|
The Art of Undressing
Stephanie Lehmann
By Alyce Wilson
The Art of Undressing by Stephanie Lehmann tells the story of
Ginger, a young woman who decides to move in with her mother and attend
culinary school. Of course, her mother is a retired exotic dancer, now
making her living teaching stripping classes and selling sex toys. Her
father, who lives with his second daughter from another woman, is wealthy
but emotionally remote.
In this novel, Stephanie Lehmann does exactly what an author should
do: she tells a simple story well. The characters are limited in scope,
the plot line focused and the characterizations vivid. The narrative
voice is strong, so that within a couple of chapters it's easy to believe
Ginger is telling the story.
All the characters are three-dimensional, including the mother, Coco,
who at first seems almost cartoon-like, as seen through her daughter's
eyes. But as Ginger discovers other dimensions to her mother, a fuller
picture emerges.
The Art of Undressing ultimately tells a story of self-growth.
As Ginger discovers, in order to become comfortable with herself, she
must accept her past and make peace with her family. Only then can she
be happy with herself.
The book makes ample use of humor; yet, there are also poignant moments.
Lehmann balances the two extremes with a careful hand, with an innate
capability to render human emotion.
Because of its colorful characters and succinct plot, The Art of
Undressing could work well as a movie. I look forward to seeing
what Lehmann will write next.
New American Library, 2005 (ISBN: 0-451-21411-0)
|
