I think this is one of those books read at exactly the right time; had I read it when I was younger, I wouldn't have understood much of it. But now, after having lived in New York for three and a half years, it's all very relatable in a certain way. Not in the "I'll-be-a-prostitute-today" sense or the drugs sense, but there's a melancholy in Gaitskill's stories that tugs every now and then at the truth. However, my favourite of these short stories had to do with female friendships or the falling out of them. There are not very many women friendships portrayed in a relevant, real, adult way in the books I've been reading, and it was surprising to realize that. It's always interesting to read something that's so clear in my mind and see it displayed on paper so accurately.

Overall, the stories are quite sad and even depressing, but sometimes I relish those moods and I can't wait to read this collection again in the future.