Name: Assembly
ISBN: 9780241515709

Natasha Brown

Come of age in the credit crunch. Be civil in a hostile environment. Step out into a world of Go Home vans. Go to Oxbridge, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things. Buy a flat. Buy art. Buy a sort of happiness. But above all, keep your head down. Keep quiet. And keep going.

The narrator of Assembly is a Black British woman. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend's family estate, set deep in the English countryside. At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can't escape the question: is it time to take it all apart?

Assembly is a story about the stories we live within - those of race and class, safety and freedom, winners and losers. And it is about one woman daring to take control of her own story, even at the cost of her life.

Assembly

Sarah Kraus

sina (she/her) 

She was a Home Counties, Kate-loving, Jaeger-shopping, Lean In-feminist who arranged animal-welfare fundraisers at the weekends and bought handmade earrings from Etsy.

I am not sure why I do anything, sometimes. Why do I inhale? Why do I apologize? Or say I'm fine, thanks. And you? Why do I stand back from the platform edge?

in the ostensible privacy of my own thoughts 

'Diamond-sharp, timely and urgent' Observer, Best Debuts of 2021 'Subtle, elegant, scorching... The literary debut of the summer' Vogue 'Virtuosic, exquisite, achingly unique' Guardian 'I'm full of the hope, on reading it, that this is the kind of book that doesn't just mark the moment things change, but also makes that change possible' Ali Smith 'Exquisite, daring, utterly captivating. A stunning new writer' Bernardine Evaristo Come of age in the credit crunch. Be civil in a hostile environment. Step out into a world of Go Home vans. Go to Oxbridge, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things. Buy a flat. Buy art. Buy a sort of happiness. But above all, keep your head down. Keep quiet. And keep going. The narrator of Assembly is a Black British woman. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend's family estate, set deep in the English countryside. At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can't escape the question: is it time to take it all apart? Assembly is a story about the stories we live within - those of race and class, safety and freedom, winners and losers. And it is about one woman daring to take control of her own story, even at the cost of her life. 'One of the most talked-about debuts of the year . . . You'll read it in one sitting' Sunday Times Style 'Expertly crafted, remarkable, astonishing... A literary debut with flavours of Jordan Peele's Get Out' Bookseller, Editor's Choice 'Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway meets Citizen by Claudia Rankine... As breathtakingly graceful as it is mercilessly true' Olivia Sudjic 'Bold and original, with a cool intelligence, and so very truthful about the colonialist structure of British society' Diana Evans 'This marvel of a novel manages to say all there is to say about Britain today' Sabrina Mahfouz

i don’t give out 5 star reviews but. this is a stunner. 

neen

Anna Loverus

Lynn

4 ⭐️ this is an incredibly unique debut novel. The writing style is quite unlike anything I’ve encountered. Brown captures the pressure of millenial dread and the hamster wheel of corporate Britain and high society with jarring accuracy. She sparks a conversation about the intersectionality of history, politics, race and philosophy which desperately needs to be brought to the surface. The power of the words in the sparing 100 pages of this book shows terrifying promise for this new author. My feelings on this book are incoherent as of yet, but I cannot deny its literary brilliance.

One woman. One day. One decision. A blistering, fearless, and unforgettable literary debut from "a stunning new writer." (Bernardine Evaristo) Come of age in the credit crunch. Be civil in a hostile environment. Go to college, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things. Buy an apartment. Buy art. Buy a sort of happiness. But above all, keep your head down. Keep quiet. And keep going. The narrator of Assembly is a black British woman. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend’s family estate, set deep in the English countryside. At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can’t escape the question: is it time to take it all apart? Assembly is a story about the stories we live within – those of race and class, safety and freedom, winners and losers.And it is about one woman daring to take control of her own story, even at the cost of her life. With a steely, unfaltering gaze, Natasha Brown dismantles the mythology of whiteness, lining up the debris in a neat row and walking away. "A modern Mrs. Dalloway."—The Guardian "Mind-bending and utterly original."—Brandon Taylor “Slim in the hand, but its impact is massive.”—Ali Smith

This is a must-read. Literally, just go read it right now. I went into this with no knowledge on what it was about, and honestly that might be the best move for the most impact.

