Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Canongate Books Ltd (2000), 304 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML: Hailed as "original and unsettling, an Animal Farm for the new century" (The Wall Street Journal), this first novel lingers long after the last page has been turned. Described as a "fascinating psychological thriller" (The Baltimore Sun), this entrancing novel introduces Isserley, a female driver who picks up hitchhikers with big muscles. She, herself, is tiny-like a kid peering up over the steering wheel. Scarred and awkward, yet strangely erotic and threatening, she listens to her hitchhikers as they open up to her, revealing clues about who might miss them if they should disappear. At once humane and horrifying, Under the Skin takes us on a heart-thumping ride through dangerous territory-our own moral instincts and the boundaries of compassion. A grotesque and comical allegory, a surreal representation of contemporary society run amok, Under the Skin has been internationally received as the arrival of an exciting talent, rich and assured..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member SqueakyChu
Although I’m not a great fan of what ultimately tends toward science fiction, I love a book, such as this one, that is deeply thought-provoking. As this book started out, I had no clue that this book was anything other than a straightforward novel about a young woman. I came into reading it with
What begins with one young woman driving alone on a highway and stopping to pick up a hitchhiker turns into much, much more than I ever expected from the lighthearted banter between the driver and hitchhiker I encountered at the beginning of the story. This is a novel that you should read without knowing what’s ahead. It will hit with the most impact that way. Suffice it to say that we learn more about Isserley, who she is, what she does for a living, and where she lives. We also learn why she finds it imperative to look for the right hitchhiker along the road and make sure that she offers a ride to those of whom she specifically approves.
I loved this book! It reminded me of the reaction I had to Katherine Dunn’s book Geek Love. In both this book and Dunn’s book, the reader is drawn into looking at what seems to be a “normal” person from a very different perspective.
I’m not sure this book is for everyone, though. It is hard-hitting and may leave your stomach a bit queasy. It is, however, fast paced, well written, and fascinating. To see if this book is for you, I’d suggest just reading the first chapter to see if it piques your interest. If that first chapter doesn’t grab you, I’d be very surprised. Enjoy!
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no knowledge of its content nor had I ever read any other books by Michel Faber.What begins with one young woman driving alone on a highway and stopping to pick up a hitchhiker turns into much, much more than I ever expected from the lighthearted banter between the driver and hitchhiker I encountered at the beginning of the story. This is a novel that you should read without knowing what’s ahead. It will hit with the most impact that way. Suffice it to say that we learn more about Isserley, who she is, what she does for a living, and where she lives. We also learn why she finds it imperative to look for the right hitchhiker along the road and make sure that she offers a ride to those of whom she specifically approves.
I loved this book! It reminded me of the reaction I had to Katherine Dunn’s book Geek Love. In both this book and Dunn’s book, the reader is drawn into looking at what seems to be a “normal” person from a very different perspective.
I’m not sure this book is for everyone, though. It is hard-hitting and may leave your stomach a bit queasy. It is, however, fast paced, well written, and fascinating. To see if this book is for you, I’d suggest just reading the first chapter to see if it piques your interest. If that first chapter doesn’t grab you, I’d be very surprised. Enjoy!
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LibraryThing member michaeldwebb
Well, this was nice, wasn't it? A kind of sci-fi/horror thing, or maybe a bit of a rant against the meat industry? I'm not sure really, but it wasn't particularly pleasant. I can't say too much about the plot - it wouldn't be fair as it's fun the way in unravels. Let's just say it isn't a Crimson
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Petal of a book, but well worth reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lostshadows
To start, this book has one of the worst jacket summaries I've run across in years. (Note: Not the same as the ones here.) My first impression was that this was going to be a book about a female serial killer. Its actually a fantasy novel. Unfortunately, it's the kind of fantasy novel you get when
The basic premise has potential. Isserley, and her people, are real human beings, and view vodsels (us) as no better than animals. Isserley, and one of her co-workers, have undergone painful and extensive surgery so they can passably blend in with vodsels without attracting too much attention. This allows them to set up shop on a farm in Scotland, where Isserley brings hitchhikers she has determined are suitable for their purposes.
