(Bought at Time and Space Limited in Hudson, NY for $4) Mary Gaitskill's first collection of stories features some pretty twisted souls. Secretary (which was adapted into a 2002 film) features a weird relationship between the titular office worker and her attorney-boss combining elements of S&M, spanking and workplace harassment, but she seems to enjoy it. A Romantic Weekend also borders on sadomasochism, but the two lovers can't seem to agree on what they want. Prostitution is a main element in several of the tales as the heroines grapple with feeling trapped in the world's oldest profession. A customer is the main focus of another story as he falls for a working girl but is shattered when he encounters her in the outside "real" world. Gaitskill portrays these people without judgement. My favorite was the last, longest story, Heaven in which a woman deals with her repressed husband, four children going through different phases of rebellion and a troubled niece who comes to live with the family. Virginia goes through numerous difficulties and tragedies without really examining her life or her feelings and finally accepts her lot. Gaitskill reminds me of A.M. Homes and Lorrie Moore with her short, sharp, detailed observations of characters muddling through challenging but mundane lives.
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