3 books to read if you loved 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl
Mona Awad's gut-wrenching novel-in-stories 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl was among the Scotiabank Giller Prize finalists in 2016. Her debut book, which won the Amazon.ca First Novel Award, is about a young woman whose most dominant relationship is to her own body.
If you loved the 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, here are three great Canadian books you'll love.
Don't I Know You? by Marni Jackson
What it's about: Celebrities casually drift into the life of writer Rose McEwan. From Gwyneth Paltrow to Bob Dylan, these artists counsel McEwan through her impending break-ups, health problems and career crises.
What it's really about: A commentary on the role of artists in our lives. An exploration on how we consciously - and unconsciously - consult art for guidance at pivotal moments in life.
When you're in the mood for: A chill hang-out with Bill Murray, adventures in the bush with Taylor Swift, Leonard Cohen and Karl Ove Knausgaard and intelligent popculture critique.
If your favourite thing about 13 Ways was: The novel-in-stories approach. A contemporary female protagonist with a critical eye and relatable problems. Light touches of whimsy.
From the book: "Everywhere I went in Cannes, she was there, wearing something black and minimal, exuding mystery, her famous falcon eyes hidden by dark glasses. One night she deliberately sat in front of me at a screening; I could tell by the self-conscious way she moved her head. On my way to the bathroom in the morning before the first film of the day, there she was again in the lobby of the Lumière with the same faint, complicit smile. I couldn't get rid of Charlotte Rampling."
How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti
What it's about: The novel follows a Toronto playwright who analyzes her relationships to friends, lovers and art in the deepest minutiae. Her unfinished play hangs over her like a cloud throughout the novel.
What it's really about: The unending, often disappointing search for a beautiful life.
When you're in the mood for: Philosophical reflection on matters that make up contemporary existence: art, sex, love and friendship.
If your favourite thing about 13 Ways was: Aesthetically minded characters with intense inner monologues. Open, honest and funny musings on modern-day insecurities.
From the book: "Now when I wake in the mornings, I look out the window in the hopes that a policeman on a horse will pass by. When it doesn't happen, I untangle myself from the sheets and get up and go to the mirror to start my day. I produce a haughty, superior expression to intimidate myself into thinking I'm cool, cooler than I am. I make my eyes as world-weary as possible, like a fashion model's, then I think, You're a charlatan. You love everything you were ever given."
Eating Habits of the Chronically Lonesome by Megan Gail Coles
What it's about: 16 interwoven short stories featuring protagonists with deep emotional scars, muddling through challenging circumstances with raw honesty and grit.
What it's really about: The truths that surface when we are hungry, physically and metaphorically.
When you're in the mood for: The literary version of a stiff drink.
If your favourite thing about 13 Ways was: Blunt truths that hit home. Dysfunctional people who are all flaws and no charm. Funny, because it hurts.
From the book: "A painted blonde child of about six is crying to my Thai masseuse. Coral lipstick is smudged across her face while blue mascara runs trenches down her fat cheeks. The masseuse comforts the girl in Thai and I'm surprised when she nods her head in response. The child's features take on a new Asian quality as I search for a family resemblance. The pair becomes distracted by someone approaching to our left. I was initially annoyed by the interruption. A screaming child is not relaxing. But now I'm intrigued."