A Lost Argument by Therese Doucet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There was a movie that came out 10 or so years ago by Richard Linklater called Waking Life. It was a strange movie, for sure, but had its moments as it took a loose narrative and attached a significant philosophical discussion/debate around the plot. At the end of the day, the movie didn't do a ton for me, but it was an interesting way to present a certain philosophy.
A Lost Argument is very much a literary Waking Life in a lot of ways, as the story follows a female Mormon student as she traverses life and love in those weird college years where you're trying a lot of different ideas on for size and often throwing things against the wall to see if it sticks. The plot is there, but it's almost secondary in presenting a discussion of significance to everyone involved.
The book works for the most part. The voice feels sincere and realistic, the story (which comes across as pseudo-biographical whether it is or not) is relatable, but the book truly shines in the overarching debates over religion, philosophy, and belief in all sorts of ways, ranging from religion and gods to love and sex. It's pretty well done overall.
While it wasn't the book I was expecting, it was absolutely the book I wanted to read in retrospect. Definitely worth your time if you're feeling significantly introspective.
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