By Carmen Lebar
Content warning: death, self-harm, suicidal ideation
Utopia by Heidi Sopinka is a novel that centres around the art scene in the 1970s. It mainly focuses on Paz, the new wife of well-known artist Billy. Months earlier, his wife Romy died suspiciously during a late-night party. Throughout the novel, Paz is constantly compared to Romy and is often questioned for marrying Billy so soon after Romy’s passing. Grappling with the burden of being a second wife and becoming a mother to Romy’s infant child Flea, Paz starts to spiral with her mental health and her ability to create art. The novel was a success for me, especially in the way Sopinka writes Romy and Paz’s intertwined story. Its focus on identity, especially how identity is connected to creation and gender, is what makes Utopia such a standout novel.
Romy and Paz were both artists in college, and were navigating the art world at the same time. Romy’s art was praised throughout her time in college and was heavily admired by Paz as a student, and afterwards. Romy is an enigma to Paz as an artist. Her talent and creativity are things Paz wishes she could harness herself.
After Romy’s death, Paz becomes Flea’s adoptive mother. She finds that she no longer has the time or the creative inspiration to make art. She’s going through a form of creator’s block that only gets worse when she feels Romy’s presence throughout the house—items move on their own, and noises appear out of nowhere. Paz continues to compare herself to Romy, seeing her as a real professional, and seeing herself as having nothing to offer. Sopinka beautifully writes Paz’s struggle with her new identity as a mother, and also her struggle in trying to find her identity as an artist—both in the shadow of Romy’s passing. I enjoyed seeing Paz’s lack of motivation be replaced by a determination to create as the novel came to an amazing crescendo. The climax of the novel really demonstrates how impactful Romy’s existence was to Paz’s own view of herself as an artist and a person.
Romy and Paz’s connection goes beyond just creative pursuits. Both of them struggle in the art world because of their gender; it is a world where artistic professionalism is reserved for the male artists. Women aren’t seen as real artists or as having any longevity to their careers. Billy is recognized as an impeccable artist because of his cool male demeanor. Romy’s art is undervalued compared to Billy to the point where one of Romy’s works is credited to Billy. Interestingly, Romy’s self-image is also constrained by the gender binary. She doesn’t wish to be perceived as either male or female, and she wants her art to speak for itself. How she dresses and speaks about gender suggests that living within the gender binary isn’t for her. Sopinka did a fantastic job of demonstrating the limitation that gender has on people’s public image and self-identity. It was fascinating to see how gender constrained Romy in a multitude of ways, and the various ways she tried to overcome it.
Utopia is an inventive and mysterious novel, in which Sopinka creates an introspective view of Romy and Paz. How the women were connected, and in ways they didn’t even realize, shows just how difficult it was to be a female artist at this time. The struggle to create an identity is relatable, and those who don’t know a lot about the art world can still relate to the struggles of Romy and Paz. I would recommend Utopia to all aspiring artists, and to those who are fascinated by the art world. Fans of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier will also enjoy this reimagining of the novel. Although not a point-for-point retelling of Rebecca, Sopinka’s own take on the tale is ultimately refreshing with its focus on art and creation.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.