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A review by sloatsj
Two Girls Fat and Thin by Mary Gaitskill
4.0
I liked this intimate look at two women, both ill-at-ease in the world, who make a strange connection. We get very close to them from childhood on, and their encounters with each other vibrate with their past experiences. Dorothy was an abused child, while Justine was both abused and an abuser, but one whose flashes of empathy leave her open to redemption.
The story takes off after Justine, a freelance journalist/secretary, contacts Dorothy for an interview about "Definitism," the philosophy of Anna Granite, a stand-in for Ayn Rand. Dorothy is an obese 20-something and follower of Granite’s philosophy, while Justine is an alienated character with an interest in degrading and dangerous sex.
Justine’s article, published near the end of the book, enrages Dorothy, who decides immediately upon reading it to track Justine down and vent her anger. The ending was a surprise to me.
I admit I didn't get off to a good start with the book. I thought I'd be modifier'd out by page 12 or so, but the feeling abated as the story developed.
The story takes off after Justine, a freelance journalist/secretary, contacts Dorothy for an interview about "Definitism," the philosophy of Anna Granite, a stand-in for Ayn Rand. Dorothy is an obese 20-something and follower of Granite’s philosophy, while Justine is an alienated character with an interest in degrading and dangerous sex.
Justine’s article, published near the end of the book, enrages Dorothy, who decides immediately upon reading it to track Justine down and vent her anger. The ending was a surprise to me.
I admit I didn't get off to a good start with the book. I thought I'd be modifier'd out by page 12 or so, but the feeling abated as the story developed.