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"Isserley always drove straight past a hitchhiker when she first saw him, to give herself time ... read full description
"Isserley always drove straight past a hitchhiker when she first saw him, to give herself time ... read full description
reviews
Jan 07, 2012
Cassy
rated it: 
Since you asked for my opinion on hitchhiking, don’t do it.
My grandfather was on his way to pick up my uncle for the Christmas holiday when he stopped for two male hitchhikers. They forced him to an abandoned house, beat him, and drove off. Police found the body two weeks later. My mom was eleven years old.
Clearly, picking up hitchhikers is a big no-no in my family. Now this book warns me against the other side of hitchhiking: standing by the road with your thumb in the More...
My grandfather was on his way to pick up my uncle for the Christmas holiday when he stopped for two male hitchhikers. They forced him to an abandoned house, beat him, and drove off. Police found the body two weeks later. My mom was eleven years old.
Clearly, picking up hitchhikers is a big no-no in my family. Now this book warns me against the other side of hitchhiking: standing by the road with your thumb in the More...
17 comments
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(24 people liked it)
Feb 25, 2011
Paul
rated it: 
Things I love about Under the Skin
- the heroine is really creepy
- the whole situation is really mental (that's a literary term coined by F R Leavis in his seminal 1938 essay "Ezra Pound : Fucking Mental")
- you only find out bit by bit and it gets weirder until you just can't stand it
- it didn't put me off hitchhiking because I'd already served my time as a dedicated hitchhiker, I've got a car now, and anyway the heroine was looking for the beefy type which More...
- the heroine is really creepy
- the whole situation is really mental (that's a literary term coined by F R Leavis in his seminal 1938 essay "Ezra Pound : Fucking Mental")
- you only find out bit by bit and it gets weirder until you just can't stand it
- it didn't put me off hitchhiking because I'd already served my time as a dedicated hitchhiker, I've got a car now, and anyway the heroine was looking for the beefy type which More...
10 comments
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(26 people liked it)
Jan 08, 2012
MJ
rated it:
Caution, spoilers! A modern fable on any number of potential issues—animal cruelty? corporate greed? human brutality?—set in a version of the Highlands where multiple people hitchhike each day (I go frequently to the Highlands and I’ve never seen no hitchhikers—maybe Faber ate them all?) The story begins with our big-breasted heroine Isserley picking up a series of unemployed assholes and stabbing them in the buttocks with a stun chemical activated via her dashboard. She drives her victims, know
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6 comments
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(6 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Palmina
rated it:
Completely captivating. To this day, this story haunts me. Takes place in Scotland and the main character is a female who picks up male hitchikers. What she does with them ... is well ... let's just say, I almost became a vegetarian, if it wasn't for being Croatian and meat-eating is a patriotic obligation. In an eery and out-of-this world way, this story forces you to examine how we treat animals.
0 comments
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(10 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Pdxstacey
rated it:
It's so rare to read a book that is completely surprising. I read it over a year ago and I still find myself thinking about it.
I think it's best not to know what this book is about; but I wish someone would read it so we could discuss it.
I read his book about prostitutes not knowing it was the same author. Both enjoyable, but extremely different.
The whole shower scene is bizarre. I find myself thinking about that as well (no, it's not dirty, just gro More...
I think it's best not to know what this book is about; but I wish someone would read it so we could discuss it.
I read his book about prostitutes not knowing it was the same author. Both enjoyable, but extremely different.
The whole shower scene is bizarre. I find myself thinking about that as well (no, it's not dirty, just gro More...
Sep 04, 2008
Simonne
rated it: 
Hmmm... What can I say about this book... I didn't dislike it and yet.. I wasn't entirely sure why I kept reading - I think I probably wanted more grissly details... which unfortunately never came!
It certainly wasn't the kind of read I was expecting from Michael Faber and I felt that the plot didn't really expand any further by the end of the book than it had in the first few pages. It hasn't put me off Michael Faber because I enjoy his style of writing.. would I recommend you pic More...
It certainly wasn't the kind of read I was expecting from Michael Faber and I felt that the plot didn't really expand any further by the end of the book than it had in the first few pages. It hasn't put me off Michael Faber because I enjoy his style of writing.. would I recommend you pic More...
Aug 18, 2007
Jack
rated it: 
I started this book one Saturday, and then laid around all day finishing it. I felt justified in doing that, too.
Tonally, it's literary. The plot is pretty suspenseful, but i don't mind being in the dark for the majority of a novel if the writing carries it well. Faber is just as good at landscape and dialogue as he is at slowly uncovering a narrative. He's also admirably gruesome.
