A review by margaretpottah
Ghost Lover: Stories, by Lisa Taddeo

dark funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So vibrant and juicy that it feels like gossiping with your best friend- a friend so close they tell you their deepest, darkest thoughts.

Lisa Taddeo has a gift for illustrating how patriarchy affects women, not just in their relationships but deep to their core. It brings up themes of jealousy, resignation, obsession, loss, and connection. I found Taddeo’s exploration of friendships between women to be interesting in its honesty. 

One standout was Forty-Two. It was an honest, sad look at womanhood. It contrasted two women’s expectations of their love lives- an older woman with hope versus a young woman resigned to what she thinks is realistic. It situated womanhood in perception- the picture of a memory meaning even more than the moment of a memory (unless you’re rolling in the hay with a very kind cowboy). It was also the first of many stories that discuss the value of youth, a commodity for women in a patriarchal society.

Taddeo’s typical dark tone is present throughout the collection, but there are lifting moments, too. There are shared thoughts between women during traumatic moments. There are friends who act selflessly. But there are many, many instances of fatphobia on the part of the narrators- it felt like a commentary by the author on the pressure, internal and external, to have a “conventionally attractive” body. Taddeo writes about thinness as she writes about youth- as a commodity, unfortunately. Still, it could be a difficult read for those with sensitivity around that subject, and would certainly be alienating to fat or larger-bodied readers.

I very much enjoyed this collection. It’s meaty enough to dig your teeth into, with enough to chew on that I’d like to give it a second read. Great stuff from Taddeo once again.
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