Trigger warning for the novel: domestic violence  

David Szalay’s Turbulence started out as a series of short radio stories for the BBC. The slim 160-page novel circles the world; each chapter title consists of two airport codes (such as LAX, YYZ, SEA, DHA, and DEL) which sets the scene for where the novel will travel next. Each chapter is awarded its own protagonist, who is introduced in its preceding section, allowing the novel to be read as a collection of briefly linked short stories. Still, the compact chapters do not detract from the relatability of their struggles, as each of them face some form of turbulence. 

Szalay’s clever planning is evidenced throughout the novel in the interconnected nature of the characters as they face personal burdens such as illness, prejudice, and death. The first chapter, LGW – MAD, is the only section which deals with turbulence related directly to a plane. But its description of that incident reinforces the disturbances in the lives of the other characters as “[turbulence] ended the illusion of security, the way that it made it impossible to pretend that she was somewhere safe”. The turbulence experienced on a plane is used as a consistent theme in all chapters to displace any sense of security, as each protagonist must break their daily routines in unexpected ways.

         The interlinked stories in Turbulence allow readers to experience the way Szalay uses familiarity and disassociation to his advantage. Szalay uses this technique to seamlessly move from one character to the next as he offers a more general backdrop at the start of each section to connect the different protagonists, and then dives in to explore the deeper troubles they are experiencing individually. This technique is highlighted at the end of chapter 2 and the start of chapter 3. Chapter 2 ends with Cheikh, who has just gotten off the flight that departed in chapter 1, entering his house to learn about a dreaded accident. Cheikh is described as being intimately involved as he enters his house as though he is “going to his own death”. This ending sentence contrasts the start of chapter 3 where the same accident is described. However, in the third chapter, Werner perceives the same accident as a hindrance because he keeps checking his watch and thinks that he “also had somewhere to go”. The familiarization of the accident and its impact on Cheikh juxtaposes Werner’s disregard for the dead child and emphasizes how Szalay is able to connect the reader to a personal event and then simultaneously present it in a new light. This affects the readers’ understanding of the characters as they are able to relate to the characters’ problems in each chapter, only to feel disoriented as they move to the next story.

         As he highlights the way that capitalism impacts so many different parts of the world (through increased globalization within the past few decades), Szalay also critiques class structures. Some passengers fly first-class while others have to beg for permission to visit their families, which emphasizes the ways that social and economic status shape our interactions with each other. Through Abhijit and Amir’s dynamic in chapters 7 and 8—where Abhijit borrows money from Amir, and then steals from their father to settle his debt—we see the extent that people go to so they can solve their personal turbulences. The perspectives of members of differing social classes draws attention to the multiple realities that exist all over the world and the way that globalization, especially cultural and social connectedness to different parts of the world, impacts people disproportionately based on their status within today’s capitalist society.

         Overall, Turbulence captures the complexities of the different relationships that people experience through the interconnected nature of his work. The circular form of the global novel ends where it started – London, where the first character meets the last. The ending of the final chapter offers a form of closure, even though there cannot be any one ending to the story, because of the way each chapter only offers a snapshot of the character’s lives during a particular struggle. As Szalay moves secondary and background characters to the forefront, Turbulence’s well-executed structure allows the reader to easily adapt to the format and enjoy Szalay’s clever concept for a quick read.

The perspectives of members of differing social classes draws attention to the multiple realities that exist all over the world and the way that globalization, especially cultural and social connectedness to different parts of the world, impacts people disproportionately based on their status within today’s capitalist society.