The decadent debauchery of the 1920s has been put to bed, but Nghi Vo still has a story to tell. Vo returns to her Gatsby retelling with a companion novella, Don’t Sleep with the Dead, to expand on Nick Carraway’s story. I have avoided spoilers for The Chosen and the Beautiful in my review, but a quick search for Don’t Sleep with the Dead will pull up a summary that spoils EVERYTHING. The secrets that Jordan Baker uncovers in Chosen are too delicious, and I would hate for an innocent search to ruin it. So you’re safe to continue on here, but I encourage you to read Chosen first.
It’s twenty years later, and Nick Carraway still runs in high society circles. But instead of losing himself in the overwhelming glamor of it all, he reports on their activities in a newspaper column. Nick is well-known for his writing now, but not so much for his secret love affairs that he enjoys in the darkest corners. Even after all this time, Nick is still a lost soul looking for himself in a fun-house-mirror of a life he’s created. But when an old lover from his past seems to be haunting him, Nick will chase down every lead he can to uncover the fate of the man he loved.
There is something so intoxicating about Vo’s prose, especially when the setting is in our world, but bent with magic like it is in Don’t Sleep with the Dead. Every story I’ve read from Vo is like an out-of-body experience. She can put us in the most familiar settings yet finds a way to mold them in a way that feels surreal, magical, and uncanny. She is the queen of obtuse storytelling angles and always finds narrative approaches that feel fresh and new. It can be either an amazing or uncomfortable experience, depending on how she wants you to engage with the scene. Vo is a masterful writer and always transports me into a world that seems within reach, which makes it even harder to leave.
The first thing I noticed in this story is how much the world has dulled in comparison to the one showcased in The Chosen and the Beautiful. Nick’s story picks up after 20 years, and much of the magic has been lost alongside the culmination of the roaring 1920s. The glittering era that was tinged with the demon drug, demoniac, is gone. Once, cocktail glasses used to sweat in the summer heat, but now, Nick trudges through a cold, miserable New York City. Once, lovers were shared and raucous parties attended, but now, Nick writes alone in a small room. This cold, stark, and lonely world sets the tone for Nick’s story and his state of mind. World War II is looming, the world is changing, and Nick can’t seem to outrun his ghosts. The loss of the magic and frivolity from Chosen is not only true to history but a powerful element that shows us that the party is over, and it’s not fun to see what’s left after the lights come on.
The theme of Don’t Sleep with the Dead hits on identity and all the complications of being told what type of person you are, the expectations people have of you, and the person you actually desire to be. These layers make up a distorted image of Nick Carraway, and the competing ideas have taken a toll on him over the decades. In Chosen, it was much easier to ignore when Nick could drown out the noise with demoniac, booze, parties, women, men, and all the social calls that were a grand ol’ time. Without all the distractions, Nick’s past had caught up to him, and he’s still desperately searching for pieces of himself in old haunts and old lovers.
Don’t Sleep with the Dead is not only an intriguing continuation of Nghi Vo’s Gatsby retelling, but a grim and hopeful lesson in letting the past die. Only then can you move forward and become the person you ought to be.
Rating: Don’t Sleep with the Dead – 8.0/10
–Brandee
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The thoughts on this story are my own.
