The Red Car

The Red Car follows Leah, a writer in Queens who inherits a red sports car from her former mentor Judy after a fatal accident. The inheritance prompts Leah to leave her marriage and job in New York to return to San Francisco, where she once lived. The novel moves between past and present as Leah reconnects with her former life in California and grapples with Judy's mysterious death. The red car itself becomes a central force in the narrative, representing both freedom and danger. Drawing inspiration from Haruki Murakami's work, Dermansky crafts a story that blends realism with subtle elements of the surreal. The narrative structure mirrors the protagonist's psychological journey, shifting between memory and present action. The novel explores themes of escape, identity, and the tension between safety and risk. Through Leah's journey, the story examines how objects and memories can catalyze profound personal transformation.

Readers describe The Red Car as a fast-paced novel that can be finished in one or two sittings. Many reviewers note its deadpan humor and unconventional narrative style. Readers appreciated: - The protagonist's raw, honest voice - Short chapters that maintain momentum - Blend of dark comedy and self-discovery - References to Joan Didion and California culture Common criticisms: - Plot feels disconnected and random - Character decisions lack clear motivation - Ending leaves too many questions unanswered - Some found the writing style too detached Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 3.7/5 (120+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "Like a fever dream you can't shake" - Goodreads reviewer "Wanted to love it but felt hollow" - Amazon reviewer "Perfect balance of weird and relatable" - LibraryThing reviewer "Not sure what happened but couldn't stop reading" - Goodreads reviewer

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🚗 The red car in the novel is a Subaru WRX, a high-performance sports car that has developed a cult following among automotive enthusiasts since its debut in 1992. 📚 Marcy Dermansky wrote part of this novel during a residency at the MacDowell Colony, one of America's oldest and most prestigious artists' colonies, founded in 1907. ✍️ Like her protagonist Leah, Dermansky has cited Haruki Murakami as a major influence, particularly his novel "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" and its dreamlike narrative style. 🌉 San Francisco, where much of the novel takes place, has been the setting for numerous iconic road trip narratives, including Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo." 🎨 The novel was praised by The New York Times for its "minimalist prose style," which mirrors the Japanese concept of "ma" - the artistic use of negative space - that Murakami often employs in his work.