Checkout 19

Checkout 19 is a novel by British writer Claire-Louise Bennett. ^[2][3] It is Bennet's second book, after 2015's Pond. It was selected for The New York Times's "10 Best Books of 2022" list.^[4] The book was also shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, which seeks to celebrate novels which expand the possibilities of the novel as an art form.^[5] The novel follows an unnamed female narrator from early childhood to adulthood, documenting her interactions with books and how those interactions shaped her life. The book has been described as an example of autofiction, or a fictionalized, autobiographical account of Bennett's life.

Narrative

The book begins with the unnamed narrator (who comes from a working class background) in primary school in Southwest England. She begins writing stories in the margins of her exercise textbook. One of these stories is discovered by her favorite teacher, Mr. Burton, who asks her to write more stories for him. She agrees and presents stories to him on a weekly basis, taking great pleasure in knowing that her works are being appreciated by another. Later in life, the narrator moves to Ireland where she becomes a writer. Her relationships to various people she meets, including her boyfriends, are documented mainly through the books she is reading, writing or having recommended to her at the time. There is the Russian man who seeks out the checkout line of the grocery store that she is working at, checkout 19, to discuss literature with her and give her a copy of