Creation lake by Rachel Kushner

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2024, Rachel Kushner’s latest book is a fascinating mix of philosophical discussion and spy thriller, with a twist of sardonic humour. Her protagonist, Sadie Smith (a fake identity), is a spy hired by anonymous corporate interests to infiltrate a French commune run by eco-activists, with the aim of discrediting them, and implicating them in unlawful activities, and thus enabling the ongoing development of formerly agricultural land.

Sadie is a mercenary, former FBI agent who was accused of entrapment when her snare led to the conviction of a very nalve boy, all as a means to an end. This time she enters Le Moulin commune deliberately seeking to provoke conflict and violent action. In the Japanese analysis of blood traits, she is “ambitious, intelligent, and independent. But also cold, arrogant, and conniving.” 'Ruthless' would be another good descriptor. However, her cool analysis and deprecatory thoughts, plus her crafty manipulation of people and situations, provide for a lot of the humour.

The philosophical aspect of the novel is centred on the figure of Bruno Lacombe, a man in his eighties, the leading inspiration for the commune’s drive to return to nature and the peasant way of life. With his examination of the destructive impact of Homo sapiens on the planet, he asks “we are headed toward extinction in a shiny, driverless car, and the question is: How do we exit this car?” He idealises the Neanderthals as the uncorrupted, and seeks to return ever closer to their simple existence, moving from a farmhouse to a barn to a dry-stone hut, and then to the darkness of an underground cave. The commune members begin to find his views too obscure, and want to engage in a major protest action against the developers, while Sadie, the cynic, the person who cares for nobody, finds herself drawn further and further into the arguments he presents in his writings.

In a twist on the ‘escape from a cult’ trope, Sadie instead ends up on the path to finding her ‘salt’, her inner truth. But it’s a path that escalates into a farcical turn of events that explodes all around her. This is a really enjoyable novel for readers who like something that challenges their thinking, and is fun at the same time.

Themes: Alternative lifestyle, Commune, Future, Philosophy, Spy.

Helen Eddy