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A review by vacantbones
Ghost Lover: Stories by Lisa Taddeo
2.0
Let me be clear: I wanted to love Ghost Lover. Taddeo's Animal was one of my favorite books of 2021. There were things I liked about this collection, in the end - I enjoy Taddeo's writing style and her use of bizarre metaphors, the way these stories explore the rawness of womanhood. Unfortunately, all of these stories begin to blend together because the main characters are so indistinguishable from each other. They're chasing men who won't give them the time of day, preoccupied with their weight and appearances, grieving a youth that will never return. They were sexually abused by father figures and emotionally neglected by mothers. Within an hour of finishing this one, I already cannot tell you which specific details I'm remembering belong to which woman.
Like many others point out in their reviews, the fixation with weight in this collection is particularly troublesome. Sure, fatphobia is deeply ingrained in the culture that shapes upper middle class white women like those in this collection, but the fact that it is so present in all of these stories feels incredibly unnecessary.
Rounding my rating up to 2 stars because I really liked "Air Supply" and the way it portrays friendship, and for the overall writing style.
Like many others point out in their reviews, the fixation with weight in this collection is particularly troublesome. Sure, fatphobia is deeply ingrained in the culture that shapes upper middle class white women like those in this collection, but the fact that it is so present in all of these stories feels incredibly unnecessary.
Rounding my rating up to 2 stars because I really liked "Air Supply" and the way it portrays friendship, and for the overall writing style.