Book review: Strangeland

Strangeland- Tracey Emin 

For many years, I was embarrassed about my love of Tracey Emin's art. After her Turner Prize nomination, it became a cliché to even mention her name. Whether you liked her or loathed her, your opinion would always seem lazy- Just picking an argument to sound like you know about art.

Eventually, I became confident enough in my knowledge of postmodern art to accept that Tracey Emin is my favourite artist. I don't care what anyone else thinks- Her works speak to me in a way that no other art does.

Because of this, I've been meaning to buy one of her books for the longest time. When I stumbled across this in a charity bookshop, I couldn't resist. I read it in the space of 24 hours and I absolutely loved it.

The way she writes- dark, twisted, disjointed- is reminiscent of the introduction to Philip Ridley's Plays. It's hard to believe everything she says, and the reader is left wondering how much is truth and how much is pure fantasy. The jumbled narrative communicates the sense of chaos and loss that she has felt in her life, whilst posing questions that encourage the reader to look deep into their own soul.

This style of writing is not for everyone. Much like her art, you either get it or you don't. For me, I was not surprised to fall as in love with her writing style as I did her art.