Chrysalis
might qualify as the most creative debut novel written in the past
several years. The reason is simple: unlike novels like Sara Pascoe's Weirdo or Sheena Patel's I'm a Fan,
Anna Metcalfe doesn't employ the usual format of having her
thirty-something female protagonist tell her own story; instead, the
young British author uses a trio of people in her protagonist's life to
do the telling, a technique that's refreshing and very effective.
Although Anna Metcalfe cites Han Kang’s The Vegetarian,
a 2007 novel similar in structure and theme, as a source of
inspiration, this doesn't detract one iota from Ms. Metcalfe's
creativity. Chrysalis makes for a compelling and highly distinctive read.
Having
suffered trauma growing up and an abusive relationship as an adult, a
young woman sets out to radically transform herself via things like
weightlifting and yoga. How extreme? Here she is, a gal I'll call
Nicola, from the Greek, meaning “victorious,” as seen through the eyes
of -
ELLIOT, FELLOW GYM-JUNKIE
“Things have changed a lot
since that first day. She's kind of famous. Or at least, she has a lot
of followers online. People admire her authenticity, her focus and
determination. They say the way she holds her body is a kind of truth.”
On
the first pages, Elliot gives us this insight into Nicola having
reached her goal, having attained self-sufficiency by means of
extraordinary levels of both strength and stillness.
“She put me
in touch with parts of myself that I'd forgotten. She made me feel
things again. I had started to love her, which itself was miraculous. I
hadn't known I was capable of that.”
One of the beauties of Chrysalis:
the story isn't only about Nicola but the ways Nicola impacts the lives
of those around her, particularly the novel's three narrators.
BELLA, NICOLA'S MOM
“Depending
on her mood, she could move differently. She could make words sound
different in her mouth. She'd tell me about her plans – which friends
she was seeing, what time she'd be home – and though the parts of her
life were familiar, I'd have the feeling of talking to a stranger.”
It's
just Bella and Nicola – no husband/father nor siblings. Even at a young
age, Bella, an artist herself, detects Nicola possesses a unique
capacity to effect self change.
“Aesthetically, this particular
video wasn't much different from her others. It featured her usual
lengthy meditation, overlaid with flutes and wind chimes. In the
foreground was a large and veiny calathea plant, while the garden behind
her provided a satisfying textural backdrop – a lilac spray of Russian
sage, a japonicus bush with leaves like coins. By contrast, her body
appeared smooth and polished. There were catch-lights in her eyes. Her
skin glowed and her hair came down around her face in glassy waves.”
After
all she's been through, Nicola is where she wants to be – alone. No
flesh and blood contact with other people, thank you; rather, admire me
on my webpage - and send along your money. Is this the ideal for
millions of young women today?
SUSIE, NICOLA'S FRIEND
Consider
the above question in light of what Susie says here. Although some ask
about Nicola's friends and family and wonder where the children are,
many are moved by her presence, her strength, her stillness – her inner
power.
“The lines of muscle in her arms and shoulders are
clearly defined. Her hair drifts about her face, soft and haphazard, a
pleasing contrast to the rest. At a certain point – I hardly noticed it
the first time I watched – some music starts playing. The background
noise fades out and the crackle of the breeze is replaced by the tinkly
piano and a haunting voice. There's no beat and no drum and no words.
It's as if the music is connected to the position of her arms or the
rhythm of her breathing; it emerges organically. She fixes her gaze on a
point above the camera, chin poised, and the light falls down in a soft
pattern, the shadows of leaves moving over her neck. Then she is
perfectly still.
After a minute, the music swells and the video
starts playing at 6x speed, a little clock in the corner of the frame
showing the seconds whizzing by. Clouds whirl and her hair moves in a
frenzy. At 6.31 in, some of the higher branches start to whip back and
forth; at 8:17, three birds land tentatively, then skitter of into the
dulling sky. Very occasionally, you can see her chest rising and
falling, but otherwise nothing moves. I did the math. Factoring in the
time-lapse, by the end of the fourteen-minute-long video, she has been
holding the position for a little over an hour. I tried it myself one
day, by an angular window, while looking down at the street below. After
two minutes, my arms were in agony. The durational aspect of her
performance is powerful. How can she bear that kind of pain? Perhaps
this is why her followers find it easy to trust her – they understand
her commitment. Several times, while watching her videos, I've found
myself in tears. Of course, I know her. I know all about her; for a
while she was my whole world, and when she left I felt bereaved. But I'm
not alone, other people find her work moving, too. In a short time, she
amassed a considerable audience, and she soon found that she had the
power to make others see the world as she did: a difficult and stifling
place.”
Do you see the world as a difficult and stifling place?
What do you make of enigmatic Nicola? I urge you to read Anne Metcalfe's
debut novel with these questions in mind. 
Anna Metcalfe, named by Granta as one of the best young writers in Britain
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