I read this book right on the heels of Lorrie Moore’s book Self-Help, which was unavoidable since it was due at the library, but was nevertheless a mistake. Where I felt that Moore showed compassion, Gaitskill seemed objective almost to the point of being clinical sometimes. Her stories are still very good and move nicely, and still have a lot to say about the human condition, but they didn’t move me nearly as much. There was one story in particular that I admired, which was about an old man who visits a prostitute and feels much more for her than she feels for him. There was something really touching about it and it stuck with me for a while afterwards. In all, it’s a collection worth reading, especially if you’re interested in the work of feminist authors.