groovywitch's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
sarahshaiman's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nakarinna83's review against another edition
4.0
A washed-up ex-model strikes up an unlikely relationship with a temp named Veronica. There's nothing particularly likable about either woman: Allison is petulant and insecure, while Veronica is brash and prickly. Further, I didn't find either woman's backstory particularly relatable. However, the story was infused with a kind of raw honesty that made me believe in the realness of the friendship. The story is told from Allison's point of view, so we don't get a lot of insight into Veronica's thoughts and motivations, but Gaitskill skillfully walked the fine line between putting enough magnetism between the two characters to explain the friendship and depicting the inherently centrifugal nature of a lasting connection between two such different women.
thedambro's review
dark
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
Surprised the cat didn’t eat Veronica at the end tbh
groovyguru's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the writing style a lot especially the narrators descriptions of people and events happening. The story itself felt very real and the narrators internal dialogue was beautifully written. The only thing is I didn't find much connection with any of the characters, just kind of felt like reading about things that happened and it was hard to get attached and care about any outcomes. Good read overall made me think a lot
bbqrplanting's review against another edition
3.0
I thought the book was well written but I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I feel like the author left the characters somewhat of a mystery so you don't really know what their whole story is, what exactly it is that makes them fucked up.
raychillstorm's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
corneliadolian's review against another edition
5.0
I read Veronica over the course of roughly 1.5 days (sleep, work, play also took up some time). It was addictive and mesmerizing and delirious and stunning and beautiful and expansive and breathless and depressing and hard and devastating and wonderful. Not everyone will love it and I've no trouble seeing why. Still, it really hit the spot for me.
The structure is linear but with lots of flashbacks and sometimes the transition from present to past is so smooth that you don't realize you were in the present day at the start of a paragraph, only to find yourself 2 decades in the past at the end of it. This isn't hard to follow if you can get into the flow of the writing and let it carry you.
The best thing about this novel is that it's very much alive. Even when it deals with death and decay, it manages to hum and pulsate with aliveness. It's not nihilistic, it's not ironic, it's not flippant. It's guttural and sometimes it guts you. But, sometimes it caresses and warms you with the loveliness of fleeting moments, deep love and small joys. This is largely due to the the sharp and precise beauty of Gaitskill's prose. It's in your face when it needs to be and allows you to take a step back (without ever keeping you at arm's length) when that's necessary. It knocks the wind out of you, but lets you get it back before socking you again.
The structure is linear but with lots of flashbacks and sometimes the transition from present to past is so smooth that you don't realize you were in the present day at the start of a paragraph, only to find yourself 2 decades in the past at the end of it. This isn't hard to follow if you can get into the flow of the writing and let it carry you.
The best thing about this novel is that it's very much alive. Even when it deals with death and decay, it manages to hum and pulsate with aliveness. It's not nihilistic, it's not ironic, it's not flippant. It's guttural and sometimes it guts you. But, sometimes it caresses and warms you with the loveliness of fleeting moments, deep love and small joys. This is largely due to the the sharp and precise beauty of Gaitskill's prose. It's in your face when it needs to be and allows you to take a step back (without ever keeping you at arm's length) when that's necessary. It knocks the wind out of you, but lets you get it back before socking you again.
marahk's review
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0