''Twist'' is a 2025
literary fiction
Literary fiction, serious fiction, high literature, or artistic literature, and sometimes just literature, encompasses fiction books and writings that are more character-driven rather than plot-driven, that examine the human condition, or that are ...
novel by Irish author
Colum McCann. It was released on March 25, 2025.
Plot
Irish journalist Anthony Fennell joins the crew of a
cable laying ship to write an article on
submarine communications cables
A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the seabed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. The first submarine communications cables were laid beginning in the 1850s and car ...
. Over the course of his journey, Fennell makes connections with the ship's crew and reckons with his own personal trauma.
Development history
As part of the research process for the book, McCann traveled with a French cable laying ship to better understand the process and the ship's layout.
Publication history
''Twist'' was published in the United States by
Random House
Random House is an imprint and publishing group of Penguin Random House. Founded in 1927 by businessmen Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer as an imprint of Modern Library, it quickly overtook Modern Library as the parent imprint. Over the foll ...
on March 25, 2025.
It was released published in the United Kingdom by
''Bloomsbury''.
Reception
''Twist'' received praise upon release, according to review aggregator
''Book Marks''.
''The Irish Times'' was positive, offering praise for the book's story and prose.
wrote that McCann's prose contained vivid descriptions of the physical activity of the book's world but that it occasionally veered towards pretentiousness.
Ron Charles echoed that concern in a more critical review published by
''The Washington Post'', in which he wrote that despite some "genuinely gorgeous passages," the novel was "difficult to read" due to its dense prose.
''The Boston Globe'', by contrast, praised McCann for drawing allusions to works by
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born James Augusta Joyce; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influentia ...
,
Don Delillo
Donald Richard DeLillo (born November 20, 1936) is an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, screenwriter, and essayist. His works have covered subjects as diverse as consumerism, nuclear war, the complexities of language, art, televi ...
, and
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...
.
''
Kirkus Reviews
''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...
'' published a
starred review, describing the novel as "astounding" and praising McCann's prose, comparing it to his earlier novel
''Let the Great World Spin''.
''
Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...
'' was similarly positive, positively describing McCann's description of global characters.
''Esquire'' noted that the book's story carried good suspense, a sentiment echoed in a positive review in
''New Statesman''.
References
{{Reflist
External links
''Twist'' at Book Marks
2025 novels
Random House books
Bloomsbury Publishing books