You should avoid reading this tale as some kind of parable. Please. Because then it be More...
Tonally, it's literary. The plot is pretty suspenseful, but i don't mind being in the dark for the majority of a novel if the writing carries it well. Faber is just as good at landscape and dialogue as he is at slowly uncovering a narrative. He's also admirably gruesome.
You should avoid reading this tale as some kind of parable. Please. Because then it be More...
2 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Jul 20, 2009
Victoria
rated it:
This book is odd, weird, strange, and bizarre. It is also highly disturbing. It begins with a girl named Isserley, driving the Scottish freeways daily to look for hitchhikers. The impact of this book depends on knowing no more than that, so all I will say is that it made me think about things in a different way. Highly recommended.
Later edit: Bumped to 5 stars on second reading. There really is a lot in this book to think about and discuss.
Later edit: Bumped to 5 stars on second reading. There really is a lot in this book to think about and discuss.
0 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Jan 18, 2012
Shovelmonkey1
rated it:
A lonely stretch of road. A ribbon of slick tarmac stretching into the distant Scottish Highlands. There are few people around and every hitch hiker has to take their chances. After all what could possibly be dangerous about the young woman with the large eyes?
Beware of dark roads. Beware of the kindness of strangers. Evocative and well written, this is a difficult book to review without spewing forth spoiler after spoiler in a big frothing pool of spoiler vomit. Therefore I will no More...
Beware of dark roads. Beware of the kindness of strangers. Evocative and well written, this is a difficult book to review without spewing forth spoiler after spoiler in a big frothing pool of spoiler vomit. Therefore I will no More...
8 comments
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(10 people liked it)
Jan 27, 2010
Tressa
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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0 comments
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(4 people liked it)
Oct 21, 2007
Amy
rated it:
Wow, this book will really get to you. The narrator, Isserley, picks up hitchhikers in Scotland, and she's a wee bit of a lass, so no, it's not a typical slasher creepfest. But you'll definitely get the creeps as you read, and you'll only be fed small clues here and there as to what's going on. I think it's a very effective book, even once you're given the reveal - you can agree or disagree - Isserley is definitely a unique character, and Faber a very unique writer. If I were you, I'd just pick
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 28, 2012
Lea
rated it:
I am thisclose to giving this book 4.5 stars -- I found it verynearly amazing, but it fell just slightly short of that for me.
Here's my advice for anyone interested in reading this book -- do not read ANYTHING about it before reading. Don't read reviews, don't read the back cover, don't even read the blurbs on the front. Just go into it completely cold.
So, having said that, what in the world can I say about this book without ruining it?
I can tell you that More...
Here's my advice for anyone interested in reading this book -- do not read ANYTHING about it before reading. Don't read reviews, don't read the back cover, don't even read the blurbs on the front. Just go into it completely cold.
So, having said that, what in the world can I say about this book without ruining it?
I can tell you that More...
0 comments
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(4 people liked it)
Nov 28, 2011
Katie
rated it:
OK - usually I am not a sci-fi fan. Despite years of wanting to like sci-fi books, I just never really honestly did, and I'm guessing it's because most sci-fi is so far divorced from our daily lives that it's too unrelatable to me... I feel like I'm trying to get inside the heads of machines most of the time, and that just bores me. But this was a very "sci-fi lite" book. It takes place on contemporary Earth, with a very human-like protagonist.
I found this book more gripping More...
I found this book more gripping More...
Sep 29, 2011
Lorraine
rated it:
The reviews for this were glowing and flowing. Why so? It is not a bad book. Having said that, it is not a great one either. I would classify it as fairly competent, the sort of book that is, perhaps, the most uncomfortable category to read.
The theme is nothing new, really, and has been overdone in many ways. Who are 'we' and what are 'we' under the skin? At the same time, it seems to have been written with a fair amount of feeling. It reminds me of Waldo, in a way -- it is a debut nov More...
The theme is nothing new, really, and has been overdone in many ways. Who are 'we' and what are 'we' under the skin? At the same time, it seems to have been written with a fair amount of feeling. It reminds me of Waldo, in a way -- it is a debut nov More...
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(1 person liked it)
Aug 23, 2011
Alex
rated it:
Upon looking for something new to read, and knowing nothing about the author, this one instantly caught my eye.
Reading the back synopsis, which hardly gives anything away, about a female driver who cruises the highway looking for hitch hikers to pick up, seemed somewhat interesting. And upon reading a page or two of the beginning, mainly some awkward conversations between driver and hitcher, I thought, "well, this sounds like fun. Might as well go with a light read for a change" More...
