Review: astonishingly good
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 12, 2012
Curio is a little miracle of a book. It is, by far, the smartest take on the idea of a 'fantasy man' I've ever read - like a jazz riff or a roundel, iterating a seemingly-simple idea into something gloriously complex.And surprisingly bittersweet.The heroine, Caroly, is a 30 year old virgin. She's obsessed with beauty -- she's attracted to it, she's deeply insecure about her own lack of it, she's conflicted about being so superficial -- which is how she ends up hiring Didier, a gorgeous male model who works as a male prostitute.Didier is a fantasy man. He exists to fulfill the needs of his partners, to please women; he becomes whatever the woman he's with wants from a man, he's pleased when she's satisfied. And, not surprisingly, he's a bit of an emotional cripple. The more Caroly questions him, asking him what he wants, asking what makes him happy, the more his fundamental nature is revealed to be sensitive and vulnerable and delicate.Curio is short enough that saying much more would spoil the experience. I am amazed by McKenna's skill as a writer, the kind of emotional depth and complexity she's managed to inject into a story of this length. I cried happy tears at the end.Highly, highly recommended.