bad behavior: stories. mary gaitskill. (164)

bad behavior was originally on my to-read list because flavorpill told me that it would fill the girls-hole in my heart after season 1 was over.  but something else caused me to add it to my library list.  as i read i thought it was the short story, secretary, i loved the movie so thought maybe i had read on flavorpill it was based on it.  but it turns out after googling it was on flavorpill's list of "50 incredibly tough books for extreme readers".  according to flavorpill:

i think i am pretty tough girl and now i have read a book that proves so.

to start this was an excellent fill for my girls void.  i saw adam in a romantic weekend and an affair, edited.  connection could be written by future marnie about hannah, while other factors would be future hannah on marnie.  maybe shosh would become the prostitute in trying to be, now that she is "deflowered but not devalued".  and jessa's free spirit was in both magdalen and lily in heaven.

the story, secretary, which the movie of the same name was based on was disappointing.  i loved the film with maggie gyllenhaal, and james spader, especially since this movie proved my theory that spader is sinister sexy.  spader is capable of giving you the best sex of your life then kill you once he was done!  what i disliked about the story was the ending.  for once in my life i preferred the hollywood ending, how the secretary and her boss found love in a hopeless place.  it was great how the character in the short story found the strength to stop the abuse but i preferred how her film counterpart found strength in being dominated.  she was a better character in the movie versus the book.

the stories as a whole were interesting.  it made me secretly wish that i had been a prostitute at some point in my life (see: diablo cody's book about her year as a stripper.)  i also recognized my life in her characters.  i sadly fell in love with the asshole in an affair, edited, my asshole was an attorney as well.  he also did not recognize my love for him as anything more than puppy love.  all of her characters that looked back on friendships lost reminded me of my life and how many times i was a bad friend.  i i found connection honest and on pointe about how we perceive friendships.  i had one friendship though fun was filled with arguments in which the dialogue in connection reminded me of, accusations of who used who and who was more selfish.  last but not least the final story heaven left me regretful for my future, worried about how my life will turned out and whether my parents will be disappointed in how i turn out.  i also realized what a great teen i was, i didn't do any drugs or stay out like lily and magdalen.

overall, an excellent read especially for women.  it reminds me of girls on its portrayal of the worse parts of her lives.  i will add that i did discover it on a list from flavorpill of the 20 books every woman should read in her twenties, i was late for that list but still was able to identify with bad behavior. (and yes this last list is part of my reading goal for 2014.)