I wish I would have had this book 3 years ago, but now I will have it forever. ( )

The Unwritten Book: An Investigation by Samantha Hunt is an unusual (in the very best sense of the word) book. Memoir, annotated manuscript, musings and mental wanderings, and every bit of it engaging.

This is one of those books I would normally have made a point of reading more slowly. I happened to be in a situation where I couldn't so it was a quick read. It is wonderful as a quick read but there is no way to go off on my own tangents when I read it in a day. It provided a lot to think about and touched on every emotion. So I waited a couple of days and a couple of other books then went back and worked it into my normal reading approach, which is as one of several books that which allows me to go through it slowly. Turns out going through it once fairly quickly then coming back to it worked very well. I knew which parts I wanted to dwell in (possibility) and which ones I wanted to set the book aside for a while and just think about what the words meant to me.

While there are a lot of references to literary works and popular culture the book itself is down to earth. Most of the works will be familiar to some degree and when they aren't Hunt makes her use of them clear enough that the reader's familiarity, or lack of, won't negatively impact the flow. And flow is very much the right word. This is a book that will reward the reader who lets it take them on a journey. Don't overthink where you're going, just think about where you are at any moment in the book. Thus, go with the flow.

Ideal for readers who gain as much from questions asked as statements made. My guess is that much of what I got from the book will be different from what you will get, and that is very much a positive.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )