The Garden Against Time, by Olivia Laing - Kate
I went in to this book having absolutely no idea what to expect. I went in to it rather reluctantly if I’m being honest. A book about gardens? What could a 23 year old who lives in a flat want with that?
I let this book surprise me and I’m so glad I did. Laing artfully weaves together commentary on contemporary and historical culture (from covid to colonialism) to explore the importance of gardens on a personal and societal level. The bulk of the novel follows the author as they renovate their own garden with plentiful divergences into tangential academia. A discussion on weeding soon turns in to an exploration of the concept of Eden with musings on themes from “Paradise Lost”. It’s the kind of book that has you creating a reading list and googling various plant species or people.
The writing is lush and vibrant, reminiscent of the first chapters of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. There’s humour, heart, and intelligence imbued in every page. If you have any interest in gardens at all, even if that just extends to looking around your local Haskins every so often, I highly recommend giving this a read.
Kate
