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May 30-June 5, 2002 artpicks Laura Zigman
Laura Zigman's Her (Knopf) is a bitter gem about a woman's paranoid fear that her fiancé's ex will successfully sabotage her relationship, and thus ruin the rest of her life. It's the awful waiting for the imagined inevitable that makes Her so taut and gripping, so true and painful it's distinctly unpleasant to read -- not because the writing is bad, but because the emotions it inspires can be. Anyone who is currently in a jealous state, is a basket case or believes their current love could be taken away by their ex at any time knows the awful feeling Elise has, and therefore should not read this book. Preserve your mental health and trust me when I say even those currently involved in great relationships will feel an overwhelming sense of ickiness (and perhaps familiarity) at the subject matter. Let your emotional memory of such matters flare up as you read, then fade when you eventually put Her back on the shelf. The she in Her, Adrienne, is too glamorous, smart, and "sinewy" not to fall in love with -- but there are other reasons to hate her besides her beauty. (She's read every translation of Dostoevsky there is, the clever bitch.) It should be easy enough for Elise's fiancé to fall in love with Adrienne all over again, now that she's moved back to town and is always around. It's enough to make Elise suicidal, if she weren't so busy accommodating Adrienne and secretly plotting the moment in which Adrienne will (bestcase scenario) fall flat on her face and finally look the fool, or at least seem vulnerable for a moment. The worst of it is Elise's instincts are correct. Her relationship is in jeopardy, and not exclusively because of the power of self-fulfilling prophecies. Adrienne wants her old love back, and what's stopping her? Not only is she drop-dead gorgeous, she has confidence -- something Elise could really use a dose of. Elise is a nervous wreck who can just hold it together enough to pass for functional. Except for the rush that comes when she realizes she was right all along, she's all nerves, all the time. But the fact that Elise is properly guided by her instincts means she's on a better path than those who don't follow their gut often enough. Laura Zigman will read and sign Tue., June 4, 7:30 p.m., Borders, 1149 Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, 610-527-1500.
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