The book suffers from a lack of basic world building. I never got the impression that the author bothered to figure out much about the society of real human beings. I was left with the impression that they were kind of like us, but lived underground, and didn't look like us. There's also no explanation over the name. I wouldn't expect another species to think of us as human beings. But if another race, with a different language, uses that term for themselves, I want to know why.
The book also suffers from problems with the point of view. Most of the book is told from Isserley's point of view. However, every time she picks up a hitchhiker we get to see inside their head for a brief period. The shifts aren't jarring, but most of them don't add anything to story. There's only one that adds something that couldn't be conveyed by other means, but there's no payoff.
In fact, the lack of payoff is probably the biggest problem this book has. The author sets up something that seems to promise an interesting twist to the story, and then nothing happens. An important visitor from back home shows up unexpectedly, criticizes using vodsels for food, and Isserley finds herself attracted to him. Then he goes home. Near the end of the book, Isserley makes a bad choice of vodsel in a moment of panic. Yet, since it's late in the book, we only get to find out he's been reported missing and the cops are looking for information. Isserley decides she wants a different life than this, then the author drops a bridge on her.
Over all, the book shows promise that Michel Faber could write something interesting, but this isn't it.
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an author decides they're writing a serious book, rather than that genre crap.The basic premise has potential. Isserley, and her people, are real human beings, and view vodsels (us) as no better than animals. Isserley, and one of her co-workers, have undergone painful and extensive surgery so they can passably blend in with vodsels without attracting too much attention. This allows them to set up shop on a farm in Scotland, where Isserley brings hitchhikers she has determined are suitable for their purposes.
The book suffers from a lack of basic world building. I never got the impression that the author bothered to figure out much about the society of real human beings. I was left with the impression that they were kind of like us, but lived underground, and didn't look like us. There's also no explanation over the name. I wouldn't expect another species to think of us as human beings. But if another race, with a different language, uses that term for themselves, I want to know why.
The book also suffers from problems with the point of view. Most of the book is told from Isserley's point of view. However, every time she picks up a hitchhiker we get to see inside their head for a brief period. The shifts aren't jarring, but most of them don't add anything to story. There's only one that adds something that couldn't be conveyed by other means, but there's no payoff.
In fact, the lack of payoff is probably the biggest problem this book has. The author sets up something that seems to promise an interesting twist to the story, and then nothing happens. An important visitor from back home shows up unexpectedly, criticizes using vodsels for food, and Isserley finds herself attracted to him. Then he goes home. Near the end of the book, Isserley makes a bad choice of vodsel in a moment of panic. Yet, since it's late in the book, we only get to find out he's been reported missing and the cops are looking for information. Isserley decides she wants a different life than this, then the author drops a bridge on her.
Over all, the book shows promise that Michel Faber could write something interesting, but this isn't it.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Under the Skin by Michael Faber is a strange story that grows progressively weirder as it develops. Set in the Scottish Highlands the story slowly reveals that the main character, Isserley, spends her time driving around the roads of Northern Scotland and picks up hitchhikers. She doesn’t pickup
As the story moves along, the reader eventually discovers the purpose behind Isserley’s quest. The story grows ever darker and more terrifying. As more of Isserley’s character is revealed, the harder it is not to feel some empathy for her, although she certainly shows none for her victims. In truth, Isserley is an extraterrestrial who has been surgically altered to roughly take the human form. Her victims are drugged, mutilated, fattened and then shipped to her home planet for food.
With Under the Skin the author has delivered a beautifully written horror story with touches of macabre humor and, like many classic science fiction novels, this is a satirical novel with themes that revolve around the exploration of issues of humanity and other social concerns. I was totally spellbound by this brilliant, surreal exploration of morality but would caution that this story can be brutally graphic at times. This book deserves it's place on the 1,001 Books List and was a five star read for me.
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women, and only stops for well developed, muscular men. After getting them into her car she guides the conversation to have her passenger reveal what ties they have and who would miss them if they don’t show up at their destination.As the story moves along, the reader eventually discovers the purpose behind Isserley’s quest. The story grows ever darker and more terrifying. As more of Isserley’s character is revealed, the harder it is not to feel some empathy for her, although she certainly shows none for her victims. In truth, Isserley is an extraterrestrial who has been surgically altered to roughly take the human form. Her victims are drugged, mutilated, fattened and then shipped to her home planet for food.
