A strange book for a strange time. Coincidental overlap with current events re: contamination through proximity and attempts to rid ourselves of perceived dirtiness.

I read the first half in ebook form and found that it added to the surreal experience.

I couldn’t make it all the way through this. Wasn’t for me.

DNF (for the first time in my life)

I have been listening to this book after loving her latest novel, thinking that I would find a similar vibe. When l looked down and l saw that there were still over 4 and a half hours to go, I gave up. I didn’t understand what was going on, it was boring and weird, and I tend to agree with some of the reviews: it feels like an academic exercise.

This book is so freaking weird. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit at first but about 70% through I realized the resolution I wanted was not going to happen... The whole time I thought she was a split personality; that B and C were both manifestations of that, or maybe hallucinations? Anyway, the cult stuff wasn't explained very well and overall I got the feeling that this should have been two separate novels, almost.

This is one of those books that reads a little like a fever dream, and I'm not even sure how I feel about it because I'm still digesting its strangeness. I think it did some interesting things, but it's so hazy and so exhausting to think about, and with an overwhelming sad empty feeling that was difficult to sit with. My partner bought it for me thinking of it as a horror novel, and it's not that at all really in the traditional sense. But that the main character's existence and emptiness is a kind of plastic, frustrating, sad kind of horrific and the novel does play with some of the more horrific aspects of our culture, so in that sense, I guess it kind of is.

Audiobook

what a strange, strange book!
I've been mulling over this for a couple of days because the book has left a lasting impression.
I really enjoyed this, but I don't know if everything landed for me on first read. I.e. I don't know if I really "got it."
I would love to read this again and delve more deeply into the themes of consumerism, identity, relationships, etc.
I will say that a lot, if not most, of the scenes are completely memorable. kleeman is an exceptionally vivid and bizarre writer. the end stage scene?! the veal man?!
if recommend this book for anyone looking for a fresh narrative and writing style. oh and something strange. very, very strange.

Kleeman's spectral prose is apt for the subject, which is an absurd, pretentious exploration of consumption, body image, immanence/transcendence, and ego boundaries. Before this, I've never really seen deterritorialization applied to characters in a novel and it's surprisingly well done.

But somehow the whole thing felt like a slog to get through. I don't know the last time I spent a full two weeks on a book under 300 pages. The slow burn nearly feels worth it, but I'm not sure I would call this an emotionally rewarding experience.

I came away from this feeling like a sad, disposable human. This novel is darkly funny, but it equally produced enough discomfort that I didn't laugh out loud.

"There is nothing more hazardous to yourself than being yourself."

I felt hopeful that we were swimming toward something important, but the breakthrough is that this protagonist--whose name we never learn--returns to a life she never liked, this time as some semblance of a predator, dragging a hostage along with her.

Sigh. Talk about feeding the Nothing.

This is a very very weird novel.

Voisin antaa tälle yhden tähden, koska jouduin todella taistelemaan, että sain tämän luetuksi loppuun. Yhtä hyvin voisin antaa viisi tähteä, koska tämä on kaikessa kokeellisessa surrealismissaan ja muussa kummallisuudessaan nerokas teos. En kuitenkaan yltyisi väittämään, että tietäisin, mistä tässä romaanissa on kysymys.



On A, B ja C. A ja B on kämppiksiä ja B haluaa muuttua samanlaiseksi kuin A. A seurustelee C:n kanssa, mutta heidän välisensä suhde kumisee onttouttaan.

Tärkeässä roolissa on Wally’s supermarket ja sen Wallys-hahmot sekä Kandy kakes -nimiset keksit. A. ajautuu osaksi eräänlaisen uskonnon (Church of the Conjoined Eater) toimintaa, jossa pyritään pääsemään pimeydestä valoon. Sielläkään hänen hommansa eivät mene ihan putkeen.



Välillä Kleeman kertoo katoavista isistä (Disappearing Dad Disorder) ja välillä taas tarkastelun kohteena on muuan Michael, jolla on pakonomainen tarve varastaa kaupasta lihaa.



Kleeman kritisoi kuluttamista ja kauneusihanteita ja päällimmäiseksi langaksi omassa luennassani nousee A:n identiteettikertomus. 



”I was trying to figure out if there was anything in here that would tell me who I was now, why nobody saw me in me, why others saw someone I have never been.”