Veronica Audiobook

" it reminded me a lot of like being killed (book #30), but it was a lot easier to read and to like the characters. it's a portrait of a woman reflecting on her destructive lifestyle as a model when she was younger and her friendship with an older, unglamorous woman with hiv. what i liked was the way the book captured allison and her friend and sisters' different coping mechanisms for life. "

" This was much less perverse than I was expecting. Also, once I got past pg. 200 I just wanted it to end. "

" Like little bits of poetry on each page, even though it's a novel. Sometimes things get cloudy, but you wade through those lines and come out OK. (I had a feeling that if a student took this to get workshopped, someone might write CLARIFY! in red in the margins.) Bleak, depressing, and yet, so gorgeously written that I couldn't help myself. She's brilliant when it comes to metaphors and has a knack for illustrating feelings and other intangibles with sharp, stunning visuals. "

" Really unique voice and writing style; the sensory descriptions are particularly unusual and on point. "

" i read this book really quickly, it was fantastically written but so depressing i couldnt imagine reading it for longer than a week. it wasnt nearly as graffic as other people said it was, not quite as sexually disturbing as id feared.. but the depression, moroseness and morbid inertia are stifeling. normally id find this kind of aimless plot line gimicky but because of the delicate and deliberate use of language it was more artistic and forgivable. i hated all of the characters but i liked this book. read it if your not depressed or dont mind becoming depressed. "

" Both violent and reassuring and hideous and beautiful at the same time, "Veronica" was an interesting, poetic brutal story. "

" This book is depressing just because of the type of person it is about. Aren't there enough stories of the selfish already? But I really enjoyed it because of the prose, which is beyond my ability to describe. I wanted to eat it. "

" A great snapshot of the superficial world of Paris/NYC fashion models, the sad (gay) life of the mid-late 80's, AIDS and getting real with yourself once the party's over. Gaitskill is terrific with prose but can be gross and a bit of a "sensationalist" at times. Otherwise, a good read. "

" An absolutely haunting work of art. Should not be missed. "

" Best book from my syllabus/required readings this semester!:) "

" Dreamy/brutal "

" Yes, I'll admit: I gave up on this one about a hundred pages in. I dunno. I suppose Gaitskill's hyper-lyrical prose-poem mediations on trauma, embodiment, and disease work better in the short story format. I'll give this one another shot some day. "

" This didn't really grab me. I kept reading thinking I would get more into it, but it didn't really happen. With so many good books out there, I would skip it. "

" my book club read this and the verdict wasn't good. but i'm always blown away by mary gaitskill. a lot of her writing is dense, but she's skillful enough to pull you through. the life story of a girl who becomes a successful model, and what happens afterwards too. "

" not bad but now i can't hardly remember it so it must not have made much of an impression! "

" Beautiful and dark and perfect. "

" One of my all-time favorites "

" Twisted---a look into the nasty corners of the psyche, as most of Gaitskill's writing tends to be. I found myself flinching as I read, which to me is almost always a sign of fantastic honesty in a writer. Unless I am reading De Sade, which is a different story. "

" It's got the swagger of the early stuff, with the compassion for her character and those around her that unsurprisingly comes with the years. "

" Beautiful language but a little erratic; not my style "

" Couldn't finish it. Barely even started it but had enough to know I shouldn't waste my time. "

" Haunting, sometimes disturbing read...Gaitskill is a frank, beautiful writer. I found myself caring less about Alison's life/past and was more interested in the nature of her relationship with Veronica "

" Pretty disappointing. I mean, it's an ok book, but I liked the premise of "Two Girls..." a lot better. It's fine, just not amazing. "

" Audiobook- Rambled a lot ! "

" Meet Mary Gaitskill when she was Chuck Palahniuk. "

" A great snapshot of the superficial world of Paris/NYC fashion models, the sad (gay) life of the mid-late 80's, AIDS and getting real with yourself once the party's over. Gaitskill is terrific with prose but can be gross and a bit of a "sensationalist" at times. Otherwise, a good read. "

" It's rare to pick up a book that's so unlike any other book you've read in terms of its concept and story, which I appreciated. I had wanted to read this since it came out but was afraid it was going to be exceptionally dark and/or gruesome. I'm glad I picked it up. "

" I don't understand the fuss about this book. Meandering and pretentious, assuming depth and meaning but ultimately not delivering. I kept thinking it would get better but... Nope! "

" Raw yet lyrical. Sad. Compelling. Really liked it. "

" Often abstract, sometimes brilliant and poetic, and too often emotionally hazy. I wanted to be closer to the characters and the events; sometimes Gaitskill gave me that closeness and it was rewarding. "

" not bad but now i can't hardly remember it so it must not have made much of an impression! "

" I could not get into this book at all. I kept reading thinking I was missing something. I never found it. "

" Didn't finish reading. Got it from the library. "

" It was a bit depressing but I liked a lot of the ways that the author described people and situations. "

" finally finished this years later. i love gaitskill and LOVE this book. "