Mary, Mary, Where You Going To?

I had to return my copy of Mary Gaitskill's "Veronica" to the library. It was due yesterday, and I had already renewed it once before. I'm embarrassed that I wasn't able to finish it. And I really liked the book too! However, there is something about the story and its structure that do not propel you to turn the page. First, the story is heavy and depressing. Second, although this is a first person narrative, there are three concurrent storylines going on: 1) the narrator's current life as a housecleaner and Hep C patient 2) the narrator's past life as a model in Paris, and 3) the story of Veronica, a woman who befriends her after her modeling career ends. The story jumps casually between these three storylines, so it's difficult to remember the chronology of the book if you skip a few days of reading. I will definitely finish this book, however. I'll just go back to the library tomorrow and hope no one else has taken it out yet. (Image via New York Magazine, George Pitts)