{{Short description|2021 novel by Natasha Brown}} {{Italic title|string=Assembly}} {{Use British English|date=September 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox book | name = Assembly | author = Natasha Brown | genre = Literary fiction | language = English | media_type = Print, ebook, audiobook | country = United Kingdom | publisher = Hamish Hamilton (UK)<br>Little, Brown (US) | pub_date = 3 June 2021 (UK)<br>14 September 2021 (US) | isbn = 9780241515709 | isbn_note = <br>(1st ed.) | pages = 105 pp | dewey = 823/.92 | congress = PR6102.R69195 A92 2021 | oclc = 1201685227 | awards = Foyles BotY{{em dash}}Fiction (2021) <br> Betty Trask Award (2022) | audio_read_by = Pippa Bennett-Warner | image = File:Assembly_(novel).jpg }}
'''''Assembly''''' is a novel by British writer Natasha Brown published in 2021.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1 June 2022 |title=Graphic novel wins at the 2022 Society of Authors' Awards |url=https://societyofauthors.org/2022/06/01/graphic-novel-wins-at-the-2022-society-of-authors-awards/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=Society of Authors}}</ref><ref name="Brown">{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Natasha |url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/444275/assembly-by-brown-natasha/9780241992678 |title=Assembly |date=2021-06-03 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=9780241992678 |edition=ebook |publication-place=London |language=en}}</ref><ref name="penguin.co.uk">{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Natasha |url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/444275/assembly-by-brown-natasha/9780241993347 |title=Assembly |date=2021-06-03 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=9780241993347 |edition=audiobook |location=London |language=en}}</ref>
== Plot == ''Assembly'' follows the internal reflections of a young, successful Black British woman as she prepares to attend a lavish garden party hosted by her white boyfriend's family. As she navigates the pressures of her professional life in a predominantly white corporate environment and reflects on societal expectations tied to race, class, and gender, she confronts existential questions about her identity and future. Her musings intensify as she grapples with a recent medical diagnosis, forcing her to reconsider what it means to "succeed" in a society built on systemic inequalities.
== Release == Brown developed ''Assembly'' after receiving a 2019 London Writers Award in the literary fiction category.<ref name=":0" /> It was published in hardcover format in the UK through Hamish Hamilton on 3 June 2021; Penguin also released an ebook and audiobook dictated by Pippa Bennett-Warner.<ref name="Brown"/><ref name="penguin.co.uk"/> Later she released it via Little, Brown and Company in the US on 14 September 2021, along with an ebook.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Natasha |url=https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/natasha-brown/assembly/9780316268462/ |title=Assembly |date=Sep 14, 2021 |publisher=Little, Brown |isbn=9780316268462 |edition=ebook US |publication-date=Sep 14, 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Response == It received starred reviews from ''Kirkus Reviews'' and ''Library Journal'', as well as ''Shelf Awareness''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Aug 17, 2021 |title=Assembly |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/natasha-brown/assembly/ |access-date=Sep 19, 2024 |website=Kirkus Reviews |publisher= |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Assembly |url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/assembly-2134907 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Library Journal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Shelf Awareness for Readers for Friday, September 17, 2021 |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=1057#m18436 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Shelf Awareness}}</ref> Critics in particular praised Natasha Brown's precision, thematic depth, and brevity; the style has been compared to that of Virginia Woolf.
