Review: "The Answers" by Catherine Lacey

The most striking thing about Catherine Lacey’s sophomore novel The Answers is its prose style. In lieu of using ellipses, she denotes the dialogue with italics. While it may seem like a minor switch, one that lets the books aesthetics stand out a bit more, I also feel it gives the book a dreamlike quality: we never really know what is being said, what people wished they had said and what other people are saying filtered through someone else’s psyche. It makes for a strange read. But that is also something that harms the book slightly. This is a not a novel with very strong characterization. I never felt for those at the center of this novel, whether that is Mary, Kurt or Matheson. They are ciphers for themes that by the end I am still a little confused about and wish were presented with a bit more stylistic clarity. The book centers around Mary Parson, who is in a situation we can all relate to: she is broke and in constant physical pain, of which is never made clear what really hurts, but it manifests itself in her back. She discovers a treatment known as PAKing, which is again vaguely described and might have something to do with chiropractic medicine. These cost a lot, and she is forced to take a second job. This job has her becoming part of a social experiment/art piece created by famous actor Kurt Sky. She must be his emotional girlfriend, the terms of which are among the best parts of the book. As I said, I struggled to find what the book was really about: was it about a woman’s journey toward independence? Or was it about the hardships of forming romantic bonds in a society that rewards self-serving behavior? It is never made clear and by the strange ending, it still baffles me. But for some reason I kind of enjoyed this book. It has a charm about it that made me quite curious about its mysteries.

Rating: 4/5