-seller list for the week ending May 8, 2021. Critics praised the novel for sustaining its length and for Shipstead's research and intricate novel structure for perfectly interweaving the parallel narratives, despite the time and circumstances separating them. In its

starred review A starred review is a book review __NOTOC__ A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described (summary review) or analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review may be a primary source, opinion piece ...

, ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' wrote, "Shipstead manages to portray both Marian's and Hadley's expanded sense of consciousness as they push the boundaries inscribed around them ..This is a stunning feat." ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'', in its starred review, wrote that "Shipstead reveals breathtaking range and skill, expertly juggling a multigenerational historical epic and a scandal-soaked Hollywood satire." Kirkus also commented that "her research is as invisible as it should be, allowing a fully immersive experience." Stephanie Merritt, for ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'', wrote, "This is a novel that invites the reader to immerse themselves in the sweep of history, the rich and detailed research, and part of the pleasure is being carried along by the narrative through all its digressions and backstories." ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' wrote that the novel "justifies its length, by its intricately designed plot and by giving its compelling cast of characters room to breathe." Ron Charles of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' called it a "culturally rich story that takes full advantage of its extended length to explore the changing landscape of the 20th century." However, Charles lamented that the "extraordinary realism of Marian's chapters can make the broad strokes of Hadley's sections feel light in comparison." The novel was shortlisted for the 2021

, and was later shortlisted for the 2022 Women's Prize for Fiction. The novel was also longlisted for the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

References

{{Authority control 2021 American novels Alfred A. Knopf books American historical novels Aviation novels Works about aviators First-person narrative novels Third-person narrative novels Novels with multiple narrators