(Bre)anne✨

TW to be added later

This is a must-read. Literally, just go read it right now. I went into this with no knowledge on what it was about, and honestly that might be the best move for the most impact.

Very deep, thought provoking as to how being a POC woman affects all aspects of one’s life in a majority white location. I was sorta lost on the plot until the end, then looked back and realized that it was a novella style piece! Short and to the point, but gave such insight! 

Kyra Cracchiola

Short, but nonetheless such a good read - it's devastating. 

Caridee Huang

Nadine 

I was made aware of this little gem thanks to the Atlantic pairing it with Mrs Dalloway - and wow what a well written work without a word out of place that examines women & particularly young women of colour in the workforce & in the status quo of that land and empire.

Madison Pangburn

A poetic journey through a couple of days with the main character as she battles through her relationships in work and love. An insightful story of micro-aggressions leading to a heartbreaking conclusion.

Beth Bartholomew

I’m always interested to see how short books fit in such brilliant plots to so few pages. Natasha Brown’s debut novel has done a brilliant job of this! Assembly gives an honest examination of British society, race, the class system, wealth and misogyny. 

Taking place in the build up to a dinner party our unnamed main character is attending, hosted by her boyfriend’s parents, we go between multiple timelines as we look back into our protagonist’s history and past experiences. We see more of her life unfold in a fragmented narrative, as she begins to question how to go on and how to take control of her own life. There are several comparisons drawn between our main character’s life and that of her boyfriend, a white, wealthy man grown up in privilege, who didn’t have to work hard to get what he wanted, or needed. This serves to further show the audience the contrast between his struggles and our main character’s and adds to the growing frustration on behalf of our main character. 

An incredibly powerful novel, probably even more so for how few pages were needed to relay this book’s message. It evoked frustration and highlighted further flaws in a society that should not still be operating in this dated and disturbing way. 

Moray Lyle McIntosh

Now THAT'S how to write a novella. An incisive distillation of how racism seeps into every aspect of the unnamed narrator's life and thoughts despite her outward success, leaving her, as she sees it, with nothing but stark choices. Brown really demonstrates the pitfalls of "assimilation" and the dissonance caused by building your life according to the rules and expectations of others. The prose is sparse and spare, with every word hitting its mark. A little marvel.

Jade Flynn

Read for the  Magical Readathon 2021. Prompt: Tower of Rumination - read a five star prediction. 

Read for 'Bookoplathon 2021'. Prompt - Mood Read.

Anika | @chaptersofmay

Assembly is a breath-taking debut exploring of race, colonialism, ambition, and success from the point of view of a Black British woman. It may be only 100 pages but it is weighty, powerful, and strong. With a compelling analysis of modern civilisation, this poetic short story is mercilessly honest.

The narrator is preparing to attend the anniversary celebrations of her boyfriend's parents at their countryside estate in Newbury. Although an established woman in her own right, she knows from her own experiences and her working class background that she does not fit so easily into their world. And through candid observation, the narrator examines different realities, past influences, and future decisions. 

Brown has a strikingly beautiful prose. It's raw, authentic, and without complexity, but still so arresting. With a narrator that's this self-aware, time feels like it stands still when you're reading Assembly. The plot almost breaks apart as the narrator explains various moments throughout her life. Despite the book's uniquely short and fragmented structure, it never loses flow.

I really enjoyed reading about the concept of identity, especially from a Black British narrator. The book highlights journey of unyielding hard work in the face of prejudice and hate to serve a society that you may never really belong to. Many of the relatable expressions were true to my own thoughts and experiences, so I found Assembly to be both challenging and reassuring to read.

Assembly is a timely read that will push you to consider privilege, class, and control in today’s society. Although it contains moments of abstract considerations, this novella’s structure and the narrator's expressions are impressively brilliant.

Assembly

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