The Theory of Everything

Yumna Kassab

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English

Ultimo Press
04 March 2025

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Australian Fiction

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‘In The Theory of Everything, Kassab realises the potential and fulfils the promise of her earlier work. This is a writer at her intellectual and poetic peak. Innovative, ambitious, unapologetically intellectual, fearlessly honest, deeply emotional. Read this book – you will be changed.’ – Shankari Chandran, Miles Franklin–award winning author of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens

Good News: The worst has already happened.

Bad News: Even worse is on the way. This is a fictional theory, a rant, a manifesto, an engagement or disengagement with the times, a record; it is bearing witness, a dramatisation of actual events, a horror-scape, either a monologue or dialogue, a testament, travel guide, handbook, textbook, potential encyclopaedia; it is five mini-novels or else five post-novels, an epic, a drop in the ocean, an homage, a reference, one long secret handshake, an agreement, a wink; it is an explosion of form, tangential, discursive, a firming of the foundations, a lament, an absurdist comedy with realism that is as realistic as it gets; it is a spectrum, shades of black from the dark to the next shade up from white, a proliferation, a step back, a righting, a note to oneself, a line in the sand or a gust in the form of a structure-shaking gale; it is a dance (a two-footed, single-person linedance), an experiment, pure science, flicking the finger; it is, of course, backing away, crossing the street and avoiding eye contact; it is fantasy, humour, a romance without any leads, a defiance, a subdued rebellion, an anti-philosophical philosophy; it is pacifism that instigates a fight, a denouncement in the form of a laugh, an exploration, an adventure, a time lapse, a panorama, a conclusion; you may just have to read the theory because these are just alluding-to-the-theory words.

PRAISE FOR THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

‘a wheeling, unpinnable squall of a book.’ – The Guardian

‘Kassab’s book poses questions about the novel form and answers them in ways that are continuously surprising and probing. It is both personal and expansive; introspective and ambitious.’ – Kylie Mirmohamadi, author Diving, Falling

PRAISE FOR POLITICA

‘Like an impressionist painter, Kassab uses words like brushstrokes to build a vivid picture of intertwined lives set against the continuing drumbeat of war. The narrative moves between past, present and future and uses time as an effective device to illustrate how the effects of war linger long after its cessation.’ – Books + Publishing

‘an evocative literary tale’ – The Australian Women's Weekly

‘In a 2022 interview, Kassab said a responsibility of the novelist is to “write with an eye towards humanity”. And she never falters in this, with Politica always drawing us back to war’s immeasurable personal cost.’ – The Guardian

PRAISE FOR THE LOVERS

‘Sometimes, Kassab shows us, love can be another word for cruelty. Sometimes the stories we hide behind reveal our deepest truths.’ – Sydney Morning Herald

‘Beautifully told in Yumna Kassab's poetic prose, The Lovers is both the story of the tumultuous relationship between Amir and Jamila and an exploration of class, culture and the complex nature of love.’ – Sunday Life

By: Yumna Kassab
Imprint: Ultimo Press
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
Weight: 402g
ISBN: 9781761153327
ISBN 10: 1761153323
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 04 March 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Yumna Kassab is a writer from Western Sydney. She studied medical science and neuroscience at university. Her fiction has been listed for prizes including the Miles Franklin Literary Award, Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, Queensland Literary Awards, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, and The Stella Prize. Her works include the short fiction collection The House of Youssef and the novels Australiana, The Lovers,Politica and The Theory of Everything. She is the inaugural Parramatta Laureate in Literature.

Reviews for The Theory of Everything

‘This is a fascinating literary artefact; a record of one singular, brilliant, energetic mind at large in the world and travelling across global literature. Kassab’s book poses questions about the novel form and answers them in ways that are continuously surprising and probing. It is both personal and expansive; introspective and ambitious. Its shifting, sifting categorisations give it a richness that will make it something to return to again and again.’ * Kylie Mirmohamadi, author Diving, Falling *