The novel's economy of language is frequently mentioned as one of its strengths, with Brown's tight prose often being described as "precise" and "crisp."<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2021-10-04 |title=Briefly Noted |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/11/late-city-assembly-god-human-animal-machine-and-the-history-of-bones |access-date=2024-09-20 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Assembly Natasha Brown |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/13/books/review/assembly-natasha-brown.html |access-date=19 Sep 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> Reviewers have pointed out that this minimalism gives the novel a sharpness that matches its thematic depth, allowing it to explore weighty topics without feeling overly didactic.<ref name=":83">{{Cite web |date=2021-07-06 |title=Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2021, Part Two |url=https://lithub.com/lit-hubs-most-anticipated-books-of-2021-part-two/3/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Literary Hub |language=en-US}}</ref>
The novel's writing style has also garnered admiration from some reviewers, particularly for its fragmented, stream-of-consciousness narrative. Critics have noted how this disjointed structure mirrors the protagonist's internal conflict, her emotional exhaustion, and the disorientation she feels as she navigates both her personal and professional life.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Biggs |first=Joanna |date=2021-07-15 |title=Pure, Fucking Profit |url=https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v43/n14/joanna-biggs/pure-fucking-profit |access-date=2024-09-20 |work=London Review of Books |language=en |volume=43 |issue=14 |issn=0260-9592}}</ref> This technique has been likened to the introspective prose of Virginia Woolf,<ref name=":622">{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Holly |date=2021-05-31 |title=Assembly by Natasha Brown review – the grind of everyday prejudice |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/may/31/assembly-by-natasha-brown-review-the-grind-of-everyday-prejudice |access-date=2024-09-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Garber |first=Megan |date=2021-10-08 |title=The Great Novel of the Internet Was Published in 1925 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2021/10/mrs-dalloway-virginia-woolf-internet-novel/620341/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref> with several reviewers comparing ''Assembly'' to Woolf's ''Mrs. Dalloway'' for its focus on the inner workings of a character's mind. The stream-of-consciousness style is seen as a bold yet effective choice, immersing readers into the protagonist's thoughts and making them feel the weight of her struggles.<ref name=":622"/>
Another point of discussion is the novel's exploration of existential themes, particularly the protagonist's awareness of her own mortality.<ref name=":822">{{Cite web |date=2021-07-06 |title=Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2021, Part Two |url=https://lithub.com/lit-hubs-most-anticipated-books-of-2021-part-two/3/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Literary Hub |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":72">{{Cite book |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/Assembly-/pid=9747713 |title=Assembly, by By Natasha Brown. {{!}} Booklist Online}}</ref> As she reflects on her health and the pressures of conforming to societal expectations, the novel raises questions about personal agency, the value of success, and what it means to truly live.<ref name=":72" /> Critics have described ''Assembly'' as a meditation on life's fleetingness and the limits imposed by systemic oppression.<ref name=":622">{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Holly |date=2021-05-31 |title=Assembly by Natasha Brown review – the grind of everyday prejudice |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/may/31/assembly-by-natasha-brown-review-the-grind-of-everyday-prejudice |access-date=2024-09-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}</ref>
''Literary Hub''<nowiki/>'s Emily Temple compiled a comprehensive assessment of critic attitudes towards literature from 2021 calling it an "Ultimate Best Books of 2021 List"; she determined that altogether four mainstream magazines and outlets explicitly named the novel as a critical or important work on their own platforms' end-of-the-year lists.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Temple |first=Emily |date=2021-12-27 |title=The Ultimate Best Books of 2021 List |url=https://lithub.com/the-ultimate-best-books-of-2021-list/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Literary Hub |language=en-US}}</ref> These consisted of ''The Guardian''<nowiki/>'s Top Fiction of 2021,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jordan |first=Justine |date=2021-12-04 |title=Best fiction of 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/dec/04/best-fiction-of-2021 |access-date=2024-09-20 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> ''Publisher Weekly''<nowiki/>'s Top 10 Books of 2021,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Books 2021: Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly |url=https://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/2021/top-10#book/book-1 |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=PublishersWeekly.com}}</ref> ''The Washington Post''<nowiki/>'s 50 Notable Works of Fiction of 2021<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 November 2021 |title=50 Notable Works of Fiction of 2021 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/11/18/2021-books-fiction/ |access-date=Sep 20, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> and ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''<nowiki/>'s Best Books of 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rapa |first=Patrick |date=2021-12-04 |title=The best books of 2021, to gift or read yourself |url=https://www.inquirer.com/arts/books/best-books-2021-20211204.html |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=The Philadelphia Inquirer |language=en}}</ref> It also made an appearance on ''The Atlantic''<nowiki/>'s 20 Best Books of 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-22 |title=The 20 Best Books of 2021 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/12/best-books-2021-assembly-klara-and-the-sun/621088/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref>
