Classic Twists: The Transit of Venus

"By nightfall the headlines would be reporting devastation . . ."

In a new season of Toronto Public Library's virtual series on classic books, host Rebecca Panovka explores novels with "classic twists," sudden pivots and violent surprises that elevate a work to the status of a masterpiece. Her first selection is The Transit of Venus (1980), Australian novelist Shirley Hazzard's pitch-perfect story of two Australian-born sisters as they navigate their diverging experiences of post-war Britain. A nuanced classic of class dynamics in the tradition of George Eliot, The Transit of Venus seamlessly shifts perspectives to reveal its heroines' glimmering inner lives, and guides the reader toward an unforgettable final reversal.

About our guests:

Parul Sehgal is a critic at large for The New York Times.

Sophie Haigney is the web editor at The Paris Review. She is freelance critic and journalist, who writes about visual art, books, technology, and other things. She is currently working on her first book, Future Relics, for Liveright. She writes frequently for The New York Times, and has also contributed to The New Yorker, Harper's, New York Magazine, The Guardian, The Economist, The Atlantic, Slate, The Nation, The Boston Globe, Art in America, The Financial Times, NPR, The Baffler, and many other publications.

Rebecca Panovka is a founding editor of The Drift. Her essays and criticism have appeared in Harper's, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Bookforum, Dissent, The Paris Review, The Drift, and elsewhere.

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Important information for accessing this live virtual event:

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This event is made possible in part from a gift from the Ann Thoburn Fund.

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Accessibility at Toronto Public Library

We are committed to making our content accessible to as many Torontonians as possible. Please call or email us if you are Deaf or have a disability and would like to request accommodation to participate in this program. Please let us know as far in advance as possible and we will do our best to meet your request. At least three weeks' notice is preferred. Phone 416-393-7099 or email accessibleservices@tpl.ca