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savvylit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.5
The Girlfriend Experiment is a fascinating concept: researchers monitor interactions between compatible subjects to discover what really makes a relationship work. This horrifyingly clinical approach to love soon reveals itself to be very one-sided. For instance - Mary, as the Emotional Girlfriend, is required to endlessly comfort and empathize with her "boyfriend" Kurt. Kurt, for his part, never needs to ask Mary a single question about her own life. This one-sided nature of the GX allows Lacey to explore inequality in heterosexual relationships. How often are women expected to nurture and cater to men with no reciprocation?
Despite the aforementioned fascinating exploration, the plot of this novel is just heavy-handed and unsurprising enough to be boring. Catherine Lacey's prose, on the other hand, remained riveting and gorgeous throughout The Answers. I can say now that Lacey is unparalleled when it comes to creating a dreamy, haunting atmosphere. Reading this book, I was reminded of how much I loved her prose in Pew - which has been one of my favorite reads of this year. Whenever I found my interest in the plot waning, Lacey's beautifully crafted sentences fueled my desire to turn the page. Ultimately, I am still obsessed with her talent and can't wait to read more of her work.
Despite the aforementioned fascinating exploration, the plot of this novel is just heavy-handed and unsurprising enough to be boring. Catherine Lacey's prose, on the other hand, remained riveting and gorgeous throughout The Answers. I can say now that Lacey is unparalleled when it comes to creating a dreamy, haunting atmosphere. Reading this book, I was reminded of how much I loved her prose in Pew - which has been one of my favorite reads of this year. Whenever I found my interest in the plot waning, Lacey's beautifully crafted sentences fueled my desire to turn the page. Ultimately, I am still obsessed with her talent and can't wait to read more of her work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Death of parent