== Literary awards == It was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Readers' Award, Goldsmiths Prize, Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, British Book Award for Debut Book, Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, and The Writers' Prize; it also won a Betty Trask Award.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2021 shortlist |url=https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/latestnews/Books-Are-My-Bag-Readers-Awards-2021-shortlist-ann |access-date=19 Sep 2024 |website=Booksellers}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=2021 Prize |url=https://www.gold.ac.uk/goldsmiths-prize/prize2021/#:~:text=2021%20winner:%20Sterling%20Karat%20Gold%20by%20Isabel%20Waidner&text=Read%20our%20news%20story%20about%20the%20winner. |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Goldsmiths, University of London |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=History » Book Prizes » Festival of Books |url=https://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/bookprizes/history/ |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=Festival of Books |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=25 March 2022 |title=British Book Awards 2022 shortlist is in, and these are the novels to read next |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/books/british-book-awards-2022-shortlist-b2043277.html |access-date=18 September 2024 |website=The Independent}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=The Orwell Prizes 2022: The Finalists {{!}} The Orwell Foundation |url=https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/news-events/news-events/news/the-orwell-prizes-2022-the-finalists/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=www.orwellfoundation.com |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=1 June 2022 |title=Graphic novel wins at the 2022 Society of Authors' Awards |url=https://societyofauthors.org/2022/06/01/graphic-novel-wins-at-the-2022-society-of-authors-awards/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=Society of Authors}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Award ! Category ! Result ! Ref |- ! rowspan="4" | 2021 | Books Are My Bag Readers' Award | Fiction | {{sho}} |<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2021 shortlist |url=https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/latestnews/Books-Are-My-Bag-Readers-Awards-2021-shortlist-ann |access-date=19 Sep 2024 |website=Booksellers}}</ref> |- | Foyles Books of the Year | Fiction | {{won}} |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brown, Ellis and Gauld named in Foyles Books of the Year |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/brown-ellis-and-gauld-named-foyles-books-year-1292695 |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=The Bookseller |language=En}}</ref><ref name="fictiondb2021">{{Cite web |title=2021 Foyles Book of the Year Winners |url=https://www.fictiondb.com/awards/2021~foyles-book-of-the-year~306.htm |access-date=18 September 2024 |website=www.fictiondb.com}}</ref> |- | Goldsmiths Prize | — | {{sho}} |<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=2021 Prize |url=https://www.gold.ac.uk/goldsmiths-prize/prize2021/#:~:text=2021%20winner:%20Sterling%20Karat%20Gold%20by%20Isabel%20Waidner&text=Read%20our%20news%20story%20about%20the%20winner. |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Goldsmiths, University of London |language=en}}</ref> |- | ''Los Angeles Times'' Book Prize | Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction | {{sho}} |<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=History » Book Prizes » Festival of Books |url=https://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/bookprizes/history/ |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=Festival of Books |language=en-US}}</ref> |- ! rowspan="5" |2022 |Betty Trask Prize and Awards |Betty Trask Award |{{Won}} |<ref name=":0" /> |- | British Book Award | Début Book of the Year | {{sho}} |<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=25 March 2022 |title=British Book Awards 2022 shortlist is in, and these are the novels to read next |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/books/british-book-awards-2022-shortlist-b2043277.html |access-date=18 September 2024 |website=The Independent}}</ref> |- | Desmond Elliott Prize | — | {{nom|Longlisted}} |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Introducing the Desmond Elliott Prize longlist 2022 |url=https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/writing-hub/introducing-the-desmond-elliott-prize-longlist-2022/#:~:text=The%202022%20Desmond%20Elliott%20Prize,(Bloomsbury%20Circus/Bloomsbury%20Publishing) |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=National Centre for Writing {{!}} NCW |language=en-US}}</ref> |- | Orwell Prize | Political Fiction | {{sho}} |<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=The Orwell Prizes 2022: The Finalists {{!}} The Orwell Foundation |url=https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/news-events/news-events/news/the-orwell-prizes-2022-the-finalists/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=www.orwellfoundation.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> |- | The Writers' Prize | — | {{sho}} |<ref name="short22">{{cite web |title=The Rathbones Folio Prize 2022 |url=https://www.rathbonesfolioprize.com/2022-2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524153708/https://www.rathbonesfolioprize.com/2022-2/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=24 May 2022 |access-date=2 February 2023 |publisher=Rathbones Folio Prize}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Flood |first=Alison |date=2022-02-09 |title=Damon Galgut and Colm Tóibín join 'rich and large' Rathbones Folio prize shortlist |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/feb/09/damon-galgut-colm-toibin-join-rathbones-folio-prize-shortlist |access-date=2024-01-11 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> |}
== References == <references />
Category:2021 British novels Category:2021 English-language novels Category:Penguin Books books Category:English novels {{improve categories|date=September 2024}}