false 18639 0684843129 9780684843124 509 50 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167011685m/18639.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18639.Two_Girls_Fat_and_Thin 11214 Mary Gaitskill 4717 728 3 0 false Sat Jun 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 16 20:27:36 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 20 17:42:56 -0700 2009
i read this quickly and remained fully engaged even on crowded subway rides. but in retrospect, i am not sure this novel is entirely successful. the structural device (switching between 1st and 3rd person narrators) never made sense to me and i kept waiting for it to do so. it wouldn't be so bothersome if it were merely an aesthetic flourish, but the entire project of this book seems to be to draw connections between these two different characters, which begs too many questions regarding justine's lack of narrative voice. moreover, the execution seems flawed, since the narrative VOICE remains absolutely the same even when the narrator AND the point-of-view change. how does that make sense? is the omniscient narrator actually dorothy? is justine invented by dorothy? is dorothy's subjective voice being written by justine? none of those options would feel satisfying, but what's worse is there is no answer to the conundrum.

at times, the writing is eh. adverby. but the nuances of complex emotion are made palpable by gaitskill's observations and depicted with killer accuracy. at least, they ring true for me and what i know about female psychology regarding self-worth, sexuality, identity, intimacy, and survival instinct. justine's adolescent cruelty. dorothy's ability to insulate herself from external reality. these are profound constructs.

i just don't know how soon i'll be ready to read another gaitskill. highly recommended for lovers of melodrama, since this is definitely a step-up from v.c. andrews.

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