What if one half of a pair of twins no longer wants to live? What if the other can’t live without them?
This question lies at the heart of Jente Posthuma’s deceptively simple What I’d Rather Not Think About. The narrator is a twin whose brother has recently taken his own life. She looks back on their childhood, and tells of their adult lives- how her brother tried to find happiness, but lost himself in various men and the Bhagwan movement, though never completely.
In brief, precise vignettes, full of gentle melancholy and surprising humour, Posthuma tells the story of a depressive brother, viewed from the perspective of the sister who both loves and resents her twin, struggles to understand him, and misses him terribly.
‘From the opening pages of this novel I had no idea where it was going, but I trusted Posthuma completely. Tender, offbeat. and deftly drawn – I loved it.’
-Allee Richards, author of The Small Joys of Real Life
‘What makes What I’d Rather Not Think About rise above the average mourning novel is its utter authenticity. Posthuma associates, philosophises, links memories to everyday actions, draws on films and television series and tries to interpret in a laconic, light-footed and pointed way. \”Less is more\” with Jente Posthuma. And again, she seems to be saying- nothing is \”whole\” here, in the subhuman. Everything rumbles, frays, and creaks.’
-The Telegraph
‘It is impossible to name everything that is beautiful about this novel. Posthuma needs few words to evoke a feeling or an atmosphere. She writes striking sentences that conjure up poignant images … this book deserves a large readership.’
-Literary Netherlands
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
Imprint: Scribe Australia
Publication date: 04/04/2023
What I’d Rather Not Think About
by Jenta Posthuma
Review by Rosa
Deceptively simple, What I’d Rather Not Think About tells the story of the love between twins. Comprised of vignettes, some playful and some deeply profound, the narrative floats around in time from the twins’ childhood into adulthood and the aftermath of the brother taking his own life. It’s made up of wandering thoughts, dreams, memories, snippets of therapy sessions, and references to diary entries and episodes of ‘Survivor’.
The twin sister’s story highlights the conflicting feelings of being too much and also not enough; of being so close to someone and yet so far apart; of loving a person overwhelmingly but still resenting them greatly for their presence and their absence. The characters were flawed and dysfunctional and so, so human. Jente Posthuma has created a beautifully vulnerable, confrontational, and painfully honest story of love, loss and trying to understand one another. I couldn’t put it down.
What I’d Rather Not Think About
by Jente Posthuma
Reviewed by Sarah
This book showcases just how complicated love, hate and mental health can truly be, as it follows the complicated relationship between fraternal twins. The author never shies away from the intensity of both love and death, as the narrator must deal with their twin’s suicide. The brief vignettes make this an evocative page-turner, and add to the sense of loss and disjointed thinking. This book makes you feel part of life, hope, healing and the journey. Highly recommend.
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