CBR Bingo: Joker, in that way about how the court jester can stand and laugh at everyone? I just feel like the book has that vibe, where everything is just circus antics and Astrid is watching her life collapse around her.
A gift from my lovely friend Eunice, a reminder that life can toss you kindred spirits in many interesting ways (I grumpily assumed she was responsible for my drain backing up, got her number from her lease manager, stomped up to complain and promptly fell in love when the door opened).
This is a book about a mildly cancelled lesbian with a bit of a drug-and-drama problem who gets really into being the type of messy, chaotic lesbian that features in some of her favorite 1950s pulp lesbian works. ALSO featuring a long, extended cameo by one my favorite books, The Secret History–the audiobook version, natch, that apparently features Donna Tartt narrating? Astrid Dahl is a writer of some small success who got cancelled because of some shenanigans at a book talk. She decides to get back into the swing of things by returning to a Zoom-based writing group that she originally founded, swearing off of women and distractions (such as the Patricia Highsmith, a potent combination of Adderall, cigarettes, and alcohol that she uses to assuage the ennui of life). She does not succeed at any of this, in particular staying away from Ivy, a woman in the writing group who seduces her by messaging on the side and asking her for her star sign.
In general, this book is sort of a wild romp through a series of increasingly bad decisions. It’s like the Michelle Wolf note about Wonder Woman recently mentioned in Pajiba’s review of Kirsten Stewart/Alia Shawkat’s lady stoner movie–equal rights means one day letting female characters go be ridiculous and potentially mediocre? I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but I do think it suffers a bit from plotting and pacing issues, and it’s a bit exhausting to have every plot movement driven by our main character bring illogical. At least, I’d critique other books for the same.
