20. Book Club: 'The Cloisters' by Katy Hays
The Met, New York City and 15th Century Renaissance tarot
It’s our last book club of the season and we’re so happy to be getting to one of our most anticipated debuts of 2023 - and a contender for best cover of the year, right? Absolutely stunning!
With The Met Cloisters, NYC, mysterious old tarot and links to the Renaissance, this book ticked so many boxes before we even started reading it! Luckily, it lived up to the cover and synopsis.
Book Club Run-Down
Title: 'The Cloisters’ by Katy Hays
Pages: 320
Release Date: January 2023
Publisher: Bantam Press (UK), Atria Books (US)
Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, hoping to spend her summer working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she is assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval and Renaissance collections.
There she is drawn into a small circle of charismatic but enigmatic researchers, each with their own secrets and desires, including the museum's curator, Patrick Roland, who is convinced that the history of Tarot holds the key to unlocking contemporary fortune telling.
Relieved to have left her troubled past behind and eager for the approval of her new colleagues, Ann is only too happy to indulge some of Patrick's more outlandish theories. But when Ann discovers a mysterious, once-thought lost deck of 15th-century Italian tarot cards she suddenly finds herself at the centre of a dangerous game of power, toxic friendship and ambition.
And as the game being played within the Cloisters spirals out of control, Ann must decide whether she is truly able to defy the cards and shape her own future . . .
Bringing together the modern and the arcane, The Cloisters is a rich, thrillingly-told tale of obsession and the ruthless pursuit of power.
Sophie’s Thoughts:
‘The Cloisters’ is a dark, compelling and atmospheric debut that brims with dark academia vibes. While there’s not a huge amount of actual plot, the story and interpersonal drama is incredibly compelling and I loved the discussions about tarot, destiny and fate.
Sarah’s Thoughts:
I knew from the first page that there was something special about this book and it didn't disappoint. The cloying, inescapable feeling of dread is as thick as the hot, humid air of summer, and as a reader you're just waiting for that storm to break. ‘The Cloisters’ exemplifies everything that is Modern Dark Academia and as such should be a considered a cornerstone.
You can read the full review on ‘Books, Burgers and Backpacks’ right here!
Discussion Topics:
Have you ever had a tarot reading? Do you believe in it?
What did you think of Rachel and Ann’s friendship? Was it ever genuine?
Did you find the ending anti-climactic? Or did it turn over the dark academia tradition of never quite getting away with murder?
Make sure you’re following us on Instagram as we’ll be delving into these questions over there across the coming weeks.
The full episode discussing the novel went live this morning!
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We’ll see you in two weeks for the reveal of all six titles we’ll be reading and discussing for season 6!
Sophie and Sarah x