With Under the Skin the author has delivered a beautifully written horror story with touches of macabre humor and, like many classic science fiction novels, this is a satirical novel with themes that revolve around the exploration of issues of humanity and other social concerns. I was totally spellbound by this brilliant, surreal exploration of morality but would caution that this story can be brutally graphic at times. This book deserves it's place on the 1,001 Books List and was a five star read for me.
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LibraryThing member keren7
This book reminded me why I love to read. I didn't want to leave this story for a second.
LibraryThing member HighlandLad
Strange, readable, entertaining, macabre, unputdownable, this sf horror thriller combines the utterly fantastic with the prosaic day-to-day world of the Scottish Highlands. Along the A9, in fact, backwards and forwards along that nasty dangerous road that links the Highlands with the rest of the
And once picked up, what a ride! There’s a few twists and turns, a number of horrors along the way, occasional close shaves, many fatalities, some straightforward cruising, and a brutal ending. Just like many journeys along the A9. On the way, you’ll ponder questions of speciesism, animal rights, class, capitalism, humanity. I read it non-stop within one evening. Once started I just couldn’t put it down.
Isserley spends her days cruising the A9, looking for hitchhikers to pick up. But only if they’re male, on their own, and well-built muscular specimens. Bald is OK, there’s no problem with tattoos either, since we’re all the same under the skin. But what about that forestry worker who’s just been diagnosed with lung cancer? Is cancer OK? Isserley doesn’t know, she’ll check it out when she gets back to the farm. If there’s any doubt, she puts them down again. But what happens to those Isserley doesn’t put down?
As a local, I loved some of Michel Faber’s descriptionsof the area, such as of Inverness, “a dismal toy-town of prefab ugliness”; and Alness - “A grateful hitcher had explained to Isserley not long ago: Alness was known... as ‘Little Glasgow’, and gave the area ‘a bad name’. Illegal pharmaceutical substances were freely available, leading to broken windows and females giving birth too young.”
The blurb describes it as an “Animal Farm for the new century”, which is nonsense. Animal Farm was a political allegory, a powerful fable. Under the Skin may share the same satirical approach, and touch on political issues but this is so much darker. A more pertinent comparison would be with H G Wells’s The Island of Dr Moreau which also deals with issues of man’s rights over other species. To what extent, through intensive farming methods, selective breeding, etc. can we manipulate them, exploit them, interfere with their essential nature?
I think you’ll be glad you picked up Under the Skin, you’ll enjoy the ride, you may, astonishingly, find that you have some sympathy for Isserley, and you’ll never forget the few hours you travelled with her.
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world, from Dornoch and Edderton in the north to Pitlochry in the south. All around where I live, as it happens, though I didn’t realise that when I first picked up this book. And once picked up, what a ride! There’s a few twists and turns, a number of horrors along the way, occasional close shaves, many fatalities, some straightforward cruising, and a brutal ending. Just like many journeys along the A9. On the way, you’ll ponder questions of speciesism, animal rights, class, capitalism, humanity. I read it non-stop within one evening. Once started I just couldn’t put it down.
Isserley spends her days cruising the A9, looking for hitchhikers to pick up. But only if they’re male, on their own, and well-built muscular specimens. Bald is OK, there’s no problem with tattoos either, since we’re all the same under the skin. But what about that forestry worker who’s just been diagnosed with lung cancer? Is cancer OK? Isserley doesn’t know, she’ll check it out when she gets back to the farm. If there’s any doubt, she puts them down again. But what happens to those Isserley doesn’t put down?
As a local, I loved some of Michel Faber’s descriptionsof the area, such as of Inverness, “a dismal toy-town of prefab ugliness”; and Alness - “A grateful hitcher had explained to Isserley not long ago: Alness was known... as ‘Little Glasgow’, and gave the area ‘a bad name’. Illegal pharmaceutical substances were freely available, leading to broken windows and females giving birth too young.”
The blurb describes it as an “Animal Farm for the new century”, which is nonsense. Animal Farm was a political allegory, a powerful fable. Under the Skin may share the same satirical approach, and touch on political issues but this is so much darker. A more pertinent comparison would be with H G Wells’s The Island of Dr Moreau which also deals with issues of man’s rights over other species. To what extent, through intensive farming methods, selective breeding, etc. can we manipulate them, exploit them, interfere with their essential nature?