Reading the back synopsis, which hardly gives anything away, about a female driver who cruises the highway looking for hitch hikers to pick up, seemed somewhat interesting. And upon reading a page or two of the beginning, mainly some awkward conversations between driver and hitcher, I thought, "well, this sounds like fun. Might as well go with a light read for a change" More...
0 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Jun 15, 2011
If I could give it 0 stars I would, in fact less than no stars would be apt.
I was lured by a hint of cult fiction. I rarely take against books to such a degree and never before have I felt a compulsion to write a review but I feel I should warn all readers who are looking for something a bit off the beaten track you will be left empty by this book. If you have a few hours to kill drive up the A9 it will be a better experience and by the end you may feel you have achieved something. More...
I was lured by a hint of cult fiction. I rarely take against books to such a degree and never before have I felt a compulsion to write a review but I feel I should warn all readers who are looking for something a bit off the beaten track you will be left empty by this book. If you have a few hours to kill drive up the A9 it will be a better experience and by the end you may feel you have achieved something. More...
0 comments
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(2 people liked it)
May 16, 2011
Chrissy
rated it:
I'll be honest. The only reason I read this is because of a gossip column talking about how they were turning this book into a movie starring Scarlett Johanson and people comparing the premise to Species.
But in reality, this books is so different that other than it's use of aliens I don't know if it really belongs in the Sci-Fi genre. I personally don't see how they can even begin to properly adapt it into a film as most important parts are Isserley (the main character) and her ill-fat More...
But in reality, this books is so different that other than it's use of aliens I don't know if it really belongs in the Sci-Fi genre. I personally don't see how they can even begin to properly adapt it into a film as most important parts are Isserley (the main character) and her ill-fat More...
May 02, 2011
Marian
rated it:
One word of advice: go into this book knowing next to nothing about the plot.
For me this was an impulse read - I had neither heard of the book before or know of the author. I chanced upon this book's description (honestly I only read like, 3 lines of the synopsis before I impulsively decided to read it), sent a sample to my kindle, and the next thing I know, I can't do anything else until I finish this book
So, Faber really knows how to engage his audience, draw us in bit More...
For me this was an impulse read - I had neither heard of the book before or know of the author. I chanced upon this book's description (honestly I only read like, 3 lines of the synopsis before I impulsively decided to read it), sent a sample to my kindle, and the next thing I know, I can't do anything else until I finish this book
So, Faber really knows how to engage his audience, draw us in bit More...
Feb 02, 2011
Anita
rated it:
This is going to be a startlingly short discussion. I am a person who is, to put it kindly, verbose. Wordy. I type too damn much sometimes. I know this. And if I let this tendency go unchecked in this discussion, I will spoil this entire book for you. This is a book wherein crucial plot points are revealed in layers. As you read, Faber reveals bits and pieces that make you wonder what is wrong, why the main character is experiencing back pain, why she looks odd, why she is stalking large, well-b
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Feb 15, 2010
Juushika
rated it:
Every day, Isserley drives the roads of the Scottish Highlands looking for beefy male hitchhikers to pick up—but not for the reasons that anyone would expect. Isolated from home, out of place among the hitchhikers, Isserley is the only link between two cultures. Under the Skin is a nightmare to summarize and even harder to review because the truth of Isserley's identity and role is a huge spoiler which is crucial to book's plot and message. Nonetheless it's safe to say: the first half of the boo
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0 comments
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(4 people liked it)
Oct 21, 2009
Carly
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jul 07, 2011
Nauseating is indeed the term. I kind of wonder how engaged Faber is with SF, because its clearly an SF novel, but kind of one you'd expect from a literary writer, maybe? Theres both a lack of the orienting genre touchstones, which could be done on purpose, but theres also a kind of stretched out didactism that just belabours and belabours the point. We get it, its a metaphor. Like, i've read punchier short stories of this conceit, but I can't imagine it being spun out into an actual genre novel
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Jul 16, 2010
David
rated it:
This is one of the creepiest books I've read in years. It's also terrific - all kinds of props are due Michel Faber. He not only has the creative imagination to come up with such a bizarre, mesmerizing story; he also has the writing chops to execute it brilliantly. I can't think of any story I've read in the last several years that ratchets up the horror quotient so steadily, and so effectively. He's in total control throughout (hard to believe this was his first novel), writing in a style that'
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5 comments
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(11 people liked it)
Jul 30, 2011
Josh
rated it:
The novel opens salaciously enough, with an unnaturally well-endowed young woman, Isserley, on the prowl for well-muscled male hitch-hikers along the A9 highway in Scotland.
