Supper Club* combines the kind of no-nonsense, undulating prose of [a:Ali Smith|68992|Ali Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1215657948p2/68992.jpg] and [a:Rachel Cusk|46051|Rachel Cusk|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1268246552p2/46051.jpg] and the ever-relatable characters of [a:Sally Rooney|15860970|Sally Rooney|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534007127p2/15860970.jpg] with [a:Ottessa Moshfegh|3276202|Ottessa Moshfegh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1459745407p2/3276202.jpg]'s acceptable absurdity. The present chapters are broken up by flashbacks to Roberta’s teenage years, instructions for recipes she has perfected over time, and unanswered emails from her estranged father living in America. Meanwhile she and her new work friend and soon, her roommate, Stevie, devise a living art project for women who want to take control of their lives, removing the power from men who have wronged them, and finally take up space and use their voices in a way most of society detests.

As Stevie continues to overindulge in the spectacular cooking Roberta makes day to day, their idea starts to coalesce into the Club. They find and interview women they know peripherally or not at all and they set a date. They dumpster dive for most of the food, buy plenty of meat and alcohol, one of the other women brings drugs and they each dress according to a theme, eccentrically in gold or like the ocean, and they get together, get sloshed, and eat until they might burst. Throughout Roberta addresses her insecurities as a single woman, her relationship with her mother, her boring job and her painful memories from university. So many insightful lines struck me and propelled me to keep getting to know Roberta and her small piece of the world. Enjoyed every moment and subtlety.

*Thanks to Putnam for the free review copy!