Upon first glance, the cover of Resonance & Revolt appears to be advertising a modern retelling of the anarchic punk life of the 1980s. Its striking, headline-style font and pillar box red are reminiscent of certain band whose God loved to save the Queen.
Memories of a defining decade both in culture and history whir through my head as my fingers trace the cover. And let’s not overlook that worn clockface and black-and-white photo. A stark contrast indeed. Reminders that the past isn’t always as colourful as we recall? A clever move, once you embark on the tales within the covers.
What appears within the pages is worth so much more of your time.
Rabinowitz has delivered us a collection of short stories and tales that are completely out of the ordinary, spanning from the medieval era all the way to modern day London, covering quantum entanglement and the often gritty, anti-austerity life in-between.
Rebellions, war-torn Munich, the swinging, free-loving 1960s and Russia, all becoming key places of interest and stop offs along our journey back and forth between the past and the present. Each story set, linking to the last and filled with the mysterious, wondrous and often at times the weird. It is a novel steeped in history and culture but with very modern concerns.
But what stands out the most is the appearance of resilience and resistance throughout each page, from the bloody, haunting setting of WWI or further into the past and into the not so distant future. The exploration of human emotions, and how we fight for our beliefs when something resonates deeply within us is a theme carried out to perfection and quite masterfully by Rabinowitz.
A certain music piece within the stories captured my attention so greatly I found myself delving deep into its origins and listening to it on repeat. I was desperate to know the story behind its emotions, much like the characters within the tale. That’s the power of resonance, but that is also the power and compelling storytelling of Rosanne Rabinowitz.
And what more could you want from a novel? We want something that is going to leave a lasting effect, a piece that is going to leave us thinking, questioning and wanting more. I for one cannot wait for the next work lined up by Rabinowitz. For I’m sure, be it in the past, present or near future, it will be something that leaves an effect on me for years to come.
Written by Melanie Whitlock
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