By Fayth Simmons
Ottawa-born author Tree Abraham’s novel Cyclettes is a genre-bending compilation of brilliant poetical musings and visual explorations considering the mundanities and intricacies of life from the vantage point of a writer who is both incredibly self-aware but also consciously questioning such awareness. Utilizing the motif of a bicycle to consider the cyclical and forward-moving patterns of modern life, Tree Abraham eloquently yet playfully provides a narrative window into the experiences that quantify aging into an abstract notion of adulthood.
Cyclettes is a sensitive and thought-provoking book that could arguably be characterized by its innate ability to match language to feeling via powerful emotive translation. The challenges of growth are given voice, and through such prescribed narration, they are made relatable. As an author, Abraham has a distinct tone that is both clear and objectively effective, but also simultaneously sympathetic and inventive. She is honest in her portrayal of a dynamic lived experience and generous in her translation of that experience.
The original and largely experimental format of Cyclettes allows for diverse contemplation of the content within. Text is accompanied by various pieces of artwork and diagrams that help to illustrate and elaborate upon the main themes of Abraham’s work and pull the reader along with the motion of the created narrative. Due to this organization of content, the book is accessible—philosophical reflections are mirrored within tangible elements, allowing for larger-than-life concepts to be unified within a cohesive whole. At just over 200 pages, Cyclettes is a lyrically dense, approachable read, and highly relatable. Combining dialogue with internal rumination, and maps with photographs, Abraham successfully redefines what characterizes a novel.
The resultant product is resolute in its portrayal of journeying towards the vagueness that so inherently approximates identity and the personal understanding of retaining meaning within the modern world.
Thank you to Book*hug Press for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.