Lain's review
The Washingtonienne: A Novel
by Jessica Cutler
Lain's review
The Washingtonienne: A Novel by Jessica Cutler
Lain's review
rating:
Somehow the standards for fiction and memoir are different. In a "real" story, I expect things to be a tad disjointed and unresolved in spots, and I will even tolerate a certain amount of poor writing. After all, the author is somewhat limited by the facts (unless he's James Frey). In a novel, however, none of that is acceptable. Don't try to sell me a half-assed book if you have the freedom to make up whatever the heck you want.
Although Cutler presents this book as a novel, it's well-known that she lived this life. And so I read this book more as a memoir than as a work of fiction. The good news is that Cutler benefitted from my lower standards -- which is good, because as a novel this book fails on basically every front. It's poorly written, the characters are superficial, and the plot is non-existent.
The bad news (for Cutler) is that I basically hate her and Jackie, her main character. They are disgusting, sleazy narcissists who see others as nothing more than a ...more
Although Cutler presents this book as a novel, it's well-known that she lived this life. And so I read this book more as a memoir than as a work of fiction. The good news is that Cutler benefitted from my lower standards -- which is good, because as a novel this book fails on basically every front. It's poorly written, the characters are superficial, and the plot is non-existent.
The bad news (for Cutler) is that I basically hate her and Jackie, her main character. They are disgusting, sleazy narcissists who see others as nothing more than a ...more