But as the story progresses, the reader begins to realise that Isserley is more foreign to the place than it initially appears and that she is some kind of a migrant. English is obviously not her mother tongue, and she wears thick glasses with distortive lenses to hide her eyes, her legs are unnaturally short, she looks like More...
But as the story progresses, the reader begins to realise that Isserley is more foreign to the place than it initially appears and that she is some kind of a migrant. English is obviously not her mother tongue, and she wears thick glasses with distortive lenses to hide her eyes, her legs are unnaturally short, she looks like More...
Jan 26, 2011
Laysee
rated it:
Michel Faber’s first novel takes you into the tortured world of Isserley, a deceptively desirable female who cruises the A9 Scottish Highway for strong muscled male hitch hikers. Isserley’s hunt for juicy vodsels (humans) slowly opens up a starkly frightening world, totally unexpected given the seductive early pages. You cannot help feeling sorry for Isserley, a maimed but beautiful creature, compelled to take the perfunctory drive down the highway. At the same time, you wince and hope she would
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Jun 12, 2011
Robert
rated it:
Under the Skin is, I think, Michel Faber's first novel. It's very different from Crimson Petal and the White.
This is the story of Isserley, a woman driving around Scotland picking up hitchhikers. There is something predatory about her habit, and soon enough, a dark and mysterious story is revealed. I won't spoil the details, except to say that the mystery is not particularly exciting or interesting, once resolved. Then the plot changes and becomes focused on Isserley's interactions wit More...
This is the story of Isserley, a woman driving around Scotland picking up hitchhikers. There is something predatory about her habit, and soon enough, a dark and mysterious story is revealed. I won't spoil the details, except to say that the mystery is not particularly exciting or interesting, once resolved. Then the plot changes and becomes focused on Isserley's interactions wit More...
Mar 13, 2011
AJ
rated it:
A curious mix of rural horror, science fiction, social satire, vegetarian polemic, and ruminations on loneliness. These diverse elements really have no right to sit comfortably alongside one another, and at times they don't. However, it is hard not to admire Faber's audaciousness in trying, especially since this was his debut novel.
The ideas-based content probably deserves three or even three-and-a-half stars. I knocked the book's overall rating down to two because I cannot recall a More...
The ideas-based content probably deserves three or even three-and-a-half stars. I knocked the book's overall rating down to two because I cannot recall a More...
0 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Jun 14, 2011
Hugh
rated it:
Uummmmmm...oh God I don't know--what the fuck does one say about this book...God, who knows. Whatever. I mean--aaaaaaaaaaaaah, I don't know. Does it make me feel guilty--or do I feel that guilty that I don't feel as guilty as I could--guilt over the non-guilt? Oh who fucking cares. Just as a warped bizarro story it's fine, so I'll let myself off the hook and microwave a turkey dinner, and eat it quickly, without thinking deep thoughts.
Anyway, um, yah. So. I dunno. You should pr More...
Anyway, um, yah. So. I dunno. You should pr More...
Apr 22, 2011
Rafal
rated it:
Problem z opiniowaniem tej książki jest taki, że ciężko powiedzieć o niej cokolwiek, co nie zdradziłoby pewnych wątków fabuły, które w większości stanowią o dużej wartości "Pod skórą". Ograniczę się więc do opisania uczuć, jakie wywołuje - powieść ze wszech miar nowatorska, trudna do zakwalifikowania a jednocześnie ciekawa, poruszająca i mądra. Na dobitkę w kluczowym momentach trzyma w napięciu, niczym rasowy thriller, czasem wznieca obrzydzenie, jak krwisty horror, wzbudza emocje na s
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Jan 25, 2011
Josh
rated it:
The novel opens salaciously enough, with an unnaturally well-endowed young woman, Isserley, on the prowl for well-muscled male hitch-hikers along the A9 highway in Scotland.
But as the story progresses, the reader begins to realise that Isserley is more foreign to the place than it initially appears and that she is some kind of a migrant. English is obviously not her mother tongue, and she wears thick glasses with distortive lenses to hide her eyes, her legs are unnaturally short, sh More...
But as the story progresses, the reader begins to realise that Isserley is more foreign to the place than it initially appears and that she is some kind of a migrant. English is obviously not her mother tongue, and she wears thick glasses with distortive lenses to hide her eyes, her legs are unnaturally short, sh More...
