This haunting novel narrated by a book stayed with me for weeks

According to The Conversation Australia, Angela O'Keeffe's new novel Phantom Days unfolds through an unusual narrative device—a book becomes a character in its own right. The story follows Isabel, who ends a relationship with Lewis following an act of violence and then develops a phantom pregnancy: her body behaves as though she is carrying a child, though there is no fetus. What distinguishes the novel is that a book Isabel left behind in a taxi essentially narrates the tale, observing events alongside Isabel's perspective and later her mother's. Throughout, O'Keeffe weaves in references to abstract artist Mark Rothko's dark works and explores themes of domestic abuse, trauma, and grief. The novel ultimately asks what literature truly does—not merely what it represents, but how books create an enduring presence that lingers with readers long after the final page.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton