Creation Lake

by Rachel Kushner
Creation Lake cover
Good Books rating 4.0
Thriller/Suspense
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Paperback • £7.49 Hardback • £18.99
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  • ID: 3
  • Added: 2025-08-02
  • Updated: 2025-10-21
  • ISBN: 9781982116538
  • Publisher: Simon and Schuster
  • Published: 2025-07-01
  • Formats: 69
  • Reviews: 4

Creation Lake follows Sadie Smith, a 34-year-old American secret agent who adopts a false identity to infiltrate a rural French commune of leftist eco-activists. Tasked by shadowy government and business contacts to incite provocation and gather evidence of sabotage, Sadie manipulates those around her, including her lover Lucien and members of the commune. The novel explores her cold, strategic operations alongside her growing fascination with Bruno Lacombe, a mysterious recluse whose counter-historical ideas challenge her worldview. Beyond the espionage plot, the story delves deeply into themes of identity, morality, and civilization's trajectory. Sadie's internal turmoil and the blurred lines between truth and deception create an epistemological dilemma, raising questions about trust, betrayal, and the nature of rebellion. The narrative balances the tension of a spy thriller with philosophical reflection, making it a gripping and thought-provoking read that examines who we are and why we act as we do.

Reviews
Lonesome Reader · 2025-09-12
intriguing 4.00

The novel uses spy story conventions as a backdrop for exploring profound questions about humanity and civilization, offering a complex character study with humor and moral ambiguity.

This review appreciates Kushner's creative approach, noting that the spy plot is secondary to the novel’s larger philosophical and existential themes. The protagonist Sadie is portrayed as a confident but flawed figure, whose self-interest is complicated by the influence of a mysterious guru. The story builds slowly but gains momentum toward a dramatic resolution that promises a reckoning for Sadie, with humor and depth enriching the narrative.

Quick quotes

    "Those looking for a plot which adheres to the genre conventions of spy novels might be disappointed by this."

    "It's also a fascinating character study about an individual with no regard for the people she deceives."

    "Creation Lake develops a good momentum as it leads up to the dramatic resolution and a potential reckoning for Sadie."

Goodreads · 2025-09-07
thoughtful 4.50

The novel offers a morally complex narrative with no clear protagonist to root for, exploring deep philosophical questions about humanity through its enigmatic characters.

This review appreciates the novel's complexity and the ambiguous morality of its characters, including the protagonist Sadie Smith and the eco-activists she spies on. It highlights the thought-provoking themes about inherited human traits and the blurred lines between good and evil, emphasizing that the novel is more about introspection and philosophical reflection than a conventional spy thriller. The reviewer initially questioned whether the book was for them but ultimately found it rewarding and reflective, appreciating Kushner’s ability to leave readers with lingering questions.

Quick quotes

    Sadie’s employers, who are never revealed, are morally questionable, but so are Pascal and many of the other Moulinards.

    Readers who need someone to root for will not find it in this novel.

    Rachel Kushner leaves the reader with a lot to reflect on.

Australian Book Review · David Jack · 2024-11-01
thoughtful 3.25

The novel is slow and cumbersome for a thriller but offers a profound exploration of disillusionment and retreat from revolutionary ideals through a compelling character study.

David Jack finds that while Creation Lake fails to deliver as a traditional thriller or spy novel due to its slow pace and lack of intrigue, it succeeds as a thoughtful meditation on political and personal disillusionment. The character Bruno Lacombe embodies a philosophy of opting out of a capitalist world that cannot be dismantled, a theme that resonates deeply with the protagonist Sadie and shapes the novel's contemplative and uneasy atmosphere. The book leaves readers with a sense of unresolved tension and the idea that some conditions may be permanent, but escape or transformation is still possible in quieter, internal ways.

Quick quotes

    Creation Lake is too slow and cumbersome to be a thriller.

    Revolution... he now saw to be foreclosed. The world ruled by capital would not be dismantled.

    What Creation Lake leaves you with is the feeling that nothing can or ever will be right again.

The Female Scriblerian · 2024-10-23
thought-provoking 4.25

The novel is a spy thriller that transcends genre by probing themes of identity, philosophy, and complexity, encouraging deep reflection beyond entertainment.

This perspective appreciates Creation Lake not just as a spy thriller but as a work that challenges readers to think critically about identity and philosophical questions embedded in the story. The novel’s complexity and thematic depth offer more than just suspense or action, inviting readers to engage with the protagonist’s internal and external conflicts on a thoughtful level. This review underscores the novel’s ability to entertain while simultaneously provoking meaningful reflection on broader issues.

Quick quotes

    Creation Lake is a spy thriller that doesn't just entertain—it makes you think.

    Rachel Kushner explores identity, philosophy, and the complexity.

    The novel encourages deep reflection beyond the surface of espionage.

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