There is an asymmetrical relationship between the parts of our Book of the Week, Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday. Comprised of two parts—very different in tone—and a coda which forms a sort of pivot between the two, Halliday's book is both very enjoyable to read and a serious exploration of the mechanisms of fiction. 
>>Read Stella's review. 
>>Read an extract. 
>>Halliday talks about the book, about the differences between fiction and non-fiction, &c. 
>>Why Asymmetry has become a literary phenomenon. 
>>To what extent is the 'Alice' character Halliday, and to what extent is the  'Ezra Blazer' character Philip Roth?
>>"Asymmetry is not a mystery novel, at least not in the way that we typically think about that genre. But there is most certainly a mystery at the novel’s core, one that arises from the book’s structure — two seemingly unrelated novellas appended by a short coda — rather than its plot."
>>Come and discuss the novel at our book group on Thursday 19 September. 
>>Start reading.