# Veronica (novel)

Veronica is a 2005 novel by American author Mary Gaitskill. The book has been praised for its lyrical exploration of friendship, beauty, illness, and identity. The novel draws on Gaitskill's signature themes of emotional complexity, societal norms, and the nuances of power dynamics in relationships.

## Plot summary

Veronica follows the story of Alison, a former model, as she reflects on her life while grappling with the physical and emotional scars of the past. Set in New York City in the 1980s and early 2000s, Alison's narrative alternates between her memories of her youth spent in the modeling world and her present life, working as a cleaning woman and suffering from Hepatitis C. The novel's title character, Veronica, is an older woman Alison befriends during her modeling days. Veronica contracts AIDS, and their evolving relationship becomes a central element in Alison's reflections on love, beauty, and the fleeting nature of life.

## Themes

The novel explores themes of friendship, illness, the fragility of beauty, and the quest for meaning in a morally ambiguous world. Through Alison’s relationship with Veronica, Gaitskill examines how societal attitudes toward women, particularly in the fashion industry, shape their identities. Critics have highlighted Gaitskill's portrayal of illness as a metaphor for emotional and psychological suffering. Gaitskill's prose has been noted for its raw intensity and attention to the darker, often overlooked aspects of human experience.

## Critical reception

Veronica received critical acclaim for its emotional depth and stylistic innovation. On Metacritic, the book received a 85 out of 100 based on 22 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". According to Book Marks, the book received a "positive" consensus, based on thirteen critics: seven "rave", five "positive", and one "mixed". In the January/February 2006 issue of Bookmarks, the book was scored three out of five. The magazine's critical summary reads: "Still, many reviewers were impressed. "Gaitskill’s brand of brainy lyricism, of acid shot through with grace, is unlike anyone else’s," says The New York Times Book Review. "And it constitutes some of the most incisive fiction writing around". ReviewofBooks said on the critical consensus: "Mary Gaitskill's novel has received mostly positive reviews (and a National Book Award nomination) with the Seattle Times saying, "Never before in fiction has a model been this knowing, this feeling or this poetic. Yet every sentence rings true. Gaitskill is talented enough to make you believe that the memoir of a fallen model can be as soulful as it is sordid".
Meghan O'Rourke, of The New York Times, appreciated Veronica for its meditative examination of beauty, cruelty, and memory. She further noted that while the novel starts slowly, it eventually reveals its depth, portraying youthful impatience and the fragility of beauty with striking prose.
Not all reviewers were positive, some critics noted that the novel's themes of illness and suffering were often challenging to read but ultimately rewarding for their insight into human frailty. Joanna Briscoe of The Guardian noted that "frequently reads as though it's been cut and pasted too many times".

## Awards and honors
### Awards

* Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction (2005) Nominee
* National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction (2005) Nominee
* National Book Award for Fiction (2005) Finalist

### Honors

* The New York Times' 100 Best Books of the 21st Century (2024)