Mary Gaitskill

Shares a collection of stories about people who do not quite know what they want and whose wants conflict with their deeper needs and moral sense of the world

Stories

Because They Wanted To

First published in the late 1990s and a bestseller at the time, this incisive collection of short stories explores connection and disconnection in families, between ex-lovers and friends. From a father reflecting on the daughter whose lesbianism he cannot accept, to two people who were once young together stumbling over the foundations of their past, inside are twelve portraits of heart-rending emotional intimacy and the delicacy of relationships. Because They Wanted To is a perfectly formed set of stories about alienation in modern times.

Brook

This was delightful at times, and disturbing at others. Many stories sported horrible male protagonists, and the crafting of these terrible men far outstripped their worth. Later, the story shifts to a singular protagonist, looking for love, but unable to love. It’s beautifully written, and I plan to make this the first of many Gaitskill books.

Because They Wanted To Stories

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