Pig Tales, Marie Darrieussecq

[mossy_sloth]

Title: Pig Tales
Author Marie Darrieussecq, translated from the French into English by Linda Coverdale
About? From the inside cover:

A brilliant first novel about a stunning young woman who lands a prized position in a beauty 'massage' parlour. She enjoys extra-ordinary success in bringing home the bacon (in part due to her increasingly rosy and

Comments

[_madam_mina_]

I hope this is not too tame for this community.

I don't think so - I wrote about a story from folklore that I found disturbing as a child. I think as long as you found it disturbing it's ok - that way we can discuss :)

[prettyh]

My sentiments exactly, although I haven't gotten to read it myself yet. But this way we can amass what each of us thinks is twisted and introduce each other to all new lows. :)

There are a whole bunch of versions of it on Amazon, but the least expensive and most available one is here (in English); the original one by Darrieussecq is going for over $300. Yikes. It MUST be good!

From Amazon:Franz Kafka meets George Orwell in this dark, dystopian tale. Set in Paris in the near future, the story revolves around a young woman who works as a beautician and masseuse, for whom happiness is derived from perfumes, shampoos, and generally hedonistic pursuits. One day she realizes she is slowly (and quite literally) becoming a pig. Life as a neophyte porker, she discovers, isn't all that bad, though it does contain some unique dangers. She remains extremely popular with her massage customers, who take unusual glee in adopting her barnyard ways. Unfortunately, it is difficult for a pig to find true love in a human world; abandoned by her

[mossy_sloth]

It really is good. I wish my french was good enough to read it in the original :(

And that summary from Amazon really conveys a lot more that the one from the inside cover, which makes it sound a bit more light-hearted. Thanks :)

[mossy_sloth]

Oh good! I'm glad it was OK :)

[ruchel]

I read it, but only in French.

Interesting ideas, but some real lengths and very overrated.