I think you’ll be glad you picked up Under the Skin, you’ll enjoy the ride, you may, astonishingly, find that you have some sympathy for Isserley, and you’ll never forget the few hours you travelled with her.
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LibraryThing member babemuffin
Isserley would drive around to pick up hitchhikers. She wouldn’t pick them up on her first drive past them; she’d checked them out first and would drive by 2-3 times just to ascertain her perceptions of their persons. It would have to be a well-built male and one who is alone…
A mysterious
A mysterious
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piece of work saturated with the unknown. It was easy to read and it’s just so intriguing that you want to keep reading to find out what exactly are these unknown elements. There are points when I was on the edge of my seat thinking yes, it’s about to be reveal only to be given more teasing hints of what’s hidden. It evokes feelings of fear, disgust, and sympathy. Show Less
LibraryThing member lenoreva
I really didn't know what to expect from this novel which starts out with a woman looking to pick up hitchhikers, but it is a real head trip that's for sure. The less you know going in, the better. One of my very favorite books.
LibraryThing member greenribbon
Having first met Faber through the Crimson Petal and the White I could not have been more surprised by this book.
Superficially not for the squeamish this deeply challenging and disturbing dystopian novel with a (or rather many) wierd twists jumps genre after genre (Animal Farm meets Soylent Green
Superficially not for the squeamish this deeply challenging and disturbing dystopian novel with a (or rather many) wierd twists jumps genre after genre (Animal Farm meets Soylent Green
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and Psycho) but turns out to be an amazingly redemptive and totally gripping fable. Show Less
LibraryThing member the_awesome_opossum
Under the Skin contains more "gotchas" than any piece of self-respecting piece of literature ought to have. It's a dystopian novel featuring a mysterious industry to whom we are introduced in the beginning of the novel when its 'bounty hunter' Isserly goes cruising for hitchhikers. The story
The book oscillates between an understated suspense/horror story and a social statement about the meat industry and the value of life. So I wasn't sure where I stood, as a reader - should I appreciate the clever story (I did) or the Insightful Social Commentary (eh) as the essence of the book? I'm still undecided, but while I'm figuring it out, this is a fun and gripping read at least.
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unravels - never completely, but tantalizingly - as we learn more about Isserly's job and who exactly has employed her. The book oscillates between an understated suspense/horror story and a social statement about the meat industry and the value of life. So I wasn't sure where I stood, as a reader - should I appreciate the clever story (I did) or the Insightful Social Commentary (eh) as the essence of the book? I'm still undecided, but while I'm figuring it out, this is a fun and gripping read at least.
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LibraryThing member ten_floors_up
Here in the UK a TV adaptation of a later Michel Faber book has recently been screened (and fairly heavily trailed). though I missed it but it sounded interesting. On the principle of 'start at the very beginning', I picked out Faber's first novel at my local library.
'Under the Skin' is deftly
Even the moral aspects are never really rammed home, despite some of the upsetting features of the story. A good and thought-provoking read, that doesn't really belong in any genre, and is all the better for it.
'Under the Skin' is deftly
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written, underplayed in many ways and gently gathers pace in a very compelling way. In other hands (if for example someone like Martin Amis had written it) this story could have turned into a showy, look-at-me-and-my-craft treatment, a temptation very skillfully resisted here. Even the moral aspects are never really rammed home, despite some of the upsetting features of the story. A good and thought-provoking read, that doesn't really belong in any genre, and is all the better for it.
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LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
An interesting idea, and marvellous descriptions of the A9 and the land it cuts through, but over all I found this rather tedious and rather pointless.
LibraryThing member southpaw
Strangeness abounds here, but in a fascinating manner. Original, gently disturbing, and crafted with stunning metaphor. I challenge you to read this without coming away pondering on our place in the grand scheme of life.
