At the heart, this is a story about a gay American teacher in Sofia, Bulgaria, who wins and loses the heart of a young man from Lisboa - consequently, these events are told in the middle section of the novel, entitled 'Loving R.'. I have a hunch that this major release will be polarizing, which only speaks to its poetic power and daring structure - I am deeply impressed by Greenwell's achievement. I savored it, was challenged by it, and will come back to it. The ethics of the lead are in flux, particularly in the final story, which reminds me greatly of Knausgaard's MY STRUGGLE 4, and the book takes on complicated questions of masculinity, power dynamics, and cultural exchange throughout. (1 and 6 are about the students of the lead, a high school teacher in Bulgaria 2 and 5 are centered on explicit queer BDSM sex scenes after the break-up 3 and 4 are about fracturing in group dynamics and further color in the local details of the book). The 6 non-chronological stories that surround it initially seem disconnected, but are linked, both thematically and structurally. The masterful center of CLEANNESS shows 3 vignettes from the lead's (this isn't a spoiler) doomed romance.

It feels like a short story collection but in many ways functions as a novel, or perhaps more like a symphony.

What a book - audacious, innovative, sometimes disturbing, sometimes romantic. Each echo reveals startling insights about what it means to seek connection: with those we love, with the places we inhabit, and with our own fugitive selves. A queer student’s confession recalls his own first love, a stranger’s seduction devolves into paternal sadism, and a romance with another foreigner opens, and heals, old wounds. As he prepares to leave the place he’s come to call home, he grapples with the intimate encounters that have marked his years abroad, each bearing uncanny reminders of his past. In this atmosphere of disquiet, an American teacher navigates a life transformed by the discovery and loss of love. Soviet buildings crumble, wind scatters sand from the far south, and political protesters flood the streets with song.

Sofia, Bulgaria, a landlocked city in southern Europe, stirs with hope and impending upheaval. In the highly anticipated follow-up to his beloved debut, What Belongs to You, Garth Greenwell deepens his exploration of foreignness, obligation, and desire

Cleanness by Garth Greenwell