LibraryThing member apartmentcarpet
I have never read anything by Michel Faber and been disappointed and this is no exception. The female Isserly picks up hitchhikers, who may or may not go home with her for nefarious purposes. I won't give away too much, since part of the joy of this book is slowly discovering what is going on. The
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overarching plot, however, is about what it means to be human, what it means to be hurt, and what it means to have mercy. Show Less
LibraryThing member vnovak
Isserley constantly drives the roads of the Scottish Highlands to pick up hitchhikers. She is drawn to men with muscular, healthy bodies, but her obsession is not at all what the reader at first suspects. Why is she so concerned that they have few family ties? Why does she have strange scars and an
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oddly-shaped body? Perfectly developed suspense matched with a surprising message. Show Less
LibraryThing member BPetronio
More mystery than sci-fi, the questions raised will keep you reading with morbid fascination.
LibraryThing member cygnoir
For fear of giving any part of the plot away, I won't be reviewing this book. I read it in one day, practically in one sitting, because it was so riveting, so weird, and so beautiful I couldn't bear to be away from it. Take a chance and experience this story without reading anything else about it.
LibraryThing member ivonapoyntz
quirky and diconcerting. Great idea, and brought to life exquisitely.
LibraryThing member maneekuhi
I read a very positive review of "Under the Skin", assumed it was a crime fiction story, and decided to buy it. When I was not very far into the story it became obvious that what I was reading was clearly SF, science fiction. Interestingly, as I scanned the excerpts from reviews on Amazon's page, I
The story is about a buxom young woman who picks uip male hitchhikers daily, and sometimes more frequently. It is not really a spoiler to tell you that getting in her car seals their fate. The story is told in the third person but only from the POV of Isserley, the driver. That becomes somewhat boring. The pickups, while all somewhat different of course, nevertheless, also become boring in their routine. Like a lot of sf, the story has its own vocabularly. And then there are the other characters.....boring, boring. I was anxious for it to end; on to the next book. I cannot recommend "Under The Skin", but I do note that large numbers o readers rate it a 4, so I am clearly in the minority. What I will recommend is that you read a chapter or so of the book before committing money and time to it. (A final thought that just occurred - I think this story would have made a very good episode on Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone", a 30 minute TV show from long ago.)
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didn't see any reference to the label SF; rather the book is a "psychological thriller", an "allegory", and it "defies description". No it doesn't, it's science fiction. Has "science fiction" become dirty words in the book industry? Is it a sales killer? Would I have read this if I had seen such a tag before purchase? Well, quite truthfully, probably not.The story is about a buxom young woman who picks uip male hitchhikers daily, and sometimes more frequently. It is not really a spoiler to tell you that getting in her car seals their fate. The story is told in the third person but only from the POV of Isserley, the driver. That becomes somewhat boring. The pickups, while all somewhat different of course, nevertheless, also become boring in their routine. Like a lot of sf, the story has its own vocabularly. And then there are the other characters.....boring, boring. I was anxious for it to end; on to the next book. I cannot recommend "Under The Skin", but I do note that large numbers o readers rate it a 4, so I am clearly in the minority. What I will recommend is that you read a chapter or so of the book before committing money and time to it. (A final thought that just occurred - I think this story would have made a very good episode on Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone", a 30 minute TV show from long ago.)
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LibraryThing member mirshad
It'll take me a while to sort out my feelings about this book. Quite haunting.
It's very different from the film, indeed it's a lot better, and also very sad.
It's very different from the film, indeed it's a lot better, and also very sad.
LibraryThing member Lucy_Rock
Isserley is a mysterious, awkward looking, seemingly vulnerable yet also strangely threatening young woman who spends her days driving up and down the A9 in the wilds of Scotland picking up muscly men and proceeding to grill them on their lives. Do they have any family? A job? Any friends?
The
This is a wonderful book, the best I have read all year, so far everything else is paling in comparison. It is completely unique and unpredictable; imagine the subtlety and brilliance of The Handmaid's Tale combined with the sheer foulness of Jeepers Creepers and you might be getting somewhere there.
The
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reason why she asks these question is up to you as readers to find out as this is simply one of those books where it would be impossible to summarise any part of the plot without completely giving the game away. What I can say is that this is an accomplished first novel and certainly does not read like a début. Faber's carefully managed prose means that we feel incredibly anxious for a huge portion of the book without really understanding why. The bleak, Scottish landscape is one close to my heart and its hazy, remote landscape mirrors our mood as, trapped behind Isserley's impassive eyes, we experience emotions ranging from sympathy, to anger, to complete disgust. Bigger themes may be at play here; such as the concept of what it means to be human, the ethical concerns around consumption and the destructive power of multi-national corporations but these concerns can very easily fly out of minds when confronted by the horrifying process obscured behind seemingly abandoned farm houses and fields, made all the more frightening by our 'heroine''s dispassionate attitude. Faber uses his great skill to reveal his story to us bit by bit, take a few steps backwards and make us doubt ourselves once again, before pushing on forward. Brilliant. I dread to think what my face looked like whilst reading this on the way to work in the morning!This is a wonderful book, the best I have read all year, so far everything else is paling in comparison. It is completely unique and unpredictable; imagine the subtlety and brilliance of The Handmaid's Tale combined with the sheer foulness of Jeepers Creepers and you might be getting somewhere there.
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LibraryThing member Wolfseule
The greatest, weirdest, wildest, most beautiful ethical discussion in form in a novel you could imagine.
LibraryThing member booklove2
This one will be tough to say anything about without giving too much away.. and it really likes to unravel its mysteries. (One site said one word that kind of gave away a lot for me - kind of ruined it!) I'll just say the main character likes to pick up hitchhikers. Usually, a driver should be
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worried about the dangers of picking up hitchhikers, but the opposite is true here. I like the brief narrative delve into each hitchhiker's thoughts. This book is dark and keeps getting darker. I'm surprised a movie is being made. This one seems too dark even for movies. Very mysterious! I wish I could say more... but it will take everything you think this book is about and flip it upside down. An odd duck in general and an odd duck for the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. Show Less
LibraryThing member LiteraryFeline
I read The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber for an online book group a few years ago. It is a historical novel set in the 1800's about a prostitute who is taken in by a married man as his concubine. I really enjoyed the novel, especially the author's writing and approach to the social
Fast forward to this past month. Under the Skin by Michel Faber was the February selection for the face to face book group I recently joined. I was both excited and eager to jump in and give it a try. My husband just happened to have a copy of the book, having received it as a Christmas gift the year before last.
The description of the book on the back cover is very vague, offering only that the book is about a woman who picks up a certain type of hitchhiker--well-built males with no attachments and very few commitments. I read no reviews of the book going in and so had no idea what to expect. Was this a serial killer novel? Was the protagonist, Isserley, an alien or some sort of supernatural being or just a psychopath? It was clear from the first that something bad was happening to the men she picked up. I don't think that's much of a spoiler. And perhaps by sharing my initial speculations about who--or what--she might be, I am giving too much away.
Sounds interesting, right? It was. To a degree. The novel held so much potential, but it fell flat for me. I was taken in at first but soon began to wonder where the novel was going. So little happened in the first half or so of the book--it just meandered along. It seemed as if the author was attempting to reveal a little bit more about Isserley and her purpose as the story unfolded, which he did. I just wish the reveals hadn't been so drawn out.
Like with The Crimson Petal and the White, Faber tackles pertinent social issues in Under the Skin, including corporate greed and classism. At times I swear the author was trying to turn me into a vegetarian. I came away from the book feeling like I was being preached to--the messages being too obvious and strong.
My new book group met the last Saturday in February to discuss our thoughts about Under the Skin. And I think the discussion went quite well. Only one person mentioned liking the book. The rest of us were less satisfied. I did walk away from the discussion with added insight to the book just the same. I can't tell you how good it felt to be a part of a book discussion like that. I have only really experienced book discussions on line and, while great in their own right, there's something to be said about an in-person discussion, people bouncing ideas off each other as you go.
I think what I most got out of the discussion was a clearer impression about the main character. I never really warmed to her as I read the book; but during the discussion, I began to have more empathy for her. There was a point while reading the book that I thought how much she was like so many people, wrapped up in her own world, insecure and just trying to survive. She was reluctant to see the world any differently than how she had for so long seen it, coping as best she could. As the novel progressed, she grew, however subtly and reluctantly. I wish, as the reader, I'd been privy to more of her back story. I think I might have found her more relatable if I had known a little more of what she had been through in her earlier years. The book hints at it, but I never got the full picture. But perhaps that is part of the point. Like Isserley who kept an emotional distance from the men she picked up, the reader is kept at arm's length to get a better understanding of what she was experiencing. Or it could just be me.
When all is said and done, I still can't say I liked Under the Skin. I didn't hate it though. I think it made a good book for a group discussion even if hardly anyone in the group liked it. Perhaps that's what made it even more discussion worthy.
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issues of the day. His characters weren't particularly likeable, but they were interesting and connecting with them was no problem. After reading The Crimson Petal and the White, I knew I wanted to read more by the author.Fast forward to this past month. Under the Skin by Michel Faber was the February selection for the face to face book group I recently joined. I was both excited and eager to jump in and give it a try. My husband just happened to have a copy of the book, having received it as a Christmas gift the year before last.
The description of the book on the back cover is very vague, offering only that the book is about a woman who picks up a certain type of hitchhiker--well-built males with no attachments and very few commitments. I read no reviews of the book going in and so had no idea what to expect. Was this a serial killer novel? Was the protagonist, Isserley, an alien or some sort of supernatural being or just a psychopath? It was clear from the first that something bad was happening to the men she picked up. I don't think that's much of a spoiler. And perhaps by sharing my initial speculations about who--or what--she might be, I am giving too much away.
Sounds interesting, right? It was. To a degree. The novel held so much potential, but it fell flat for me. I was taken in at first but soon began to wonder where the novel was going. So little happened in the first half or so of the book--it just meandered along. It seemed as if the author was attempting to reveal a little bit more about Isserley and her purpose as the story unfolded, which he did. I just wish the reveals hadn't been so drawn out.
Like with The Crimson Petal and the White, Faber tackles pertinent social issues in Under the Skin, including corporate greed and classism. At times I swear the author was trying to turn me into a vegetarian. I came away from the book feeling like I was being preached to--the messages being too obvious and strong.
My new book group met the last Saturday in February to discuss our thoughts about Under the Skin. And I think the discussion went quite well. Only one person mentioned liking the book. The rest of us were less satisfied. I did walk away from the discussion with added insight to the book just the same. I can't tell you how good it felt to be a part of a book discussion like that. I have only really experienced book discussions on line and, while great in their own right, there's something to be said about an in-person discussion, people bouncing ideas off each other as you go.
I think what I most got out of the discussion was a clearer impression about the main character. I never really warmed to her as I read the book; but during the discussion, I began to have more empathy for her. There was a point while reading the book that I thought how much she was like so many people, wrapped up in her own world, insecure and just trying to survive. She was reluctant to see the world any differently than how she had for so long seen it, coping as best she could. As the novel progressed, she grew, however subtly and reluctantly. I wish, as the reader, I'd been privy to more of her back story. I think I might have found her more relatable if I had known a little more of what she had been through in her earlier years. The book hints at it, but I never got the full picture. But perhaps that is part of the point. Like Isserley who kept an emotional distance from the men she picked up, the reader is kept at arm's length to get a better understanding of what she was experiencing. Or it could just be me.
When all is said and done, I still can't say I liked Under the Skin. I didn't hate it though. I think it made a good book for a group discussion even if hardly anyone in the group liked it. Perhaps that's what made it even more discussion worthy.
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LibraryThing member Cecilturtle
Whereas I found the dystopia a great - and effective - way to tackle the moral conundrum of eating animals, the story itself just did not appeal to me.
Although I was quite willing to suspend disbelief with this extraterrestrial industry, I just couldn't buy that so many disappearances would go
I had much greater expectations after The Crimson Petal and the White, which I loved. Although an intriguing read, not necessarily one I would recommend.
Although I was quite willing to suspend disbelief with this extraterrestrial industry, I just couldn't buy that so many disappearances would go
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unnoticed in Scotland. The novel would have been much more believable in the favelas of Basil or shantytowns in Africa. Also, I didn't feel that I could relate to any of the characters, although Isserley is really quite a tragic figure. I would have liked more background into her past to understand what pushed her into such a dire decision... the whole premise is just too superficially presented.I had much greater expectations after The Crimson Petal and the White, which I loved. Although an intriguing read, not necessarily one I would recommend.
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Subjects
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2002)
Costa Book Awards (Shortlist — First Novel — 2000)
Scotland's National Book Awards (Winner — 2000)
The Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (Science Fiction and Fantasy)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2004
Physical description
304 p.; 7.64 inches
ISBN
1841950947 / 9781841950945
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 823.914 |